Contrary to ODT’s limited reporting picked up by JimmyJones at the previous post…. $95 million is the figure to be concerned about. Read on.
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DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL
█ Long Term Plan 2015/16 – 2024/25 Consultation Document
Adopted 24 March 2015
From Audit New Zealand’s Ian Lothian:
(see LTP Consultation Document, pages 43-44)
█ More on Long Term Plan 2015/16 – 2024/25 at http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/your-council/draft-long-term-plan-2015-2016
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Related Posts and Comments:
19.5.15 DCC LTP must meet $68M budget shortfall over next decade
19.5.15 Mosgiel pool trust conflicts of interest #bigfishsmallpond
19.5.15 Ode to sickly DCC
18.5.15 DCC laundering – wring out Regent Theatre Trust, pump DVML
18.5.15 NEWSFLASH —Mosgiel pool, tracking [PONT]….
17.5.15 Cr Vandervis on DCC project budgets
● 7.5.15 DCC Draft LTP 2015/16-2024/25 —public submissions online
28.3.15 DCC Draft LTP 2015/16 to 2024/25 —CONSULTATION OPEN
25.3.15 DCC Long Term Plan: Green-dyed chickens home to roost
14.1.15 DCC Draft Long Term Plan: more inanity from Cull’s crew pending
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
*Text image: whatifdunedin
What if? Dunedin... 
Elizabeth, a dark skies policy is a natural for the DCC, they are continuously keeping Dunedin in the dark.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/342787/support-panel-dark-skies
A steering committee, is a group intent upon achieving, rather than an investigation of submitter’s claims.
It all looks like desparate circumstances require desperate measures. The DCC have clearly lost the PR battle and are doing anything to gain higher ground. It won’t require sea rises from possible global warming to sink them. They are gone already.
Regards
JohnEvans
John, you beat me to it, was about to update ODT items with Dark Skies as first up. Glad you raised it :) in the context of $98M savings to find… (see freebies and free-for-alls, sooner or later becoming claims on rates funds). Worse than dark side of the moon.
Say you had an entity that the DCC funded, a private trust let’s say. And say that entity had a subsidiary for commercial operations. And imagine the parent trust called for external tenders. And then awarded the contracts to its subsidiary. Is there a technical term for that?
“nepotism by fiat”
Poetic linencia
DCC has agreed to speed up a NEW $40 million spend on the god awful Central City Plan. “Dear Ian Lothian…. The bastards have lost the plot.” We have lost our city to a complete novice.
These decisions are not about what is being “improved”. It’s about who they can give that public money to and how they can get some of it too. Imagine what FOURTY MILLION DOLLARS would do for you and your mate if you were in the position to influence it. That is what these cretins are doing in the public sector. While the public is watching for the candy to fall from the sky, someone has already stolen the helicopter and poured the bucket down the throats of their fat neck colleagues.
The silence of Otago Daily Times on the serious affairs of this council is deafening.
Unfuckingbelievable.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/342918/80m-investment-city
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/342930/university-oval-lights-proposal-gets-1m
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On creative accounting – even the chief executive denies $95M is the savings to be achieved in 10 years, not $68M, in order to keep rates increases (don’t cry) below 3%. How bad does this get when the rate of inflation is 0.1% and your Council solidly continues to SPEND your money, not guard it conservatively and prudentially.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/342931/interest-saving-sparks-debate
”does not mean you have got an opportunity to go shopping” –Financial Controller
“The revelation prompted Cr Richard Thomson to suggest $1 million be allocated to the University Oval cricket lights, and another $350,000 towards design work needed for the Mosgiel aquatic facility.
Another $30,000 could be given to the Otago Rural Fire Authority, which had requested support to provide a covered space for one of its water tankers, Cr Thomson suggested.”
I think I see where the problem lies.
It’s funny you should say that, Anonymous, because the SDHB also has a problem with bad financial management and for years they have been producing annual plans (budgets) that don’t balance. Now we find that the DCC LTP is overspent by $95 million. The common factor is Richard Thomson.
In fact the DCC overspend is now more than $95 million with the recently added Mosgiel pool, the cricket lighting and the deceptive Central City Plan accelerated spending. They need to learn how to say no. Their response to a $95 million income shortfall is to spend even more. God help us.
Cutting costs does not get you re-elected Jimmy.
Great (and scary) comment at ODT Online:
$95 million DCC budget blowout
Submitted by JimmyJones on Thu, 21/05/2015 – 3:57pm.
DCC CEO, Sue Bidrose needs to read the Audit NZ auditors report on page 43 of the LTP consultation document. The auditor has approved the LTP document, but with some qualifying statements. His report clearly says that the council will need to find $95 million in savings over the next 10 years. He says: “The total level of savings assumed in this plan is therefore approximately $95 million over the 10 year period of the plan.” This is a very clear statement that even the average DCC councillor can understand.
Full comment
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And this:
Audit NZ
Submitted by sv3nn0 on Thu, 21/05/2015 – 9:44pm.
This frustrates me no end. They just ignore the savings that need to be made as well as the huge debt and approve cricket lights and a new library five minutes from the existing one. I applaud Hawkins and MacTavish for their opposition to the spending but I do wish they hadn’t cost the city income with their fossil fuel divestment. I never regarded Vandervis seriously but this year he is really resonating with common sense.
*Italics by whatifdunedin