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Three words : O U T ● O F ● T I M E
### ODT Online Friday, 12 August 2016
DCC affirms transparency commitment
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council says it remains committed to transparency, despite a nearly year-long delay responding to an official information request. […] The comment came after council staff last week again delayed their response to an Otago Daily Times request for information relating to the former Carisbrook site. The ODT’s request dated back to September last year, and the council — like other local authorities — is required by law to respond as soon as possible within 20 working days. […] Last week, six weeks after the ODT again requested an update, council staff initially said no further action had been taken, and would not be taken now until after October’s elections.
Read more
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One word : T I M E L Y
### ODT Online Fri, 12 Aug 2016
Departure reshuffle
The departure of the Dunedin City Council’s group chief financial officer, Grant McKenzie, has triggered a minor reshuffle within the organisation. […] Council financial controller Gavin Logie has … been named acting chief financial officer until Mr McKenzie’s replacement is named.
Read more
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Three words : D E L T A ● A U R O R A ● D C H L
### ODT Online Fri, 12 Aug 2016
‘Dangerous mess’ addressed, remedied after 2011 review
By Dave Cull
OPINION Claims that council-owned companies are out of control and lack transparency (ODT, 5.8.16 and the editorial 6.8.16) are sadly ill-informed, lack business understanding and worse, threaten the ratepayers’ asset value. […] Ratepayer-owned companies are more expertly governed and more comprehensively examined and reported on than ever before.
Read more
*Delta Utility Services Ltd (“Delta”) has been joined in a constructive fraud action brought by original Landowners/Caveators of the Noble Subdivision application at Yaldhurst, Christchurch. Very substantial multimillion-dollar losses caused to Dunedin Ratepayers (on Mayor Cull’s shift) stem from Delta’s decision in 2009 to involve themselves in the illegal and unconsented subdivision. This all follows multimillion-dollar losses (about $14M) suffered by Ratepayers as a consequence of Delta’s involvement in the Luggate and Jacks Point subdivisions.
We know what ‘out of control’ means.
On Monday 1 August, we had absolute Confirmation that the city council is Not transparent —the Council blindly followed (without proper or worthy documentation; no diligence done by Councillors; no thoroughly independent legal advice to Council) the manipulations of Mr Crombie, DCHL chairman, assisted by the head of DCC Finance Committee, Cr Thomson, threading a ‘long’ story to seal a bad ‘Delta’ deal.
Bad for the Ratepayers.
ODT reported (3.8.16): ‘Deal designed to help Delta’s bad debt woes’. This deal, “to help Delta recover a $13.4million bad debt from a stalled Christchurch subdivision”, unfortunately, fails to give DCC control over the whole Noble subdivision, which DCC could have secured for relatively little financial outlay (as Advised by What if? Dunedin in emails to all Councillors; and by the Caveators), resulting in generous profits in a longer time frame.
So the Old Boys have conspired once more to use Rates funds to line the pockets of those they would work with and protect, this time at Yaldhurst —Not named by DCHL/Delta : The Buyer of the subdivision. [which may include Delta types]
As the ODT editorial (6.8.16) rightly states: “Delta has a history of secrecy and limited transparency, stretching back many years to the time it was a council department.”
We’re sure the Mayor and Cr Thomson are well up on that particular reading, in the privacy of their gentlemen’s armchairs.
As our correspondent Christchurch Driver says in a recent post (8.8.16): “Delta, for the third time, [has] created a stinking financial mess … Ratepayers now know that [Dave Cull] is unfit to be Mayor and has not a shred of any concern for the interests of Ratepayers but is simply part of the Dunedin establishment who protect each other.”
Nothing changes at DCC, DCHL or Delta (except overt culpability!) —shortly, What if? Dunedin will deal to Aurora Energy, which has the same Chief Executive and Board of Directors as Delta.
█ For more, enter the terms *delta*, *noble* or *epic fraud* in the search box at right.
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.
*Image: Dave Cull tweaked by whatifdunedin
What if? Dunedin... 
Relevance. Copied from another thread:
Calvin Oaten
Mayor Dave Cull in an opinion piece in the ODT attempts to exonerate himself from the ‘Dangerous mess’ of the DCC/DCHL/Delta situation facing the city. He states as facts that the DCHL group pre 2011, raised unsustainable debt to satisfy council demands for high dividends.
He fails to mention that the main reason for these dividends was to finance the huge debt funded capital expenditure on projects such as the Stadium, the Dunedin Conference Centre and the Otago Settlers Museum.
Omitting also the continuation of ‘subvention payments’ of some $8M per annum still being made by Aurora to DVL and DVML to keep the Stadium afloat.
That he was a councillor that endorsed these measures seems to be a ‘fact’ not worthy of mention. He goes on to explain that his initiation resulting in changes to the DCHL directorate has resulted in the reduction of these dividends, implying that his actions have steadied the ship, so to speak. He fails to mention that the 70 odd Delta staff members drawing salaries of between $100,000 and $500,000 pa plus the CEO collecting some $520,000 pa are all still on station.
No mention of the ‘consolidated debt’ hovering around ($600million) nor of the extent of the admitted “bad debt for work on a Christchurch subdivision”. This could seemingly amount to in excess of $25M. How that is resolved is the big question.
If this is seen as a blatant piece of electioneering then the people ought to take into account Dave Cull’s endeavours to remove himself by publishing this artful excuse for accountability of his tenure.
[ends]
NO Jinty MacTavish for DCC
The world is a better place, the sun shines
But who has she backed ????
My bet is she is on leave (of her senses) and is consulting her navel re ‘Climate Change’.
If Delta, DCHL, DCC Councillors cease refusing the neighbouring caveators’ requests and offers, Delta/DCC could register their additional $17million odd “agreements to first mortgage” that are protected by caveats behind the neighbours caveats.
This way Delta/DCC would immediately attain all the first money from a mortgagee sale – they’d be the ONLY mortgagees, both first and second!
DCC could potentially regain their full $25million immediately.
Why DCC Councillors refused to hear from the neighbouring caveators’ with prior interests and to instead give up $millions of ratepayers dollars to the developer is mindboggling if not criminal.
Colin, I dare say one of the last jobs Grant McKenzie advised on/ controlled before skipping to APL was the detail of the Delta deal which still hadn’t been stitched at the time of the Council decision to back “it” (the sketchy deal ?!?!) at their meeting on 1 August. There have also been internal rumours that “it” might not be stitched until after the elections.
Due to lack of Council openness and transparency – and business ethics – difficult to know what is/was agreed to; and if that differs from what “the three accountants” (mousekateers) have cobbled together, to lose Ratepayers more money.
From the opinion piece above, one can only assume that Dave Cull is a commercial idiot or a person who completely ignores obvious facts.
Either way, a dangerous leader of an entity already saddled with $650 million debt, interest rate swaps and an oversupplied overpaid workforce.
Wrote her own obituary.
Thank the Lord she is GOING.
Get your chuck bucket ready, readers.
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From her Facebook [Stop looking weepy, Dave! – you’re overdoing it]:
Councillor Jinty MacTavish
11 hrs · · Politics
..
Hello Dunedin,
Whether or not to run for Council again has been a very hard decision, and I waited until the last minute to make a final call incase I changed my mind! I feel very lucky to call this wonderful city ‘home’, and to be part of this courageous, progressive, caring community. I feel enormously fortunate to have had the opportunity to contribute as your elected representative over the past six years – it has been rich and rewarding and more satisfying than I ever dreamed it might be. But I’m not standing for a third term.
I’ve realised over the last few months that there are other things I would like to do over the next few years, and that in order to do these things, I need to step back from Council mahi. The hardest part has been knowing this means handing over to a new Council the implementation of some of the exciting projects the city will be working on. I’m very proud of the way Dunedin has evolved over the last six years, proud of Council’s strengthened financial position, and proud of the collaborative efforts that have established a clear vision for the city’s development. Our strategic framework is second to none and, if adhered to, will deliver some pretty excellent outcomes, I reckon. Dunedin is going from strength to strength and there are some fantastic things we can look forward to, as the plans, policies and projects we have collectively put in place roll out over the coming years.
Amongst the positive things about standing down as a councillor, is that I’ll get to be a fully-fledged citizen smile emoticon:). I’ve seen first-hand as a councillor, how powerful citizenship is, and the magic that happens when citizens get vocal with their ideas and work with councils to bring them to life. Pretty keen to make the most of that, to help ensure the next council has a strong mandate to continue the positive momentum.
In the meantime, there’s another couple of months of Council work to be getting on with. Plus some great candidates standing for reelection, and excellent first-time candidates like Steve Walker for Council and Marie Laufiso to get behind smile emoticon:). Business as usual over at jinty.mactavish @dcc.govt.nz if you’ve any issues or concerns…
[ends]
Steve Walker is a cycleway man and a greenie. Is he a climate changer too ?
Marie Laufiso is standing for Green Party ticket.
Notice Jinters has Not endorsed Aaron Hawkins (Green Party) – what happened there, possums ???
Thanks Elizabeth. I’m making a candidates memo for myself, starting with the 2 in your post, which I will add to as further info comes along. I don’t want to miss out on voting for excellent new candidates for lack of background info from “usually reliable sources”!
Nor the opposite. We’ve had enough wazzocks to last us till Climate Change sees First Church spire’s topmost centimetres barely visible above the waves.
Hype, I started my candidates list earlier this evening.
There are just 9 practical common sense ‘core business’ male candidates on my watch list.
No women since they all read like nightmares.
This election, OUT with any attempted gender balance, the calibre just isn’t there –
In my opinion there’s probably just one woman I could vote for due to her recent 2GP panel performance and (longer) consent hearings committee experience – she is on v.close watch though in case she fudges things in Cull’s dying moments. Awkward but could be re-trained away from Greater Dunedin tendencies if sat upon.
It’s between Lee Vandervis and (wild card) Conrad Stedman for the mayoralty. Forget Cull, he doesn’t think that council-owned company Delta is “out of control” …..meanwhile Delta has Ratepayer funds going down the gurglar [sorry Gurglars!] in the tens of millions; indeed, the stadium/DVML/DVL does so too, catastrophically – gee, thanks Dave, our hero :(
This news is the best thing that’s ever happened to local government at Dunedin in the last six years. GONE from the Council table, and from behind its curtains. Read : Immediate Savings.
We hear there was a bust up of some sort. Surely not over who would be Deputy Mayor in a Cull council ? [Staynes or Toothy MacT ?]
We have no idea.
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Sat, 13 Aug 2016
MacTavish moving on
Cr Jinty MacTavish has decided not to contest the Dunedin City Council elections in October […] She would not be drawn on the down side of her term, saying she had not “spent enough time reflecting on things like that”.
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NO MORE SPACE CASES AT COUNCIL
Diversion for Dave – with Jinters, apart
Green Day Published on Aug 12, 2016
Green Day – Bang Bang (Official Lyric Video)
“Bang Bang’ – the NEW Song from Green Day from the upcoming album ‘Revolution Radio’ available October 7th.