Here following, reference is made to newspaper items of facts-laden
STRONG OPINION —
This website, What if? Dunedin, and its contributors, MAY reference and offer comment. Three words: Human Rights Legislation.
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“Let’s sort the systems and the decision-making, get our house in order and get some accountability happening quick-smart.”
### ODT Online Tue, 5 Jan 2016
Lessons must be learnt from flooding
The cost of the Dunedin floods is now well over $30million.
By Clare Curran
OPINION The Dunedin floods of June 3 should not have occurred with such devastating effects for so many. But it did. And the lack of response from Dunedin Civil Defence has simply posed more questions than answers. South Dunedin has long been a community of labourers – workers who epitomise the stoic and egalitarian attitude New Zealand prides itself on. It is communities like these which embrace a firm “can-do” attitude, staunch, resilient, and humble. It is for these people, this hard-hit community, along with those in Mosgiel, Brighton and other parts of Dunedin that answers are needed.
Read more
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Clare Curran has summed up well.
A highly recommended read. She’s on the very problem.
█ (Monday) Highly critical of DCC’s response to last June’s Dunedin floods.
█ (Tuesday) Slams the Civil Defence response and calls for accountability.
Yesterdays’s column — no ODT link available:
The infrastructure performance report the Member of Parliament refers to on Monday is available at the DCC website – THE REPORT IS IN PUBLIC DOMAIN [FACT].
Go to http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/
1. Click on the tab Your Council in the top menu bar.
2. In the new window click on Agendas, reports & minutes.
3. In the new window, go to Committee, select Council [in the drop down menu].
4. Enter the date 30/11/2015 in both the From and To date boxes.
5. Enter the Document Type by using the drop down menu, select Report.
6. Enter the word infrastructure in the Keyword box.
7. Click on Search.
The report appears as a downloadable PDF file.
THE REPORT WAS TABLED TO MAYOR AND COUNCILLORS ON 30 NOVEMBER 2015 IN THE OPEN SECTION OF THE FULL COUNCIL MEETING.
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█ Other essential reading – official information released by Dunedin City Council to Elizabeth Kerr:
3.11.15 South Dunedin Flood | Correspondence & Debriefing Notes released by DCC today #LGOIMA
Otago Daily Times Published on Jun 4, 2015
Raw aerial video of Dunedin Flooding
Video courtesy One News.
█ For more, enter the terms *flood* and *south dunedin* in the search box at right.
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Respectfully, All
Douglas Field Published Jan 5, 2016 | Republished Aug 17, 2016
Clare on phone
Local MP has had the ‘run around’ from the local authority regarding flooding in South Dunedin.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
Frankly, I’m rather disappointed in the manner the two articles have been presented by the ODT. Clearly one article gives the DCC an out in mentioning climate change. This was clearly designed to give the criticism a balanced view. However the two articles read together clearly point the criticism right in the breadbasket of the DCC exactly where it should be, and minimise the climate change furphy.
### ODT Online Wed, 6 Jan 2016
Pipe work not a complete fix: council
By Chris Morris
A $13 million investment in Dunedin’s ageing water infrastructure should ease flood-related problems in South Dunedin, but it will not be a complete fix, the Dunedin City Council says. Work on the latest stage of a four-step programme, costing between $12 million and $13 million, has just started in Kaikorai Valley.
Read more
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### ODT Online Wed, 6 Jan 2016
Long road back for flood victims
By Damian George
They may be back in their homes, but the struggle continues for many victims of the South Dunedin flood. […] Family Works Presbyterian Support Otago social work supervisor Deb Gelling said the last of the families displaced by the flood moved back into their homes at the end of October.
Read more
The DCC work on ageing water pipes in Kaikorai Valley is good news but what is not being said is that stormwater from this area can be released over the hill to Caversham and the South Dunedin Flat through the old Railway Tunnel which is what happened on 3 June 2015. Six months on we are still to hear what work is planned for addressing similar ageing pipes in South Dunedin and the first test as to whether this present lot of Councillors is really concerned to address the problem comes at the end of this month with their pre-Annual Plan Budget workshops. We are watching and waiting. Meanwhile the report on Mudtank performance on 3 June 2015 is yet to surface. Again we are still waiting.
Lyndon, haven’t you seen the Listener Jan 9 2016, p32.
“If the infrastructure was renewed with modern impermeable pipes, its vulnerability to flooding could get worse.”
Mayor Cull’s impressions of the reason South Dunedin is at risk are covered generously by Rebecca Macfie. Sea level rise, that’s the problem!
Hype O’Thermia – I’m not sure where the Mayor is coming from but I do know from DCC consultants that current suppression of the rising groundwater level on the South Dunedin Flat by ageing pipes is not for ever and the time will come soon when these pipes will have to be replaced as apart of an overall package of recommended solutions to address the problem. The fact remains that DCC have known the problem of vulnerability to flooding for some time and since the unveiling of the Three Waters Strategy in July 2010 have had recommendations on the table to address the issue but as far as I am aware have not committed suitable funding. Clare Curran has summed up the sad situation in her excellent opinion piece in last Monday’s ODT and her call for a South Dunedin Protection Group is timely and destined to provoke some urgent action by DCC Councillors in election year. As I said previously their first test by the Dunedin Ratepayer electorate is the upcoming late January pre-Annual Plan Budget workshops.
Lyndon, there’s much more glamour in ‘chortling’ on about a five star hotel (which nobody but Dave Cull and John Christie are interested in) compared with dirty pipes lying underground. That, plus an untrained staff incapable of knowing in house the needs of a functioning city. It is the lack of leadership and common understanding of priorities that leave this city so vulnerable.
Calvin, there is a lack of continuous knowledge at DCC as much as inability to analyse and maintain infrastructure to the point of ensuring that spending is prioritised correctly, annually, by councillors.
This to make sure existing (known) ground conditions are dealt to efficiently with the existing (not fully understood operationally) drainage system which was very clearly designed to meet these, provided regular maintenance and repair was undertaken – with upgrade work staged and scheduled as could be expected for a very densely populated coastal lowland achieved by ‘of its time’ rather primitive reclamation methods.
Elizabeth, reference to the archives (assuming JH didn’t burn them) would explain the history of the drainage development of South Dunedin and its associated problems. Attention to the terms of contract by staff would have obviated the ‘mud tank’ maintenance being the obvious first point of failure during the June floods. To latch onto the Prof Jan Wright report of anecdotal sea rise being a factor is a spurious line of blame shifting by Dave Cull and staff analysis. One day we might see some spine in that building and admissions that they ‘cocked up’. But I wouldn’t be holding my breath.
There appears to be a ‘stand by your man’ aspect that pertains. In my view, the gals should take a serious look at that stand, rather than place their staff at risk of vilification or worse —QUALITY peer review as it may apply to engineered infrastructure design and handling (past present future) might appear expensive but is WAY less expensive than a $30M flood recovery effort (and $other! costs combined) due to poor systems maintenance or the lack.
Somehow DCC has to get the engineering expertise BACK IN HOUSE.
Remove from across the organisation the multitude of junior and mid-range staff/managers that are make-work junkets-driven because they don’t know any better, because they are the fatted calf. BUY PRAGMATIC SENIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE.
DCC needs to skinny dip.
You have to know the job – know the feel of the shovel – before you can realistically evaluate how well the current shoveller is doing the job. We have too many people who wrote assignments on “The shovel in 20th Century Literature”, tasked (and performing just as badly as any rational person would expect) with supervising the work of others.
Though I’d have thought that even without being on nodding acquaintance with a literal shovel one could see whether anything had been shovelled and therefore whether the terms of the contract had been honoured or if instead the contractor had occupied with urine extraction.
I’m hoping Cr Hilary Calvert is not referring to South Dunedin MP Clare Curran, because if so then I have to tell the Councillor that she and her colleagues at Dunedin City Council, in the main, have offered no collective leadership that households and businesses affected by the June 2015 flood can hang onto. If it has happened then media have hardly detected it (missing presumed drowned).
I doubt it is possible to say the majority of elected representatives actually know what representation is when natural disaster or calamity strikes, compounding council infrastructure maintenance failure. Not even in a good week.
Simply, the elected DCC is a woeful failure.
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ODT 8.1.16 (page 6)
Hilary has made the vital point that Dunedin councillors (Cull, Hawkins and Jinty) have sent missives to the national government on managing the economy and the climate change furphy. The second half is clearly aimed at Clare Curran and her efforts to embarrass the council into some sensibility were unfortunately spoiled by her climate change rant which is probably a Labour solidarity requirement, but unfortunately weakened her argument and an ODT editor who managed to split the message and further weakened its potency and effect.
ODT 24.6.15 (page 12)
Catch this week’s Listener (Jan.9th 15th) Cull is in the putting foot in mouth mode again.
Already noted by Hype O’Thermia and me
https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/hammered-from-all-sides-fixit-dunedinflood-jun2015/comment-page-1/#comment-69040
https://dunedinstadium.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/2016-have-mercy/comment-page-1/#comment-68967
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Here are the pdf’s:
Listener 9.1.16 Rebecca Macfie pp 30-31.compressed
Listener 9.1.16 Rebecca Macfie pp 32-33.compressed
Listener 9.1.16 Rebecca Macfie pp 34-35.compressed
AAAAAAAAAAAGH
Link received.
Mon, 11 Jan 2016 at 8:18 p.m.
█ Message: This is alarming on tonight’s News. Particularly the Mayor’s comments, who is still blaming everything on rising sea levels and still hinting on “managed retreat”.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/south-dunedin-residents-fear-worsening-beach-erosion?autoPlay=4697970391001
If I was a Victoria Rd resident or even one of the other 10,000 residents living on the South Dunedin flat I would be raging at the comments of the Mayor!!!
This is not about “managed retreat”, this is about Civic Leadership bringing all the engineering reports (Beca, Tonkin, & Opus) together and co-ordinating action now. If lack of funds is the reason then again Civic Leadership is urgently required to re-assess the Ten Year Capital Expenditure Programme in the 2015/16 – 2024/25 Long Term Plan.
“Lack of funds” is itself an indicator of past civic leadership fail.
But of course, we don’t litigate the past round here.
Or learn from it.
Just a simple question.
Have the mud tanks been cleaned yet by the contractors Fulton Hogan or DCC staff.
If not, Why not.
Gurglars. Get with it! It is sea rise that’s the problem, mud tanks have nothing to do with it. Just ask Dave Cull. Fulton Hogan just collect the money.
Another thing, Gurglars: don’t relitigate the past.
University city. Learning optional.
Let’s get the discussion back to the matter on hand, guys. That is why the DCC is reluctant to act on this problem with the South Dunedin Catchment. If you study the LTP carefully it clearly states on p4 that “under the Financial Strategy the capital expenditure emphasis will now be on infrastructure renewals”. In addition on the same page their Infrastructure Strategy clearly states that “providing essential infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, water supply and wastewater and stormwater services (collectively called 3 Waters) is a core part of Council activity. Dunedin ageing infrastructure means careful, strategic asset renewal is needed along with well-planned maintenance”. So the basic question is – does this policy aim effectively translate into funds set aside for such action in the 10 Year Capital Expenditure Programme? And sadly the answer is no – not enough, because their priorities are not our priorities! Take the Stadium for instance. They have committed Ratepayers to an annual subsidy of $11M for the next 6 years, rising to $12.5M pa for the following 10 years to 2031. To put this in perspective, installation of pumps in South Dunedin (regarded by the DCC as one of Dunedin’s most deprived areas) to alleviate the rising ground water level is estimated at an initial cost of $10M and if a good portion of the Stormwater Network Renewal budget (p157) of $1.275M was applied now to South Dunedin pipes, we could all breath a lot easier before the next flooding event descends upon us. After all, on p44 they promise to develop a prioritised programme so that the assets which most need to be replaced are tackled first. Therefore, isn’t the South Dunedin Catchment crying out for urgent attention? And I haven’t started on the growing crisis with St Clair Beach or the erosion of the Middle Beach sand-dunes!!!
Lyndon – the stadium costs about $25million pa. Hate to break it to you.
$25million pa minus interest payments (compulsory) transferred to budget for “providing essential infrastructure such as roads, footpaths, water supply and wastewater and stormwater services (collectively called 3 Waters) is a core part of Council activity. Dunedin ageing infrastructure means careful, strategic asset renewal is needed along with well-planned maintenance” would go some way to demonstrating that they weren’t just burbling empty words – for a change.
Gonna happen? Wait for climate change, specifically when hell freezes over.
Lyndon, capital expenditure like new pipes and new stadia and new museums are the “bribes” that get politicians reelected. The expression carpet bagging comes to mind although not entirely correct.
Proper maintenance is another thing that is staff efficiency, doing the job, earning their stipends, a practice which old time staff like Bruce Hendry and Mick Field did as their aboslute priority giving them pride in their job and real job satisfaction.
That ethos is what is missing at the DCC in general, now staff get their jollies from writing reports, creating new plans and loads of bureaucracy, and unfortunately living on trade me and other internet sites.
The city was better run under the old system, accountability was provided by a peer system, the workers got promoted through success not so much empire building. At the riak of upsetting Elizabeth and any legal arrangements she has had to make to aurvive, this era was ushered in by Murray Douglas and perfected by Jim Harland.
I am sure that Mr Abridged can step in if one has gone past the point of no return.
Lyndon, capital expenditure is all OK expressed in the pages of the Annual Plans which of course are rejigged every year and overlaid by the likes of the 2GP in play now.
None of that knows about the condition of the present. Particularly the South Dunedin stormwater network (not to be confused as Blair Harris was with the sewerage) is relatively modern as Bruce Hendry attested. It is the victim of budgets on the care and maintenance aspect and not necessarily a renewal problem. The rain event of June 2015 was not a 100 year event as first emotively claimed, nor was it due to sea rise which is not happening. No, it was purely and simply a case of inept management and lackadaisical supervision of the contractors charged with cleaning and maintaining the ‘mud tanks’ and pump intake screens.
The St Clair sea wall you mention is a result of inept engineering design which the DCC seem unable to accept nor hold the registered design engineering company which also oversaw construction to account. Why? That is the 64,000 dollar question, which is either because of a lack of ‘balls’ or that the DCC might have had input in cost saving measures which compromised the result. In which case no doubt the consultants would have shouted loud and clear of that fact if for no other reason than to exonerate themselves. To the best of my knowledge it didn’t happen. What did happen was a meeting of the council with a panel of the consultants to answer the concerns. I was at that meeting and I saw the consultant spokesperson ‘boondoggle and eyeball’ the council and it folded meekly. It walked away leaving the DCC holding the baby as you can see it today. “Disgusting.”
But all that aside and back to your believing the capital expenditure is planned. Lyndon, with some $600m of debt currently and three major non performing products of that debt in the form of the Stadium, Town Hall Conference Centre plus the Settlers Museum quietly eating away at the bowels of those three venues, there is no way in hell that those pipes of the ‘three waters systems’ will get their due. Not while ‘popularity Dave’ promises cycleways, Mosgiel Aquatic centres and demands from DVML for life suppprt. So have another thought.
Lyndon: you say that in the LTP the DCC promise to develop a prioritised programme so that the assets which most need to be replaced are tackled first. It seems like they expect us to be very impressed with this new idea of prioritising. But the thing that impressed the auditor of the LTP was the $60 million backlog of water and waste renewals. He says, “This includes assets that have exceeded their useful lives and are/or are not capable of delivering suitable service levels.” In the case of the stormwater systems in Mosgiel, Kaikorai Valley and South Dunedin, these are obviously not capable of delivering suitable service levels. The auditor also warns us that in 30 years time the backlog will have increased to $88 million. Water and waste spending is nearly all 3 waters spending. The DCC has no credible solution to fixing the $88 million backlog.
The DCC Annual Report shows that for the 2015 financial year only $927,000 was spent on wastewater capital expenditure and of that, only $13,000 was spent on improving the level of service. The LTP budget for that year was $1.6 million and then the staff decided to spend only $927,000. This is an example of what you pointed out, that words, policies and budgets often can’t be trusted. I wrote a comment about this at the ODT: DCC stormwater defects.
Jimmy-thankyou for your excellent comments based on good research. Yes it is well true that Stormwater renewals seemed to be underspent in terms of Budget. The latest Annual Report on p70 lists three “renewal packages” completed in 2014/15 included Rainton Rd just down off Easther Crescent where I live. A very good job was done and completed just before the June floods. The next “Renewal package” listed is Surrey St (2015-17) which to my knowledge hasn’t even started yet. So the question remains why no urgency to upgrading the stormwater pipe network on the South Dunedin Flat? According to the ORC Technical Report of 24 July 2014 groundwater levels are still a problem but not rising. Sea level rise is still a future challenge. Therefore my conclusion is that the main culprits for the flooding on 3 June 2015 are inadequate stormwater pipes and an operational failure with the relevant Pumping Station. Why is the DCC doing nothing in the vain hope this won’t happen again?
### ODT Online Mon, 25 Jan 2016
April date for report on flooding
By Chris Morris
A 10-month wait for the Dunedin City Council to review the performance of its mud tanks, following last year’s South Dunedin flood, has been questioned by Dunedin South MP Clare Curran. Council transport group manager Ian McCabe confirmed when contacted the long-awaited report was now due to be released in April, 10 months after last year’s June 3 flood.
Read more
No pressure, then. Kind of like the approach to finding out whether contractors are doing in return for genuine $$$ outgoings from the OPM* money tree – hey it was on the list, well, it was due to be placed on the to-do list after the outcome from the yet-to-be-listed meeting to discuss the need for putting it on the list had been critiqued by independent, contracted, list-place evaluators.
*cries
Further to my use of the Online Form at DCC website:
From: Elizabeth Kerr
Sent: Monday, 25 January 2016 12:23 p.m.
To: Sandy Graham
Cc: Kristy Rusher; Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: LGOIMA Request – Ref No. 531354
Dear Sandy
LGOIMA Request – June 2015 Dunedin Flood
Reference No. 531354
In reference to the news article in today’s Otago Daily Times, ‘April date for report on flooding’
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/370819/april-date-report-flooding
I note the anticipated report is subject to peer review:
“Mr McCabe told the Otago Daily Times the lengthy timeline was needed to ensure the report was “robust”, including an external peer review of its findings.”
I note the earlier council report, tabled at the full council meeting on 30 November 2015 (I attended this meeting):
Report – Council – 30/11/2015 (PDF, 553 KB)
Infrastructure Performance During June 2015 Flood Event
Click to access ma_council_r_Flood_2015_11_30.pdf
I request the following information:
1. Was the flood report of 30/11/15 peer reviewed?
2. What was the name(s) of the peer reviewer(s) and their professional accreditation and or relevant work experience?
3. Is the peer review(s) available for public scrutiny, and if so I request a copy in digital format by email.
I look forward to your reply.
Kind regards, Elizabeth
New comment at another thread:
Lyndon Weggery
Submitted on 2016/01/25 at 12:53 pm
The problem under the Local Government Act is the separation of “governance” from “operations” where Mayor and Councillors are responsible for the former. However we still elect them to keep a close eye on things and more importantly ask the right questions when reports are tabled. The sad state of affairs over South Dunedin flooding last year shows that this has not been happening. They have had a 3 Waters Strategy with attaching Integrated Catchment Management Plans since 2011 and in hindsight if even a portion of the recommendations were faithfully implemented (and those Councillors on the Infrastructure Committee should have ensured they were) then the flood damage on 3 June 2015 arguably would have been a lot less!!
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Head in the mud-tanks.
Submitted by Trev on Mon, 25/01/2016 – 7:40am.
Because the Mayor very quickly rushed in at the time and publicly absolved the South Dunedin mud-tank contractor and the Council staff from any blame for the South Dunedin flooding last June, the current delay in the DCC report on the issue until April is starting to smell like rotten fish. To include widening the report to include other dainage areas is to deliberately obscure the focus of the original mud-tank problem. Delaying tactics such as these are now becoming far too common in NZ.
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Mudtank report delay
Submitted by weg2008 on Mon, 25/01/2016 – 9:00am.
Why the delay in actually doing something about the failing network structure in South Dunedin when all the investigations were done some years ago? I refer to the DCC’s 2011 3 Waters Strategy that has 10 Intergrated Catchment Management Plans attached to it. The one on South Dunedin is very comprehensive, analyses in detail the potential flooding problems with South Dunedin and more importantly makes good recommendations to address the problem including stormwater. All this work needs is funding and “stormwater specialists” in the DCC to carry out the work. Further reports are only procastination and perhaps designed to camouflage a lack of funds in the DCC coffers.
This is all a bit like the ‘Monty Python Flying Circus’ perhaps organised by ‘Sir Humphrey’. Has he left the building? On a ‘sicky’ or resigned? How can we know?
Newsflash!!! – According to my DCC source the long awaited MudTank report will be tabled on Tuesday 26 April 2016 to the Infrastructure Services Committee. That’s nearly 11 months after the infamous event.
I’m surprised the council hasn’t picked up on that new corporate PR position: “Nothing further to add.”. (Also known as “doing a Bunnings”.)
Elizabeth, have you ever had a reply to your LOGIMA request re mudtank cleaning and if not why not?
No.
The LGOIMA information request (made 25 January 2016) was declined by Dunedin City Council on 14 March – following two extensions incurred, one of which may have been unlawful.
I brought this to the attention of Mayor and Councillors by email on 17 March and received thanks and acknowledgement from the Mayor via his office on 18 March.
My complaint with the Ombudsman was lodged on 18 March. The Ombudsmen’s Office assessed the complaint and have confirmed in writing that an investigator will assist the ombudsman.
Elizabeth – aside from our patient waiting for the Mudtank report we are also waiting for any progress on a Council formal resolution dated 30 November 2015 requesting staff to implement a work programme etc to alleviate the flooding dangers to South Dunedin. So far nothing has happened and in the course of a polite discussion with Councillor Aaron Hawkins on Facebook on related matters I have asked him to check on progress. To his credit he has agreed to do so.
My two cents.
Lyndon, Kate Wilson is the chair of Infrastructure Services Committee. All such queries must also be placed with Cr Wilson. It is she who is directly answerable.
To mitigate electioneering tendency, favouritism or advantageous slant, and for openness and transparency in local government, generally – it’s probably best to address the Mayor and all Councillors by group email, copy chief executive and the staff managers concerned.
Otherwise we have the likes of JM, AH and DB-P in a comfortable little coterie of non-number-crunching obsequiousness (balance sheet, what balance sheet and what council debt ho ?!).
Jeez, the lengths they go to to avoid answering questions! How long before they learn that you don’t shaddup and go away?
On a similar vein but with the ODT, I submitted a letter on the 15th March which by now is obvious it’s not for publishing. For what it is worth I copy it here.
It was with some consternation that I read in the ODT 15.03.16, of the continuing ‘spat’ between Mayor Dave Cull and Cr Lee Vandervis. This was the revelation of a sworn affidavit by Cr Vandervis confirming details of evidence claimed to have been given to Mayor Cull of fraudulent behaviour by staff in the DCC tendering process. This matter was brought to the council table at the Dec 14 council meeting (see Ch39 transcript) in which Cr Vandervis reiterated these facts. Mayor Cull denied it saying “you sir are a liar, now leave”. After Cr Vandervis had left he repeated that the Cr had lied.
Now the mayor says the sworn affidavit has no credence and lacked supporting evidence. It seemed, he says this is because Cr Vandervis failed to produce a crossed cheque of the alleged fraudulent payment made. This dates back to 1984 some 32 years ago. Surely this is being pedantic to an extreme and Dave Cull is now showing that this is a personal grudge against Cr Vandervis for some unexplained reason. Result is that Cr Vandervis is now subject to a commissioned Crowe Horwath report as if he were a criminal. Is that the way to treat an elected member?
Cr Vandervis has, since being on council proved to be one of the more diligent and honest members around the table, time and again pointing out factors which he deemed to be not in the interests of the citizens. But time and again he has been rebuffed by the mayor and discredited publicly without cause. He has been charged with ‘code of conduct’ breaches and expelled from the chamber more than once simply for doing his job as elected. Meanwhile Dave Cull continues to push the boundaries of mayoral conduct, publicly impugning reputations, being sued for defamation and forced to publicly recant.
It is a sad conclusion that this city is being very poorly served by its elected body, none more so than the mayor. I just hope that the citizens are taking cognisance of this with the upcoming October elections.
Fact is greater than fiction but not always at the LTA. The new whistleblower policy arrived at by the chief executive doesn’t quite seem to attract all round acceptance.
The letter was finally published (ODT 11.4.16) albeit abridged. Mayor Dave Cull’s response was a usual wandering all round the subject but barely touching it. He did however defend his and council’s financial and other performance measures as being very well served to the public. With consolidated debt still hovering around $600million (plus the Delta debacle unresolved), a budget blowout of several million dollars exacerbated by council’s intruding in the Waipori Fund’s management investing policies, he is on shaky ground with these claims. If he went to a restaurant and ordered eggs and the waiter asked “Would you like the eggs poached, boiled, ‘benedict’, scrambled or in a cheese and ham omelette?”, he would likely say “Yes, coddled.”
### dunedintv.co.nz Mon, 11 Apr 2016
Flood report due
A long-awaited report into the performance of local infrastructure during last June’s flooding is finally about to be made public. It’s due to be considered in the council’s next infrastructure services committee meeting on 26 April.
Ch39 Video
Good News for the South Dunedin community.
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Tue, 16 Aug 2016
South Dunedin police station to reopen
More than a year after flood damage caused its closure, the Dunedin South police station is set to reopen to the public. The station would reopen tomorrow, Acting Otago Coastal Area Commander, Inspector Kelvin Lloyd said. “Due to extensive damage caused by the flooding in the South Dunedin area in June 2015, the police station had to be closed due to safety concerns,” Insp Lloyd said.
That’s one hell of a lot of unsafety, 14 months to repair. It’s not easy to get good tradesmen. Good to know they’ve managed it at last.
Politics must have got ’em, lately.
The electioneering handyman Mayor ? (how to restore votes at South Dunedin ?)
Talk Police. Talk Community Hub.
Wed, 17 Aug 2016
ODT: Reduced hours as police station reopens
South Dunedin’s police station will reopen to the public today, albeit with reduced hours, more than a year after the floods that closed it. […] The shortened public counter hours have left community leaders disappointed and they are sceptical of the reasons given for the delay in reopening the station.
Skeptical? Whatever happened to the good old days when authorities could tell the public any old crap and they’d believe it?
### dunedintv.co.nz Wed, 17 Aug 2016
Police station reopens in South Dunedin
A part of the community has reopened, after being closed as a result of last year’s devastating floods. The extreme weather event cost the city hundreds of millions of dollars and the South Dunedin community its police station. But the centre is now back in business, and preparing for an official opening.
Ch39 Link
Channel 39 Published on Aug 16, 2016
Police station reopens in South Dunedin
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█ New Zealand Police – Dunedin South
Address: 77 Macandrew Rd, Otago 9012
Phone: 03 455 1199