For women and men —Jean Kittson, author of You’re Still Hot to Me: The Joys of Menopause #sharethis

Women are now in menopause for 40% of their lives. It’s a natural and normal part of life. It’s not about getting old, it’s about growing up.

OK, this evening I got sick of forever lamenting greedy men in connection with the stadium and professional rugby, and stupid city councillors. Instead, I sought out something positive, laughter-inducing in a kind way, discursive, enlightening – for a change, The Change.

Sneaking this in before evangelists Malcolm Farry, Dave Cull, Jim Harland, Athol Stephens, and the likes of Terry Davies, start leading the way on men’s health by taking more doctors along to local Blokes’ Sheds – so in this er tight gap before they try “giving back to humanity”, listen to the audio, read the extract, email it, share it – be generous, buy the book for yourselves, your families, your women friends and men friends. Talk about it.

—

### radionz.co.nz Thu, 26 Jun 2014
Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/20140626

Jean Kittson, author of You’re Still Hot to Me: The Joys of Menopause
10:10 Jean Kittson is an Australian comedian, performer and writer who’s on a mission to break the cone of silence she says exists around menopause. She’s written a book about the subject, called You’re Still Hot To Me: The Joys of Menopause, as she insists it’s possible to cheerfully embrace and confidently manage the “change of life”. Published by Pan McMillan.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (28′33″)

█ BRILLIANT EXTRACT | Book information – Pan Macmillan

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium: NZRU in the sights

NZRU takes a very high percentage of the returns from professional rugby matches at Fubar and other regional stadiums around New Zealand. NZRU’s Steve Tew doesn’t want you to dwell on that, he’s making money.

Dunedin’s Mayor Cull and City Councillors need to wake up.

ODT 28.6.14 Letter to editor (page 34)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium costs $23.4144 million per annum

Received from Bev Butler
Thu, 26 Jun 2014 21:43:05 +1200

Cover note:
According to the latest DVL/DVML six monthly reports the debt is growing not reducing – that is a concern. The $146.6 million debt was passed over to DVL, many millions were poured into servicing the interest and capital repayments for this debt but even with that happening the combined short term/long term debt of DVML/DVL now stands at $157.6 million – $11 million more! The long term debt of $146.6 million has been reduced to $138.8 million but short term debt stands at $18.8 million. It is a major concern that the combined debt is growing not reducing – and this is during the stadium’s honeymoon period.

———

From: Bev Butler
To: Sue Bidrose; Sandy Graham; Kate Wilson; Richard Thomsom; Chris Staynes; John Bezett; Lee Vandervis; Hilary Calvert; Doug Hall; Andrew Whiley; Mike Lord; David Benson-Pope; Neville Peat; Andrew Noone; Jinty MacTavish; Dave Cull; Aaron Hawkins
CC: Calvin Oaten; Grant McKenzie
Subject: Stadium $23.4144 million per annum
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 21:43:05 +1200

Dear Mayor Cull and Councillors

As a result of further discussions and more information obtained through further searching Council documents Calvin Oaten and I have updated the annual stadium costs which now stand at $23.4144 million. (See attached word document). No changes have been made to the spreadsheet I sent earlier which I prepared.
There are some costs which have not been included due to the difficulty in quantifying them to the accuracy of which I would be comfortable.

This $23.4144 million figure does not include any payments which may have not been fully transparent through the Council books.
By this I mean that I understand there were approaches by Darren Burden, former CEO of DVML, to obtain payments for bills which DVML were unable to pay but which another Council Department had shown some willingness to transfer their surplus unspent funds from that Department to DVML. In that particular case, I understand the transfer did not happen. However, I have no access to information as to whether this had occurred on previous occasions through other departments.

█ Also attached are Terry Wilson’s calculations coming from a different angle but which come to $23.1 million per annum. (See attached spreadsheet prepared by Terry Wilson).

Yours sincerely
Bev Butler

Downloads:
● FB Stadium=Annual Ratepayer Costs=V2 (PDF, 9.47 KB)
● Stadium Costs $23.4144 million per annum (DOC, 30.5 KB)

—

Related Posts and Comments:
2.6.14 Stadium costs ballpark at $21.337 million pa, Butler & Oaten
23.5.14 Stadium | DCC DAP 2014/15 ● Benson-Pope asserts himself
9.5.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Submission by Bev Butler

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

LGNZ #blaggardliars

Received from Anonymous
Thu, 26 Jun 2014 at 3:17 p.m.

Horowhenua Chronicle 25.6.14

[Anonymous] “Another report by another highly paid expert, strategically placed on the front page to calm the masses only weeks after Horowhenua District Council (HDC) announced rate hikes of 10%.”

[Evidence] No-one believes his crap. Slippery Lawrence Yule treated like yesterday’s scrumpled chip paper.

—

Our reading preference:

█ The Ratepayers’ Report is based on data collated by the Taxpayers’ Union, a lobby group, from councils’ annual reports. It also includes information collected independently from the Department of Internal Affairs and Statistics New Zealand. All of this has been checked and sent to the 67 councils involved for them to review. See local government league tables published by analyst Larry Mitchell since 2010.

Related Post and Comments:
12.6.14 Fairfax Media [not ODT] initiative on Local Bodies
21.4.13 Councils “in stchook” —finance & policy analyst Larry.N.Mitchell
30.5.12 Larry.N.Mitchell: 2012 Local Govt League Table Executive Summary

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium: DVML, mothballing, and ‘those TVs’ #LGOIMA

Received from Lee Vandervis
Tue, 24 Jun 6:20 p.m.

I am disappointed in the complete indifference of the local press regarding info I have sent them on the scandalous $1.3 million of new flatscreen TVs DVML bought when they already had 94 TVs and were already grossly unable to meet budgets. –Vandervis

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:23:54 +1200
To: Chris Morris [ODT], Debbie Porteous [ODT]
Cc: Nick Smith [ODT; Allied Press Ltd]
Conversation: stadium
Subject: Re: stadium

Hi Chris and Debbie,

My understanding is that mothballing the stadium is not being seriously considered, but that it should be to at least give us a sunk-costs base-line to recognise how much keeping the doors open is costing us.
The one-off cost of buying and paying the interest on the stadium is damaging enough with out the continuous massively subsidised ridiculous running costs.

It is a shame that DVML have been allowed to run as an out-of-control Council Trading Organisation for far too long, and that DCC failure to get DVML to operate responsibly as required by their Statement of Intent has encouraged profligate spending, such as buying $1.3 million of new flat screen TVs with fancy computer controls, when they already had 94 new flat screen TVs. [see attached DVML LGOIMA responses] Spending $1.2 million on unauthorized temporary seating, and buying an unauthorized specifically Council-denied growlight system [to keep the turf growing] are two other examples. Despite this the Mayor and other Councillors seem to be happy for years now to keep throwing millions at DVL/DVML.
I have often said that before we seriously consider closing the stadium doors we should strip DVL/DVML of their staff, directors and overheads, appoint a DCC in-house manager to run the stadium along Edgar Centre lines using volunteers including Rotary as was done with Carisbrook, fit a low-maintenance artificial turf to allow everyday use, and see how cheaply the stadium could really be run. Only then would we be in a position to decide whether keeping it open was possible long term.

I have sent original info re DVML’s profligate spending on newer TVs and their disposal of ‘old’ flat screens in separate emails.

Cheers,
Lee

—— End of Forwarded Message

****************************************

Email 1

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:12:59 +1200
To: Chris Morris [ODT], Debbie Porteous [ODT]
Cc: Nick Smith [Allied Press Ltd]
Conversation: LGOIMA response and new questions
Subject: FW: LGOIMA response and new questions

From: Kim Barnes [DVML]
Date: Wed, 4 Jun 2014 00:45:59 +0000
To: Lee Vandervis
Cc: Sandy Graham [DCC], Terry Davies [DVML], Sue Bidrose [DCC]
Subject: RE: LGOIMA response and new questions

Dear Councillor Vandervis

Please find attached the response to your request in relation to your LGOIMA request dated 9 May 2014. Attached also is a record of the payments made by staff and Directors for the purchases of the second hand televisions.

Kind regards
Kim

Kim Barnes
Marketing & Communications Manager [DVML]

Downloads:
Record of Payment (PDF 836 KB)
ClrVandervis030614 (PDF, 129 KB)

—

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Friday, 9 May 2014 2:47 p.m.
To: Kim Barnes [DVML]
Cc: Sandy Graham [DCC]; Terry Davies [DVML]; Sue Bidrose [DCC]
Subject: Re: LGOIMA response and new questions

Thank you Kim for Mr Davies responses to my questions.

Unfortunately some of my questions have not been answered.
Question 2 asks whether DVML realised at the time they bought the new Stadium TV software package that the existing 94 TVs were incompatible.
Can you please respond – yes or no – whether DVML realised they were buying a software package that was incompatible with the stadium existing 94 TVs?

Question 5 asks who was responsible for keeping the records referred to in “Unfortunately no record has been found of these actions or conversations”.
My ‘who’ question has not been answered – was it a management requirement lapse, or was it simply a staff member filing error, or some other subcontractor’s recording lapse?

Question 6 asks who was responsible for the damage causing seven TVs to be discarded? Does the “where no blame can be attributed” response mean that nobody was held responsible for the destruction of these seven TVs? Was any insurance claim made for the damaged TVs?

Question 7 requests copies of original paperwork confirming payments for stadium TVs supplied to DVML staff and directors. Thank you for supply copies of invoices, but it is proof of payment original paperwork that I have asked for. Can you please forward copies of this ‘confirming payment was made’ paperwork?

Your response also raises some additional questions which I wish to pose now as an additional LGOIMA request for information:
TV sale invoices variously describe TVs as “new” “second-hand” or just as “TV”.

Question A – are the “new” TVs so described actually new, and if so why are these new TVs being sold so cheaply? Are the sold ‘new’ TVs from the original 94, or from the subsequent 165 TVs? Are the second-hand TVs from the original 94 or subsequent 165 TVs or both? Of the TVs sold to staff/directors that are neither described as new or second-hand, which were new and which were second-hand?

Question B – why do the TV sale invoices vaguely refer to a generic TV type and not specify the actual TV unit by way of model number or serial number as is required in “a description of the goods” on a GST invoice?

Question C – What is the total number of TVs now in the stadium, and how many are from the original 94 TVs and how many are from the more recent purchase of 165 TVs?

Thank you for the information that you have provided so far as it has helped to clarify some aspects of the $1.3 million cost of the second full stadium TV system excluding the original stadium 94 TVs system.

Kind regards,
Cr. Lee Vandervis

—— End of Forwarded Message

****************************************

Email 2

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 12:12:07 +1200
To: Debbie Porteous [ODT], Chris Morris [ODT]
Conversation: LGOIMA response
Subject: FW: LGOIMA response

From: Kim Barnes [DVML]
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2014 03:02:38 +0000
To: Lee Vandervis
Cc: Sandy Graham [DCC], Terry Davies [DVML], Sue Bidrose [DCC]
Subject: RE: LGOIMA response

Dear Councillor Vandervis

Please find attached the response in relation to your LGOIMA request dated 1 April 2014 along with copies of invoices as requested.

Kind regards
Kim

Kim Barnes
Marketing & Communications Manager [DVML]

Downloads:
Staff purchase invoices (PDF, 615 KB)
ClrVandervis290414 (PDF, 101 KB)

—

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: Tuesday, 1 April 2014 10:17 p.m.
To: Kim Barnes [DVML]
Cc: Sandy Graham [DCC]; Terry Davies [DVML]; Sue Bidrose [DCC]
Subject: Re: LGOIMA response

Dear Kim,

Thank you for finally providing me with a response. 8 weeks for this response is unacceptable however and the excuse given that “the request is for a large quantity of official information or necessitates a search through a large quantity of information” is not credible.

The answers you have provided raise further questions as follow, to which I expect answers within a normal LGOIMA timeframe:

1 – Who decided to buy the first 94 stadium TVs and on what advice?
2 – Did DVML realise at the time they bought the new stadium TV software package that these 94 TVs were incompatible?
3 – What “increased revenue” has resulted from purchasing the newer 165 TVs and stadium TV software package?
4 – What has been the total cost of the stadium TV software package, the 165 TVs and associated installation costs? Please itemize.
5 – Who at the stadium was responsible for keeping the records referred to in “Unfortunately no record has been found of these actions or conversations”?
6 – 7 of the 94 TVs have been “Discarded due to being damaged”. Under what circumstances have so many TVs been damaged and who has been held responsible?
7 – Please forward copies of original paperwork confirming payments for stadium TVs by staff members, and payments by DVML Chair Sir John Hansen and DVML Director Peter Stubbs.

Kind regards,
Cr. Lee Vandervis

On 1/04/14 5:48 PM, “Kim Barnes” wrote:
Dear Councillor Vandervis

Please find attached the response in relation to your LGOIMA request dated 5 February 2014 along with a copy of the release being forwarded to the ODT.

Kind regards
Kim

Kim Barnes
Marketing & Communications Manager [DVML]

—— End of Forwarded Message
{See also correspondence via posts made on 3 April 2014. -Eds}

—

Related Posts and Comments:
18.6.14 Crowe Horwath Report (May 2014) – Review of DVML Expenses
14.6.14 NZRU ‘hustles’ towns and cities to build stadiums
12.6.14 Fairfax Media [not ODT] initiative on Local Bodies
9.6.14 DVML: Crowe Horwath audit report (Hedderwick)
3.6.14 DCC unit under investigation
2.6.14 Stadium costs ballpark at $21.337 million pa, Butler & Oaten
█ 3.4.14 DVML: Lost in transaction II (flatscreen TVs)
█ 3.4.14 DVML: Lost in transaction (flatscreen TVs)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

[Punctuation in the string of correspondence lightly edited and highlighting added; all email addresses removed. -Eds]

DCC Annual Plan 2014/15 + Rugby and Rates

The council owned companies DVML and DVL present their Statements of Intent to the Dunedin City Council today. The meeting commences at 2pm at the Council Chamber, Municipal Chambers.

### ODT Online Mon, 23 Jun 2014
Whistle to blow for stadium deals
By Chris Morris
The company which runs Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium faces an uncertain future as it eyes the expiration of deals with sponsors, members and even the Highlanders Super rugby franchise. It also continues to operate under a cloud while awaiting the outcome of a major review of the stadium operation, now expected by early August, that seeks to address the venue’s multimillion-dollar losses.
Read more

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 164.3 KB)
Statement of Intent for Dunedin Venues Limited

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 170.1 KB)
Statement of Intent for Dunedin Venues Management Limited

—

The meeting includes final approval and adoption of the Annual Plan 2014/15 and the setting of rates.

Agenda – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 122.0 KB)

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 4.5 MB)
Dunedin City Council 2014/15 Annual Plan for Adoption on 23 June 2014

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 699.6 KB)
Adoption of the 2014/15 Annual Plan – Minutes of Hearings and Deliberations

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 114.3 KB)
Adoption of the 2014/15 Annual Plan

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 540.0 KB)
Setting of Rates for 2014/15 Financial Year

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 76.6 KB)
Assessment Timeframe for Dunedin Earthquake-Prone Buildings Policy

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 149.9 KB)
Marketing Dunedin Advisory Board and Transition Advisory Group

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 872.4 KB)
‘Toi Au – Our Creative Future’, Draft Ōtepoti Dunedin Arts and Culture Strategy

Report – Council – 23/06/2014 (PDF, 156.0 KB)
Elected Member Remuneration Rates for 2014/15

█ Statements of Intent for other council owned companies are here.

—

Related Posts and Comments:
18.6.14 Crowe Horwath Report (May 2014) – Review of DVML Expenses
14.6.14 NZRU ‘hustles’ towns and cities to build stadiums
12.6.14 Fairfax Media [not ODT] initiative on Local Bodies
9.6.14 DVML: Crowe Horwath audit report (Hedderwick)
3.6.14 DCC unit under investigation
2.6.14 Stadium costs ballpark at $21.337 million pa, Butler & Oaten

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image – radionz.co.nz – DVML chief executive Terry Davies at the stadium

Vogel Street Heritage Precinct (TH13)

Street improvements under way for the redeveloped warehouses and other commercial buildings in the heritage precinct, including new light stands, plantings and protrusions — photographed last Saturday (14.6.14). Highly coloured seats and rubbish bins have yet to be installed. Read more about the project here.
Click map to enlarge.

—

Bike stands and a light stand outside Queens Gardens House, cnr Rattray Street:

Light stand outside Phoenix House (45 Queens Gardens):

Looking south from Phoenix House along the west side of Vogel Street:

Looking north from Phoenix House to Queens Gardens:

Former NMA buildings (note badly scaled and positioned sign):

Landscaping and protrusions for safe crossing:

Other views (including the former Donald Reid Store at 77 Vogel Street):

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Warehouse Precinct Revitalisation Plan (PDF, 3.6 MB)
This Plan seeks to support the revitalisation to ensure the important historic Warehouse Precinct area becomes a vibrant and successful part of the central city, once again.

Dunedin Warehouse Precinct by Alexander Trapeznik, 2014, 188 pages with map and illustrations (PDF, 9.91MB)

Dunedin’s warehouse district is a newly rediscovered treasure. Spanning the few blocks stretching from the harbour-side to Princes Street, from Queens Gardens to the Oval, for many years this area slipped out of the public eye. The grid-pattern street layout contains a dense mixture of commercial and industrial buildings, typically between two and four storeys high. Many have a decorative façade to the street and plain brick or masonry walls facing their neighbours. Some became derelict, others home to a variety of uses. A few have been demolished to create car parks. Recently, many of the buildings have become the subject of renewed enthusiasm, being strengthened, refurbished, repainted and valued once again. –Trapeznik

—

Post and images by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Draft arts and culture strategy (read another major spend up?)

OH GOD, BUT IS IT GREEN
Do we really need a (hopeless) arts strategy when we’re TOO BUSY bankrolling Professional Rugby and committing Assault at Stadium ???

—

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Making Creativity a Top Priority

This item was published on 19 Jun 2014

Arts and culture should be at the core of our city, according to Toi Ao – Our Creative Future, the draft Ōtepoti Dunedin Arts and Culture Strategy.

Dunedin City Councillor Aaron Hawkins who has been closely involved with the preparation of the draft Strategy, says, “This is a great opportunity for the city to acknowledge the importance art and culture to our community’s quality of life. Having watched this strategy develop, I’m excited about it being at the stage where we can soon share it with Dunedin people, and see how it fits with their ambitions and aspirations. Dunedin has a rich tradition of developing, and attracting, world class talent. What we don’t always to so well is celebrate our successes. We need to look at how we can encourage excellence, and at the same time weave creative expression into the fabric of our public spaces and everyday lives.”

The draft Strategy has been developed in partnership with arts and culture collective Transforming Dunedin. The Strategy draws on the results of previous community consultation, including the Transforming Dunedin Symposium and follow-on work, DCC consultation on strategic priorities for the city and a review of other arts and culture strategies in New Zealand and overseas.

The Strategy’s purpose is to set the direction when it comes to future support for arts and culture in Dunedin. It aims to position Dunedin as one of the world’s finest creative small cities. The intention is to move to a place where arts, culture and creativity are fully integrated into the city’s brand and identity and recognised as critical to Dunedin’s success.

There are a wide range of goals, which include bringing a creative perspective to city decision-making, creating new ways for people to participate in arts and culture, and ensuring Dunedin people can experience the best of local, national and international arts and culture.

DCC Group Manager Arts and Culture Bernie Hawke describes the development of the draft Arts and Culture Strategy as “a significant milestone in developing a framework for supporting and fostering arts and culture across the city. “The forthcoming community consultation on the draft Strategy will be important to ensure that the Strategy represents the priorities and directions of the community.”

█ The draft Strategy will be discussed by the Council at its meeting on Monday, 23 June. Subject to approval by the Council, the draft Strategy is expected to be released for widespread public consultation in late July/August.

█ ‘Toi Au – Our Creative Future’, Draft Ōtepoti Dunedin Arts and Culture Strategy (PDF, 872.4 KB)

Contact Group Manager Arts and Culture on 03 477 4000.
DCC Link

—

### dunedintv.co.nz June 19, 2014 – 6:03pm
New arts and culture strategy developed
The Dunedin City Council has developed a new arts and culture strategy. It sets the direction for investment and support of creative activities and events in the city. And on Monday, the document will be tabled for discussion by councillors, before going out to public consultation.
Video

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Crowe Horwath Report (May 2014) – Review of DVML Expenses

Dunedin City Council released the following report through the LGOIMA process, in reply to Bev Butler who lodged an information request.

The report by independent auditors Crowe Horwath investigates the work expenses of DVML’s ex Commercial Manager, then part-time contractor Guy Hedderwick.

Download: Crowe Horwath Report – Review of DVML Expenses (PDF, 363 KB)

NOTE: The report is not the result of a forensic audit, which should now take place to provide clarification for Mr Hedderwick and his manager.

QUESTION: Why is Dunedin City Council not seeking requirement for a forensic audit?

—

Related Post and Comments:
9.6.14 DVML: Crowe Horwath audit report (Hedderwick)
22.3.14 DVML, Money for jam…..fig jam’ [see links provided]
4.3.14 Bev Butler: Guy Hedderwick’s departure package (LGOIMA)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

NZRU ‘hustles’ towns and cities to build stadiums

What happens to our cathedrals, the large stadiums found in every major centre, if we lose faith?

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00 14/06/2014
Sport
What about the state of New Zealand stadiums?
By Matt Nippert
[Excerpts from a longer article…] The covered 31,000-seat Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, constructed in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, may be the newest major sporting facility in the country but has already proved the most controversial. The bulk of its $224 million construction cost came from Dunedin City Council, but ongoing costs to ratepayers have caused considerable angst. Ratepayers were forced into a $2.3m bailout in May, and are mulling whether a permanent annual subsidy will be required to keep it running.

Getting to grips with exactly how much stadiums cost is a tricky exercise. Construction has often been piecemeal, with grandstands redeveloped or rebuilt over time, blurring total capital expenditure. And determining operational costs – whether stadiums require ongoing contributions by ratepayers – is further complicated by many facilities being run from within city councils or by council-controlled organisations. This makes the extraction of a discrete set of accounts, most notably in Dunedin and Waikato, an impossibility.

Analysis of accounts for Wellington and Auckland, run by dedicated trusts and two of the most transparent stadiums, shows that break-even is realistically the best case.

At New Zealand Rugby headquarters, chief executive Steve Tew broadly agrees that the glory days [of attendance at games] are over. Viewers watching broadcasts of a game have supplanted punters going through stadium turnstiles.

But there is one niche where the faith of the rugby faithful remains strong: All Blacks tests. Hosting the national team is often the only time stadiums up and down the country reach capacity.

While great for New Zealand Rugby coffers, Massey University’s Sam Richardson says the All Blacks have warped stadium construction priorities. “It’s an absolutely huge detriment. If you’re building a stadium where the financial viability year to year relies on an All Blacks test, there’s no question New Zealand Rugby plays a massive part in whether these facilities are going to be used to their potential,” he says.

Canterbury University economist Eric Crampton says building capacity for a solitary annual All Black test is akin to “buying a six-bedroom house just in case both sets of grandparents come to visit at the same time”. Crampton says the proliferation of large loss-making stadiums, both in New Zealand and worldwide, has been mainly because of the economic equivalent of hustling. “Sporting teams have been able to convince councils all over the place – and have been able to play them off against each other by threatening to move – to build excessive stadiums.
Read more

****

“Fifa, like the International Olympic Committee, is widely regarded as corrupt. In that, it reflects our flawed species; while capable of fabulous feats, a dark side lurks.”

### ODT Online Sat, 14 Jun 2014
Editorial: Revelling in sport
OPINION As Dunedin and the South gear up for the excitement of tonight’s rugby test in the city, a sporting event in another league entirely kicked off yesterday.
Read more

█ Garrick Tremain – 14 June 2015

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Fairfax Media [not ODT] initiative on Local Bodies

The Taxpayers’ Union in collaboration with Fairfax Media has launched the “Ratepayers’ Report”. (Link)

—

Comment received from Russell Garbutt
Submitted on 2014/06/11 at 10:04 am

The Fairfax initiative on Local Bodies is an excellent one.

It can be found at http://www.ratepayersreport.co.nz/

It seems that this whole thing has stemmed from the excellent work of Larry Mitchell, in trying to educate Local Bodies as to some financial nous, and also to alert ratepayers to what circumstances their local body has put them in.

I know from experience over many years of trying, that my recommendations to local Councillors to contact Larry Mitchell and learn from his experience as an independent consultant on Local Government fell on totally deaf ears. They seemed to know better. Yeah, right.

Now it is out there in a form that is very readable and comparisons can be easily seen.

What is totally amazing is the views of the DCC in this. Yes, the second highest debt per ratepayer, but the DCC says that it has the second highest value of assets. Crap. This is just rubbish and it can’t sell those assets. Every Council has water, roading etc which it must provide and can’t sell, but in the case of the DCC it has the stadium. Not an asset as we all know but a fearful liability, but it appears in the books as an asset. Well, sell the bloody thing. It isn’t needed.

I know that this story won’t be picked up by the ODT as it is a Fairfax story, but the other point in here of course is that the ability of Aucklanders (who have the highest debt levels) to pay. Dunedin doesn’t. Its population is well below that of Auckland when it comes to average income per household.

The other thing that the ODT won’t cover is the local comparisons. While the DCC has a debt level of $15,093 per ratepayer, the Central Otago District Council has only $327 per ratepayer, with virtually the same equity value per ratepayer. What’s the difference? As the CODC says of the area “A World of Difference”. I know which Council I admire the most.

[ends]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin’s industrial land

Alistair Broad – is he having a meltdown, or what?

Why is freehold baron Earl Hagaman not mentioned in this story?

[why is DCC’s treatment of the Caledonian leaseholders vaguely referenced, not by name… ugliness alert]

Oh dear, moths flying around the noble art of leaseholding as it may hold back development – what do they want? For Port Otago Ltd and Otago Regional Council to relinquish their power and wealth? Why should they?

What have Hilary Calvert and investor friends got to do with all this? The plot thickens.

Has this really anything to do with city councillors, EMT and the City Development Team (including the shattered urban design team) using “friends” to arbitrate change in the property sector. District plan and spatial plan objectives to be met for (cough) economic development?

—

### ODT Online Thu, 12 Jun 2014
Businessman slams leasehold ‘parasite’
By Shawn McAvinue
Leasehold land is a ”parasite” killing development in Dunedin, property owner and businessmen Alistair Broad says. Mr Broad, of Dunedin, says property developers are reluctant to invest in Dunedin because of the large amount of leasehold land.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DVML: Crowe Horwath audit report (Hedderwick)

Updated post 17.6.14

Crowe Horwath Report – Review of DVML Expenses (PDF, 363 KB)

Dunedin City Council has released a report recently completed by independent auditors Crowe Horwath, into the work expenses of DVML’s ex Commercial Manager then part-time contractor Guy Hedderwick. ODT reporter Chris Morris is covering the story.

—

[Received]

Readers of this site will recall the efforts that campaigner Bev Butler went through to track down the expenditure incurred by Guy Hedderwick while he was the Commercial Manager for Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML).

After much effort through the LGOIMA process Ms Butler was told that Mr Hedderwick had run up bills of nearly $80,000 during 51 work-related trips since 2010.  

Readers will also recall the reaction by Neville Frost, DVML’s Finance Manager (ODT 22.3.14), who labelled Ms Butler’s claims of this expenditure as “completely inaccurate and ill-informed” while accusing her of “disgraceful” conduct and that she was “lacking in personal integrity”.  

Readers should now be fully informed that the figure of nearly $80,000 was indeed incorrect. The figure arrived at in the report compiled by Crowe Horwath is $144,879 – the amount released by Mr Frost in response to Ms Butler’s LGOIMA request has nearly doubled.

Readers should also be informed that the report found there was almost $4,000 spent by Mr Hedderwick with no evidence of what it was spent on; and a total of over $34,000 with no evidence of any approval.  

City ratepayers now need real answers to some basic questions.

1. Why, when Neville Frost was required to provide accurate information under an LGOIMA request on Guy Hedderwick’s expenditure, did he provide information that was inaccurate and misleading? Readers should not need to be reminded that when Steve Prescott, Manager of Aquatic Facilities at the DCC, did just this recently he resigned.  

2. Now that the full extent of Guy Hedderwick’s spending has been revealed by the Crowe Horwath report, can DVML still maintain as Neville Frost did in his press release, that it was “frugal”?  

3. What is DVML doing to obtain refunds from Guy Hedderwick on those sums incurred where there was no approval, or where there was no evidence of what the expenditure was for? For expenditure where there was no approval, is Neville Frost or Darren Burden at fault for lack of oversight and lack of management, and if so, should they be also responsible for repayment?  

4. What benefit to DVML and the ratepayers occurred from this $144,879 expenditure? Guy Hedderwick seems to have had carte blanche to travel at his own whim and it appears that DVML can’t point to any general or particular benefit from any of it.  

5. What accountability will be enforced by DCC, on behalf of the ratepayers, on the actions of Guy Hedderwick, for Neville Frost’s failure to both financially control this expenditure and to mislead and misinform both Bev Butler as the LGOIMA requestee and the general public by the content of his press release, and on the Board for its failures to contain costs?  

6. A full, comprehensive and public apology must be obtained from Neville Frost for his disgraceful and inaccurate statements made in his press release of March 22, 2014.

Note: Thanks to Bev Butler and Russell Garbutt for these statements.

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Related Posts and Comments:
22.3.14 DVML, Money for jam…..fig jam’ [see links provided]
4.3.14 Bev Butler: Guy Hedderwick’s departure package (LGOIMA)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Thoughts on marketing

Received from Hype O’Thermia
Sun, 8 Jun 2014 at 11:11 am

Strategy guru, Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter was speaking at the World Business Forum in Sydney on Wednesday and highlighted two key features of a good business strategy.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/10127196/The-value-of-unhappy-customers

“….1. Choose a distinctive value proposition.

Porter says leaders must decide which customers they are serving and then work out what are the needs of those customers that the business is a “master” at fulfilling.

“We can be pretty good at some things, but what are we going to stand out on? Customer services? Product design? Customisation? Which particular needs of that set of customers do we really want to meet and what price will we ask?”

Leaders should decide what the value proposition is and how it compares with competitors.

“Because, unless we have a unique value proposition, unless we have different answers to these questions than our competitors, then we have no strategy. We are just competing on operational effectiveness,” he says…..”

The university / rugby / stadium would do well to look at that and ask how their “marketing” lines up with that sensible advice.

Tourists and other visitors do not come here for a stadium. Some come here to watch a game, a concert. Where it is held is of little importance. When it’s what they want to see – it’s what they want to see.

Over-filling accommodation and eats and drinks venues once in a while is poor business. It’s a big boom, long bust strategy. It’s temp staff working their guts out, then days and weeks, possibly months, of having short hours and thin paydays.

Amusements as an attraction to students is likely to attract young people who are more interested in prolonged privileged adolescence than the quality of the teaching and research available. Fostering these people as bar clients is an effective way of parting them from their money, at some cost to the rest of us in terms of messy antisocial behaviour, and isn’t doing them any long-term favours. We have seen something in the drive to cater to students, that is not unlike the cynical placement of disproportionate numbers of pokies in low-income suburbs.

[ends]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC pedalling to…… #hell

Received from Jeff Dickie
Sat, 7 Jun 2014 at 3:41 pm

You could be forgiven for thinking Cull, Bidrose, the Finance Committee, and the majority of compliant councillors don’t have a vision for Dunedin’s future. That to believe that, not hearing bad news, smiling and riding a bike, will make the financial mire we are now in go away. That to continue to spend huge amounts on yet more foolish projects will somehow fix things. That to embrace a culture of no accountability will magically preclude the idiots who have cocked up so many DCC things in the recent past, doing EXACTLY the same thing again.

Just look at how many of the idiots who have foisted this debt and the numerous foolish failed projects are still on council. These people do have a vision, and here it is!

Hopefully the cycle trail will lead there.

Jeff Dickie
Woodhaugh

****

An opinion piece from 28.9.12, written by Calvin Oaten, continues to have currency.

The End of The Golden Weather?
Are we coming to the end of the ‘Golden Weather’? I say this, not in the meteorological sense, but rather in the sense that perhaps our society and its economic construct might be on the verge of a catastrophic change. Why? Well it seems that many signposts are pointing to an approaching collapse of the present model of the economy as constructed. This requires constant growth in order to sustain an ever increasing social budget.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image supplied.

DCC Transport Strategy and Riccarton Road

### ODT Online Tue, 3 Jun 2014
Opinion
Transport strategy must respect personal needs
By Phil Cole
Dunedin has its own unique geographic, demographic and historical features that make any transportation planning in the city reliant on forward-thinking, rather than academic theoretical practices. The historical past of Dunedin’s transportation, however, should only be ignored at its peril. It is vitally important for Dunedin’s direction that any long-term transport planning is determined not by short-term populist ideas but by long-term growth, based on economic conditions, city development and people’s habits. It is equally important council land-use planning is closely aligned to, but does not determine, how the city can be rejuvenated.
Read more

****

Riccarton Rd resident Brian Miller said the council was not trying to reach a fair and reasonable settlement and valuations were being forced on landowners.

### ODT Online Wed, 4 Jun 2014
Offers prepared for land
By Shawn McAvinue
The land needed to widen Riccarton Rd will be obtained by statutory authority if a mutual agreement can not be met, Dunedin City Council roading projects engineer Evan Matheson says. […] Some landowners were hesitant to make land available, he said.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC unit under investigation

Updated post 7.6.14

### radionz.co.nz Updated at 6:30 am today
Financial probe at Dunedin Council
By Ian Telfer – reporter
The Dunedin City Council has called in financial investigators after an internal review found irregularities in two departments.

Go to http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/246539/financial-probe-at-dunedin-council

****

Via Fairfax News:
Dunedin council unit under scrutiny
Last updated 14:57 03/06/2014
By Wilma McCorkindale
The Dunedin City Council has launched an investigation into its Citipark/Citifleet unit. The unit is responsible for the council’s parking services and also for its management of its fleet of vehicles. Council chief executive Dr Sue Bidrose would not be drawn on the reason for the investigation which is being carried out by accountancy firm Deloitte. The investigation had just started and was being incorporated into a wider review of key accounting practices within the council, which was initiated last year. She said it would be inappropriate to release further details, such as what has sparked the probe. A council spokesman confirmed the unit’s manager Brent Bachop died suddenly last month. Dunedin police said his death had been referred to the coroner.

More at http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/10114427/Dunedin-council-unit-under-scrutiny

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium costs ballpark at $21.337 million pa, Butler & Oaten

Received from Bev Butler
Monday, 2 June 2014 4:10 p.m.

Message: During the presentation of my submission on the draft annual plan I was asked by Council to produce the figures to back up my claim that the stadium was costing approximately $20 million per annum. David Benson-Pope made a general statement questioning whether the claims in my submission were correct – though he didn’t elaborate when I asked him. I have followed up the Council’s request and the final figure is $21.337 million.

Please note there is a huge disparity between what the DCC has published in the Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 and what can be shown by the DCC’s own figures that are very difficult to find and interpret. The ratepayers should not continue to be kept in the dark – the real costs are more than double what is being published.

This has now been sent to the Mayor and Councillors.

Regards
Bev

————————————

From: Bev Butler
To: Sue Bidrose; Sandy Graham; Kate Wilson; Richard Thomson; Chris Staynes; John Bezett; Lee Vandervis; Hilary Calvert; Doug Hall; Andrew Whiley; Mike Lord; David Benson-Pope; Neville Peat; Andrew Noone; Jinty MacTavish; Dave Cull; Aaron Hawkins
Cc: Calvin Oaten
Subject: Stadium Cost $21.337 million per annum
Date: Fri, 30 May 2014 22:49:43 +1200

Friday 30 May 2014

Dear Mayor Cull and Councillors

Attached is a Word document prepared by Calvin Oaten outlining the annual stadium costs. The final figure of $21.337 million is based on figures sourced from and cross-referenced with DCC/DVML/DVL/DCHL documents.
Also attached is a spreadsheet, containing four spreadsheets, prepared by Bev Butler, showing the treatment of the $146.6 million portion of the stadium debt.

Yours sincerely
Bev Butler

Explanatory Note for Calvin Oaten’s Word document:
I have expressly not mentioned nor quantified costs of what I would term ‘collateral’ effects of the Stadium Project. These of course are very real additional financial burdens to the citizens. These are: the realignment of SH88, the forgiving of considerable debt owed the city by the Otago Rugby Football Union, the costs of the purchase and sale of Carisbrook including the holding of same in the interim period. And of course, the ongoing operational losses of DVML’s operations. These particularly are proving to be a continual drag on the financial conscience of the ratepayer. It seems that if council cannot, or will not bite the bullet and raise the “pay to use” level to at least a break even figure then professional rugby is destined to have the last laugh at our expense. It is simply not fair.
I remain, without prejudice
Calvin Oaten

Explanatory Notes for Bev Butler’s spreadsheets:
1. Sheets 1 & 2 titled “$117.541m” and “$29.059m” respectively outline the calculations for the two tranches of stadium debt outlined in the DVL six-monthly report, dated 31 December 2013. This report states that the $146.6m stadium debt has been divided into two tranches of $117.541m and $29.059m. The $117.541m is for a term of 17 years and the $29.059m is for a term of ten years with a weighted average of 6.05%pa. In the calculations I have assumed monthly compounding periods and assumed the first payment(s) were made between 30 June 2013 and 31 December 2013. If the compounding period is shorter then there would be a small reduction in the payments.
Note that in the DVL six-monthly report it states that a mortgage has been issued to pay for the two tranches. This is the first time this has been mentioned in the DVL reports so it is assumed that the mortgage was issued sometime between the last DVL Annual Report (YE 30 June 2013) and the DVL six-monthly report (31 December 2013). There is also mention of a GSA having been signed. I assume this is a General Security Agreement to secure the payment of the debt in the event of the stadium folding or the rental payments not being met. I acknowledge that I am unsure about this as I have no further information. Perhaps the Council staff could clarify this aspect.

2. Sheets 3 & 4 titled “$146.6m monthly” and “$146.6m weekly” respectively outline the calculations for the stadium debt had [regular repayments been made] from the time the stadium opened. It appears from the calculations and the DVL Annual Reports that this was not happening. If it was then the debt would have reduced to approximately $134 million. The DVL long term debt as of 31 December 2013 stands at $141.090m. So up until the mortgage was secured, it appears the debt repayments were for interest only on the bonds (and an average annual capital injection of $2m) which were issued to pay for the stadium land and other stadium debt.

[ends]

Downloads:
● Stadium Costs $21.337 million per annum (DOC, 30.2 KB)
● Stadium debt calculations FINAL (XLS, 59.3 KB)

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Related Posts and Comments:
9.5.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Submission by Bev Butler
23.5.14 Stadium | DCC DAP 2014/15 ● Benson-Pope asserts himself

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

QB 2014 gongs of ill-repute #Hudson COI = MNZM

(via ODT) Mon, 2 Jun 2014
Southern Queen’s Birthday Awards recipients

Paul Hudson
Dunedin
Services to business and the community
Paul Hudson (65), of Port Chalmers, said that he was “humbled and honoured” for the recognition of his involved with commerce, local government and the community in Dunedin for 50 years.
He worked for Cadbury Fry Hudson between 1973 and 1996 and, as managing director, led Cadbury’s transition to conducting its worldwide business from centralised locations.
He held elected positions on Port Chalmers and Dunedin City Councils between 1980 and 2013, including deputy mayor on both councils.
He was chairman of Dunedin City Holdings, Citibus-Dunedin Transport Ltd and Citiworks, and a board member of City Forests, Aurora Energy and Delta Utility Services.
He was chairman of Dunedin City Holdings for 18 years, when shareholder funds increased from $100,000 to more than $150 million and distributions to Dunedin City Council totalled more than $280 million.
He was council appointee for the Otago Theatre Trust, Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society and its acquisitions committee and the Dunedin Town Hall Organ Trust.
He was appointed treasurer to the Otago branch of the Save the Children Fund 50 years ago. “This was the beginning of my lifelong interest in serving the community.”
The service to the community included work for Port Chalmers Kindergarten, the Aramoana Trust, Regent Theatre, the Otago Arts Society, the Dunedin Council of Social Services and the Dunedin Community House Trust. “My involvement with the establishment of Community House, my early years in Save the Children Fund and various roles and involvement in local government have been very satisfying,” he said.

[ends]

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DECLARATION
“I, Paul Richard Hudson, do solemnly declare I did not squander ratepayers’ money for the chance to receive specific mention in the freshly minted report of the Office of the Auditor-General’s investigation into Delta (2014). Nor at any time did I place or declare my Conflicts of Interest ahead of my ability to be judge and jury at DCHL and other council-owned companies, so to infuriate Warren Larsen (Report, 2012). I did not personally receive ANYTHING by way of payment for termination of lease of restaurant space in the Municipal Chambers. And, I am not at all obsequious, a fence-sitter — or, make that slimy.” … “Honest.”

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Related Posts and Comments:
8.11.13 DCHL, long wait for review (Larsen sighs)
23.8.13 New DCHL Chair announced: Graham Crombie
24.7.13 DCC / DCHL shake up !!!
12.7.13 Hudson, DCC (ex DCHL)
7.7.13 DCHL changes lack transparency —where’s the report, Shale?
30.10.12 DCHL ‘run by a bunch of fools’ -agreed
26.10.12 DCHL borrowed $23 million to bail DCC
26.10.12 DCHL: New directors for Aurora, Delta, City Forests
17.10.12 DCC on DCHL, subsidiaries and DCTL
12.10.12 DCHL, subsidiaries and DCTL
30.8.12 Dunedin City Council seen by Fairfax Business Bureau deputy editor Tim Hunter
7.8.12 DCC, DCHL, debt, democracy (and professional rugby)
20.12.11 Delta and the GOBs #DCHL #DCC
28.10.11 DVML, DVL and DCHL annual reports
16.9.11 DCHL and subsidiaries: shuffling, no real clean out?
13.8.11 Ridding DCHL of conflicts of interest, Otago business monopoly ‘by director’, and other ghouls
9.2.11 DCC and DCHL, was there ever any doubt?
7.10.10 The time has come for biffing out
7.7.10 DCC, DCHL, CST, DVML, DVL?
22.10.09 DCHL chief executive replies to critics

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Slip in service levels, why?!

ODT 30.5.14 (page 12) [click to enlarge]

### ODT Online Mon, 19 May 2014
Councillor urges better standard of work
By Debbie Porteous
Parts of Dunedin are lacking basic maintenance and city council staff need to put pressure on contractors to improve their performance, a Dunedin city councillor says. Cr Andrew Noone, from the Waikouaiti-Chalmers ward, said the untidy state of roadside berms, gutters, ditches and creeks and an apparent slip in service levels were the main issues he heard about from constituents.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr