### ODT Online Mon, 7 Sep 2015
Using online petition to save courthouse
By Eileen Goodwin
An online petition is the latest strategy of the Dunedin City Council backed group trying to pressure the Government to restore the historic Dunedin courthouse. Set up by Dunedin city councillor Aaron Hawkins, a member of the Dunedin Courthouse Task Force, it had more than 220 signatures last night. The courthouse is in limbo as it lies vacant with no plan yet for its future.
Read more
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█ Website:
http://www.saveourcourthouse.nz
█ Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/SaveOurCourthouse
█ Petition to Justice Minister Amy Adams:
http://bit.ly/1FlZIWy (via Avaaz platform)
SAVE OUR COURTHOUSE
Dunedin’s Courthouse building has been the seat of justice in Dunedin since it was built in 1901. Following extensive renovation and restoration by the government in 2002, in 2011 it was declared an earthquake risk, and progressively mothballed.
There have been questions raised by reports detailing the further work that needs doing, and what it will cost, that remain unanswered. In the meantime, $6.8m has been spent fitting out temporary courts in an office building on High St, at an ongoing cost of $600,000 a year.
We’re calling on Justice Minister Amy Adams – and other Ministers who have a responsibility to the court – to commit to a timeframe for the return of the courts to their home on Lower Stuart St.
Read more
Related Posts and Comments:
11.7.15 Dunedin Law Courts “an incredible historic building” –Minister
14.5.15 Russell Lund on Ministry closure of Dunedin Law Courts
14.5.15 Justice at Dunedin
2.5.15 Ministry serves INJUSTICE for Dunedin Courthouse #HistoricHeritage
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
Please sign the petition to save the Dunedin Law Courts building for courts use. Signing the petition is really easy to do online.
Cr Aaron Hawkins is spearheading the petition.
Petition to Justice Minister Amy Adams:
http://bit.ly/1FlZIWy (via Avaaz platform) !!!!!
Over 300 people have signed the petition since this time yesterday.
### ODT Online Mon, 14 Sep 2015
Support for courthouse increases
By Craig Borley
Public support for Dunedin’s mothballed historic courthouse is growing, with an online petition climbing to more than 1000 signatures in a little more than a week. Set up by Save our Courthouse, the petition calls for Justice Minister Amy Adams to commit to returning court services to the 1902 building.
Read more
█ Petition to Justice Minister Amy Adams:
SIGN THE PETITION at http://bit.ly/1FlZIWy (via Avaaz platform)
39 Dunedin Television Published on Sep 15, 2015
Nightly interview: Aaron Hawkins
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### dunedintv.co.nz Tue, 15 Sep 2015
Nightly interview: Aaron Hawkins
A petition to the government to save Dunedin’s historic courthouse is fast gaining traction. It was launched a little over a week ago by the Save our Courthouse group, and has garnered more than 1000 signatures. Group member and city councillor Aaron Hawkins is administering the petition, and he joins us to talk about it.
Ch39 Link
Watching the signees’ names roll during these last days shows the great majority are women. C’mon men.
█ Petition to Justice Minister Amy Adams: http://bit.ly/1FlZIWy
(via Avaaz platform)
ODT 16.9.15 (page 2)
Word tonight is…
Strengthening the Dunedin Courthouse will cost $15M – but hey that’s just the politically-managed-and-mangled Ministry of Justice saying that – there’s no real reason to believe them given the severe lack of detail that attaches to this figure to date.
DELAYS
We now learn that the “so-called” draft business case to go to the government is some months away.
Read more at ODT tomorrow [Thursday]
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HELP Dunedin
Sign the Save Our Courthouse petition now:
█ Petition to Justice Minister Amy Adams: http://bit.ly/1FlZIWy
(via Avaaz platform)
Yes, save the Courthouse
### ODT Online Thu, 17 Sep 2015
Repair bill for court tops $15m
By Eileen Goodwin
The push to reopen Dunedin’s historic courthouse has been dealt a blow by the Government saying the strengthening work will now cost more than $15 million and the proposal will need to be reviewed. Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams said the “draft business case” to strengthen the courthouse would not go to Cabinet for “a number of months”. Its cost had triggered a Treasury review.
Read more
█ People: Adams’ claim is in deep dispute.
Pick a number.
Double it and add 1.
Multiply by the number of porkies you’ve told today.
Express as hundreds, thousands or millions.
Attribute the result to “consultants”.
The government didn’t seem to have a problem giving a $15m grant for the stadium. Ugly loss making stadium or iconic heritage building whose function happens to be more fundamental to maintaining a civil society. Where is Woodhouse in all this?
Woodlouse missing presumed burrowed.
I suspect he is a ‘team player’ which means you don’t actually stand up ‘for your people’ except at election time, but only in terms of talking the talk, but not walking it. He must be grateful being on the list.
39 Dunedin Television Published on Sep 17, 2015
Strengthening costs skyrocket for historic courthouse
### dunedintv.co.nz Thu, 17 Sep 2015
Strengthening costs skyrocket for historic courthouse
The estimated cost of strengthening Dunedin’s historic courthouse has skyrocketed to more than $15m.
Ch39 Link
● ODT’s Craig Borley and Eileen Goodwin do a great job keeping stories coming! Thx
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### ODT Online Sat, 19 Sep 2015
$15m bill for court rejected
By Craig Borley
Dunedin engineers and construction experts have rubbished the Government’s claims the city’s historic courthouse needs earthquake strengthening work worth more than $15 million. […] Lou Robinson, director of Hadley Robinson Engineering, said he knew the courthouse intimately after being involved in the 2002 work on the complex. He estimated an “upper limit on strengthening of perhaps $3 million”.
Read more
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ODT: Petition given to minister and MP
A petition comprising more than 2650 signatures was delivered to Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams and Dunedin based List MP Michael Woodhouse yesterday afternoon.
ODT: ‘Nonsense’ out of Treasury
The cost of the project triggered a review by Treasury. Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams released the new figure this week, but refused to answer questions on it.
Developments this week (via ODT):
• Cost estimate blows out to $15million
• Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams refused to answer questions or engage with courthouse task force
• Petition gathers 2652 signatures
• Cost estimate disputed by members of Dunedin construction and heritage community
• Dunedin Courthouse Task Force considering next step in campaign
Interestingly, according to a number of official information responses the current central government granted the $15 million to Dunedin’s stadium without requesting the business case.
Sounds like a nod and a wink was all that was required.
Different story when it comes to Dunedin’s courthouse.
### dunedintv.co.nz Wed, 14 Oct 2015
Lobby group trying to save Dunedin’s historic courthouse
A local lobby group is getting residents to send postcards to parliament. Members are collecting signatures in an effort to save the historic Stuart Street courthouse. And they’ve got several ministers in their sights
Ch39 Link
39 Dunedin Television Published on Oct 13, 2015
Lobby group trying to save Dunedin’s historic courthouse
Dunedin Courthouse postcard (front and back) – fill one out at Dunedin Public Library….
[click to enlarge]
The Star 15.10.15 (page 13)
█ SAVE OUR COURTHOUSE at http://www.saveourcourthouse.nz/
### ODT Online Mon, 19 Oct 2015
Postcards sent to ministers
By Craig Borley
Dunedin’s concern over its courthouse’s uncertain future has resulted in thousands of protest “postcards” being sent to government ministers, with thousands more to follow. The Save the Courthouse group, formed to fight for the building’s reinstatement as a functioning court, printed 2500 cards earlier this month to help locals have their say.
Read more
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### ODT Online Mon, 19 Oct 2015
Cull calls for evidence over courthouse cost
By Craig Borley
Dunedin’s mayor has made a plea for evidence that would explain the Government’s “preposterous” $15 million cost estimate for strengthening the city’s historic courthouse. Mayor Dave Cull has written to Justice Minister Amy Adams asking why the draft business case detailing the building’s strengthening options came with such a high price tag.
Read more
### ODT Online Wed, 21 Oct 2015
Editorial: Denying scrutiny
Something doesn’t add up in the ongoing saga of Dunedin’s historic courthouse. A draft business case apparently details why the building will cost more than $15 million to meet earthquake-strengthening standards. […]Denying the release of that information, and the public scrutiny that goes with it, cuts to the core of what New Zealand’s government is based on: openness, freedom of information and public accountability.
Read more
Core, as in part of apple that’s chucked out the car window…. “the core of what New Zealand’s government is based on: openness, freedom of information and public accountability”?
Are we really living here? Can’t recognise anything.
Garrick Tremain 21 Oct 2015
### ODT Online Sat, 24 Oct 2015
Plan before Treasury
By Craig Borley
The controversial $15 million business case detailing strengthening plans for Dunedin’s historic courthouse will go before Cabinet before the end of the year. The business case took almost four years for the Ministry of Justice to write after the 1902 building was declared an earthquake risk in 2011.
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Received from Douglas Field
### ODT Online Sat, 5 Dec 2015
Courthouse fate set to be decided
By Craig Borley
The future of Dunedin’s historic courthouse will finally be put before the people who will decide its fate – the Cabinet – on Monday. […] While [Justice Minister Amy] Adams would not confirm outright the business case would go before Cabinet at that meeting, she said in a statement to the Otago Daily Times she stood by the comments she had made in her letter [to petitioners] “and the timeframes set out in it”.
Read more