Two permanent full-time project co-ordinators to run the Project China and Export Education Uplift initiatives.
### ODT Online Tue, 21 Oct 2014
Vandervis takes aim over funding request
By Chris Morris
There were heated exchanges between Dunedin city councillors as a debate over an economic development funding request turned into a spat yesterday. The dust-up came as councillors considered a request from the Grow Dunedin Partnership to use $190,000 a year from existing council budgets to pay staff salaries for two projects during the next three years.
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█ Report – EDC – 20/10/2014 (PDF, 126.7 KB)
Economic Development Strategy Projects Budget – Project Co-ordinators’ Funding Request
From the report…
Enterprise Dunedin’s EDS projects budget is $518,000 for the current 2014/2015 financial year and has yet to be ratified for the 2015/16 year and future years. This budget pays for progressing EDS projects and includes payment for the project co-ordinators and project management costs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Committee:1. Approve the earmarking of $190,000 on an annual basis from the Economic Development Project Budget for the purpose of employing two project co-ordinators.
2. That this funding be included as two line items within the Economic Development Project fund for a period of three years:
- Export Education Uplift Co-ordinator – $95,000
- Project China Co-ordinator – $95,000
BACKGROUND
Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy (EDS) was adopted in 2013 by its six partners. There are two specific economic goals:
1. 10,000 extra jobs over 10 years (requiring employment growth of approximately 2% per annum.
2. An average of $10,000 extra income for each person (requiring GDP per capita to rise by about 2.5% per annum).
. . .
The Strategy is built around five themes:
1. Business vitality
2. Alliances for innovation
3. A hub of skills and talent
4. Linkages beyond our borders
5. A compelling destination
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
### dunedintv.co.nz October 21, 2014 – 5:50pm
Half a million dollars to be spent on hiring two DCC project co-ordinators
More than half a million dollars is being spent by the Dunedin City Council to employ two project co-ordinators over the next three years. They’ll work to increase Dunedin’s reputation as an education capital, and grow the city’s relationship with China. But not all councillors are happy with the cost of the co-ordinators’ employment.
Video
The DCC add 10,000 jobs to their own staff.
I wonder whether the ratepayers will complain at an extra 2, or 20, or 200, or 2,000 extra employees. Revolutions are tipped over by a realisation that the taxpayer/ratepayers are being robbed by their supposed managers.
This business of employing two co-ordinators on a salary of $95,000 each appears to be creating a slow boil in the community. A number of recent spend-ups by this corrupted council has resulted in lively debate. But this business of some how being able to walk into a “ninety five thousand dollar job” here in Dunedin has turned a lot of people towards anger over the week. It started with a bit of simmering but there was quite a bit of momentum by the end of the week.
I think a lot of hard working people are in jobs that pay a lot less than that. We will have our own perceptions on value but my preference would be for medical, emergency, social and support services for example to get that much but I’m pretty sure that’s not the case.
If these two new highly paid staff could add 10 legitimate jobs (not the fanciful crap the DCC, COC and ODT love triangle invents) then well done and all that. Probably justify a $65,000 salary at that point. But we’re talking about the Dunedin City Council here so really it’s just more “Great Jobs for [the Kids of] Best Mates”.
Anonymous, your clear sighted view has made my day. So there.
The onus will now be on these two people to perform, l guess. Big time. Otherwise questions will be asked of them and the council.
All fair enough. Surely.
Those hand-picked or shoulder-tapped for the two $95,000 prizes will most surely need to understand the action and meaning of cargo-cultism, as it applies to local GOBs in their eternal quest for private gain propped by public money.
Peter, you are wrong there. There has never been any onus to perform, nor questions asked. They are just expected to turn up, dream up stuff, and churn out reports to create the impression that the strategies are going to bring about significant change. Malcolm Farry, back in 2003 set in motion a programme which he promised would create 2,000 new jobs by 2005, a further 4,000 by 2010. In the meantime we lost Mainland Products, large part of Cottonsoft, Tamahine Knitwear, Wickliffe Press, Fisher & Paykel, Hillside, Wood Mouldings, and now a lot of Donaghys, just to mention a few. This was followed by the “10 + 10 +10” Plan. Ten thousand new jobs,with $10,000 increase in average incomes within ten years. That programme has been running now for about three years, so by my reckoning there should have been around 3,000 new jobs paying some $3,000pa above the pre programme level. It is this programme which is to be given a boost, hence the two $95,000 positions, plus Mr John Christie on whatever stratospheric salary he is getting. We would have to admit council is doing its bit for the cause, but I doubt the result will be noticeably different.
Calvin @ October 25, 2014 at 10:35 pm
The 10-10-10 plan is pure hubris on the part of the City Council. Its job is to manage and provide the infrastructure of the city – roads, drains, water supply, libraries and public open spaces. Its planning function should be limited to the District Plan. For it to imagine that it can direct the growth of the city’s enterprise, its population and the income of its citizens is beyond it. In short it is not fit for that purpose. Apart from that, its track record in managing what little there is left of its enterprise is abysmal. I would settle for it to first deal with the debt burden it has created for us and allow an environment to exist where entrepreneurs may be able to seek opportunities to develop business.
Mick, well said. Tell that fellow Des Adamson that.
On Ch39 news (21 Oct, I think) Lee Vandervis is shown contesting the two new EDU-budgeted co-ordinator positions ($190,000). The item, paraphrased by Ch39 chief reporter Rosie Manins, shows the suited Mr Adamson pushing economic development as ‘a priority for the city council’.
Here’s the clip: http://www.dunedintv.co.nz/content/half-million-dollars-be-spent-hiring-two-dcc-project-co-ordinators
“Mr Adamson was adamant that economic development is the city’s key role” – delusional. Either that or when he applied for his present position of council economic development unit manager he was the victim of irresponsible misinformation, in which case questions should be asked about who bullshitted him and why.
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{Have reviewed clip, it was Ch39’s chief reporter paraphrasing in her introduction (see revised comment). -Elizabeth}
“Economic Development is the city’s key role”. There is an element of truth to that comment. It is in the city’s interest, how else can a city exist? Is it not the enterprise of the inhabitants which creates the economy of any city? The business of making a living, raising families and growing the wealth of the community is what citizens will do naturally. It is not a process that should be dictated and channeled by bureaucrats who think it is their divine right and duty to order up systems like a menu for consumption. It is the citizens who first set up the council process to, as Mick says, organise and maintain the communal requisites of roads drains libraries parks and gardens, limited to the District Plan which should only be varied in an evolutionary way. The citizens to finance these duties within the limits of their wishes. End of story. Nothing else. All these ‘Klingon’ departments are nothing but feather bedding for indolent ‘wannabes’ who need to get out and get a proper job.
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{Have reviewed clip, it was Ch39’s chief reporter paraphrasing in her introduction (see revised comment). -Elizabeth}
Calvin, a little trick of capital C or lower case c. “City” (DCC) or us “city”.
### ODT Online Thu, 5 Mar 2015
Praise for council from outgoing manager
By Chris Morris
Dunedin City Council manager Mick Reece says he is leaving an organisation “in good heart”, despite enduring a brutal period in its history. Mr Reece (62), the council’s parks, recreation and aquatics group manager, yesterday confirmed he was retiring after 32 years with the council. His last day with the organisation would be June 30.
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DCC Environmental Health: Food Safety
### ODT Online Thu, 5 Mar 2015
Food plans taken up in Dunedin
By Vaughan Elder
Figures released by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) showed 76% of Dunedin’s food service sector were using “food control plans”, which was the third highest uptake of 67 New Zealand districts after Whangarei (81%) and Selwyn (76%). […] Dunedin City Council senior environmental health officer Wayne Boss said the city was lucky to have such high rates of adoption and believed it was connected to improved food hygiene at the city’s restaurants, with more getting A grades and fewer failing.
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