Monthly Archives: April 2017

by Elizabeth | April 30, 2017 · 10:35 pm

Good Old Boy pushes waterfront stadium for Auckland *yawn

At Twitter:

Auckland Council has been pitched a revolutionary, sunken stadium for the waterfront https://t.co/6xD5XO7FZi pic.twitter.com/BRArXbYJE1

— nzherald (@nzherald) April 29, 2017

****

### NZ Herald 5:00 AM Sunday Apr 30, 2017
Stunning stadium pitched for Auckland, sunken into waterfront
By Simon Plumb
Jaw-dropping concepts for an iconic new national stadium have been pitched to Auckland Council, proposing a state-of-the-art arena be submerged into the city’s waterfront. A portfolio of spectacular designs can be revealed from documents delivered to the office of Auckland Mayor Phil Goff last month. The Herald on Sunday has obtained them through the Local Government Official Information and Meeting Act [LGOIMA]. Dubbed The Crater, the idea centres on a subterranean multi-events venue, inverting conventional design by building below ground rather than above. Created by Auckland design and marketing figure Phil O’Reilly, three potentials factor in a core concept of a sunken bowl-type arena, as well as renderings of a roofed version. A third concept incorporates new cruise ship terminals that would flank the facility, although O’Reilly said the general idea could also work inland if the waterfront was dumped as a location. […] O’Reilly said as far as he is aware, the submerged venue would be the first of its kind anywhere in the world and was a chance for Auckland to build an iconic landmark that would be recognised the world over – but in keeping with Auckland’s natural volcanic landscape. […] Although not as large in scale, likely between 30,000-50,000 capacity, O’Reilly said a truly cutting-edge design could see the Kiwi venue punch way above its weight and become as recognised as some of the most famous on Earth.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

27 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Baloney, Business, Construction, Design, Economics, Finance, Hot air, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, Pet projects, Politics, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Sport, Stadiums, Structural engineering, Technology, Tourism, Town planning, Travesty, Urban design

Tagged as Auckland, Auckland Council, boring, City access, Concept design, Does not pay, LGOIMA, Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, New Zealand, Parking, Port authority, Ports of Auckland, Stadiums, Transportation, Waterfront stadiums

by Elizabeth | April 29, 2017 · 6:35 pm

Prison revives for visitor experience

### ODT Online Sat, 29 Apr 2017
Tourism intended for prison
By David Loughrey
Dunedin’s old prison has four new trustees, a new tenant with the tourism market in mind, and is ready to move to a new stage in its evolution. The 121-year-old Victorian-style courtyard facility designed by John Campbell has been returned to its original form. Work to replace decorative architectural elements removed from the front of the building was completed recently. Now the Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust is turning its attention to future uses for the former jail that is one of the city’s more unusual historic buildings. The prison was decommissioned in 2007, and the trust bought the property in 2012. Trust chairman Owen Graham said the physical restoration work was 95% complete — ridge tiles and two 2-metre finials still had to be finished — but it was time to start a new stage of evolution for the building. The new trustees had been appointed for their range of skills and backgrounds, and would help the trust make decisions about what happened next. Those decisions could range from another part-upgrade or “go for a multimillion-dollar effort”. […] Mr Graham said part of the trust’s strategy was to start occupying parts of the prison to sustain its activities and “bring the prison back to life with different activities”. It had been working with a business that wanted to use the prison’s kitchen, which had been identified as “serviceable”.
Read more

The former prison has a Heritage New Zealand category one classification; future development involves discussion with Dunedin City Council and Heritage New Zealand.

█ Dunedin Prison | http://www.dunedinprisontrust.co.nz/

[excerpt from the trust’s website]

Timeline
Showing the many phases of use of the prison:
1896-1915 – new prison opened with cells for 52 men and 20 women
1915-1959 – Police move in to administration block and look after prisoners as well as their own duties
1959-1974 – 34 female prisoners are accommodated, segregated from men
1975-1994 – reopened catering for 59 male inmates
1994-2000 – Police move out to their new premises and prison reverts to original purpose as a men only facility
2007 – prison decommissioned and Corrections operation moved to Milburn
2011 – Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust formed to secure the prison for the nation
2012 – Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust raises $50,000 to allow it to purchase the property from Ngai Tahu Property Ltd
2014 – Conservation Plan completed
2015 – Fund-raising begins to allow us to restore the facades and repair part of the slate roof, estimated at $500,000.

█ For more, enter the term *heritage* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Images: whatifdunedin sketchbook – Dunedin Prison (former)

5 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Business, Construction, Crime, DCC, Design, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Heritage, Heritage NZ, Innovation, Inspiration, Leading edge, Media, New Zealand, People, Pet projects, Project management, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Structural engineering, Tourism, Urban design

Tagged as Adaptive reuse, Anzac Square, Architecture, Building archaeology, Building conservation, Built environment, Castle Street, Conservation, Conservation plan, Courtyard prison, Dunbar Street, Dunedin, Dunedin Central Police Station (former), Dunedin Gaol (former), Dunedin Prison, Dunedin Prison (former), Dunedin Prison Charitable Trust, Fundraising, Grants, Heritage, Heritage precinct, Heritage reuse, Heritage tourism, Historic heritage, Historic precinct, Mixed use, New activities, Prison, Prison tours, Restoration, Tourism, Urban design, Victorian Prison, Visitor experience

by Elizabeth | April 28, 2017 · 12:56 pm

SDHB change management: 59 roles proposed to go

Updated post
Sat, 29 Apr 2017 at 6:37 p.m.

At Facebook:

### ODT Online Fri, 28 Apr 2017
Roles dumped in SDHB proposal
By Eileen Goodwin
The roles of chief operating officer (COO) and deputy chief executive will be dumped in a sweeping management restructure proposal unveiled at the Southern District Health Board. In the formal document released yesterday, chief executive Chris Fleming said a new director of specialist services would replace the COO role. The proposed restructuring would not slim the executive leadership team. Its number would increase by one to 13 (including the chief executive), but there is quite a bit of change in the make-up of the roles. The brunt of job losses would be borne at the next two levels of management.
Read more

****

Restructure proposal appears to break up a joint decision-making model which involves senior doctors and nurses.

Sat, 29 Apr 2017
Proposal devastates nurses
By Eileen Goodwin
Nurses are “devastate” by the proposed restructuring at the Southern District Health Board. New Zealand Nurses Organisation Dunedin organiser Lorraine Lobb said the proposal removed budgetary and operational control from nursing leadership. There would be fewer nurse management roles, and those who remained would have less say in decision-making, Mrs Lobb said. “We’re quite devastated by this proposal. We’re all about safe staffing, [and that] requires nursing leadership,” she said. The proposal would see a net loss of 23 management positions. It was unclear how many were nursing roles. […] The new chief nursing and midwifery officer would have no control over budgets as their underlings would only report to them on professional matters, she said. […] The proposal also removes operational responsibilities from the board’s top doctor, the chief medical officer. On operational matters, medical directors would report to the director of specialist services, rather than the chief medical officer.
Read more

█ SDHB to consider submissions before announcing the final structure in June.

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█ For more, enter the terms *hospital*, *sdhb* and *swann* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

9 Comments

Filed under Business, Dunedin, Economics, Finance, Health, Hospital, Media, New Zealand, People, Politics, Public interest, SDHB

Tagged as Administration, Change management, Employment, Health, Health Services, Hospitals, Job losses, Management roles, Otago Southland, Redundancy, Restructuring, SDHB, Service delivery, Southern District Health Board

by Elizabeth | April 24, 2017 · 10:15 pm

LGOIMA vehicle (DCC) : Hyundai Santa Fe (2016) written off Jan 2017

Received.

From: Sandy Graham [DCC General Manager Strategy and Governance]
Sent: Monday, 24 April 2017 5:03 p.m.
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Cc: [DCC Governance Support]
Subject: RE: Elizabeth Kerr Local Government Official Information request – 584807

Dear Elizabeth

Please see below a response to your LGOIMA request re Mayoral vehicles.

Request details:
LGOIMA request re mayoral vehicle (DCC)

1. I understand there is a DCC vehicle dedicated for use by the Mayor of Dunedin, is this correct? If so, is the vehicle owned by DCC, or is it leased?
Yes. It is owned by DCC

2. What are the terms and conditions of the Mayor’s use of this vehicle? (including DCC insurance cover in regards to who may drive the vehicle and for what purpose(s) to retain the cover)
The Mayor pays for full private use of the vehicle as per the determination set out by the independent Remuneration Authority. The insurance cover for the mayoral vehicle is as for all other fleet vehicles. Any authorised driver is covered.

3. What is the make, model, colour, year and registration of the mayoral vehicle? Please state for all vehicles designated for mayoral use in the period October 2010 to April 2017, if any.
Please see the attached spreadsheet. I have not provided registration plate details and these are withheld to protect the privacy of natural persons pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of LGOIMA.

4. What has been the annual mileage clocked for the mayoral vehicle on official business in the period October 2010 to April 2017?
Annual mileage is not recorded and so the information requested does not exist.

5. Does the mayor also retain the vehicle for his own casual use when not on official business? If so, is this mileage logged separately and what has been that annual mileage clocked in the period October 2010 to April 2017? Or please supply the annual mileage clocked for all use of the vehicle in the period October 2010 to April 2017?
The Mayor pays for full private use of the vehicle as per the determination set out by the independent Remuneration Authority. No records of annual mileage are kept.

6. Designated driver(s). Besides the mayor, are there other dedicated drivers specified for this vehicle? (see 2. above). Please identify the drivers – if for privacy reasons names cannot be supplied, state by position or role to include council staff, elected council representatives (councillors), or the mayor’s family.
The vehicle is able to be driven by any authorised driver.

7. See 4. above. How does this mileage compare with the annual mileage recorded for a mayoral vehicle (if any) used by previous mayors, where this is known? For example, for Richard Walls, Sukhi Turner and Peter Chin.
No mileage records are held.

8. In the period October 2010 to April 2017, have any vehicles assigned for mayoral use been badly damaged or written off? Please provide vehicle identification (make/model/colour/year/registration), date of vehicle crash or incident, crash site or incident location; and, where relevant identify whether this was an injury/serious injury/non injury crash (cross out whichever does not apply).
Yes. A Hyundai Santa Fe was written off in Jan 2017 following an accident involving serious injury near Roxburgh.

9. See 8. above. What was the official cause of each vehicle crash or incident as determined for DCC’s insurance claim (if any); and or as claimed in the official CAS report* involving a DCC vehicle, a copy of which may be held on DCC files? *The NZ Transport Agency manages the Crash Analysis System (CAS) – New Zealand’s primary tool for capturing information on where, when and how road crashes occur. CAS is used by a range of organisations all with the broad aim of improving road safety. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/safety-resources/crash-analysis-system/
The insurers did not identify a cause of the accident.

10. See 6. above. Was the mayor or another officially designated driver identified for each vehicle crash or incident listed at 8. above?
Yes.

11. How recently was the mayoral vehicle replaced following a vehicle write-off? Did DCC’s insurance cover and budgets meet the full cost of vehicle replacement and other associated costs such as accident victim transfer to hospital? Please itemise all costs to DCC.
Refer to the attached spreadsheet. DCC received a full insurance pay-out.

12. Further to 3. above, please confirm the make, model, colour, year and registration number of the present mayoral vehicle and its date of purchase or commencement of lease by DCC. Please respond by email within 20 working days. Thanks.
Refer to the attached spreadsheet. I have not provided registration plate details and these are withheld to protect the privacy of natural persons pursuant to section 7(2)(a) of LGOIMA.

Given I have withheld information, you are entitled to a review of the decision by the Office of the Ombudsman.
I have cc’ed [DCC Governance Support] on the response for record keeping purposes.

Sandy [Graham]

Attachment: LGOIMA request vehicles (Excel spreadsheet)

[screenshot – click to enlarge]

Similar model ?

From: [DCC Governance Support]
Sent: Wednesday, 19 April 2017 9:28 a.m.
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Acknowledgement of request

19-Apr-2017

Elizabeth Kerr

Dear Ms Kerr,

Official information request for: 584807, KERR, MAYORAL VEHICLE

Reference Number: 306621

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 18-April-2017 for 584807, KERR, MAYORAL VEHICLE

We received your request on 18-April-2017. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 17-May-2017, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

Your request is being handled by Sandy Graham. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact her on 03 477 4000. If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that these can be taken into account.

Yours sincerely

Governance Support Officer
Dunedin City Council

[*My LGOIMA request is dated 16 April 2017]

—

From: officialinformation@dcc.govt.nz
Sent: Sunday, 16 April 2017 1:19 p.m.
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Confirmation of receipt of LGOIMA request – 584807

Dear Elizabeth

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 16 Apr 2017 1:19pm
We support public access to official information. Our obligation under the Local Government Official Information Act 1987 (the Act) is to provide you the information requested as soon as reasonably practicable unless there is a good reason for withholding it.

We will process information requests as below:

• We will let you know as soon as we can (and in any case within 20 working days) whether your request will be granted or declined, and if the request is declined why we have declined it.
• In some cases it may be necessary for our decision to be made after 20 working days. When this occurs we will advise you the anticipated delivery date together with the reason why it is necessary to extend that time within the 20 working days.
• If your request is complex or requires a large amount of collation and research, we may contact you with a view to either refining your request or discussing the possibility of charging for aspects of your request in line with the DCC charging policy.
• If we decide to release the information, we aim to provide it at the same time as we give our decision. If this is not possible we will provide the information as soon as reasonably practicable.

If you need to contact us about your request, please email officialinformation@dcc.govt.nz or call 03 477 4000. Please quote reference number: 584807

The timeliness of our decisions and the reasons for them are reviewable by the Office of the Ombudsman. You can view the Ombudsman’s guidelines for the processing of information requests at http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or by calling freephone: 0800 802 602.

Yours sincerely,

Official Information Request Service

Below are the details of the request

Your request:

LGOIMA request re mayoral vehicle (DCC)

1. I understand there is a DCC vehicle dedicated for use by the Mayor of Dunedin, is this correct? If so, is the vehicle owned by DCC, or is it leased?

2. What are the terms and conditions of the Mayor’s use of this vehicle? (including DCC insurance cover in regards to who may drive the vehicle and for what purpose(s) to retain the cover)

3. What is the make, model, colour, year and registration of the mayoral vehicle? Please state for all vehicles designated for mayoral use in the period October 2010 to April 2017, if any.

4. What has been the annual mileage clocked for the mayoral vehicle on official business in the period October 2010 to April 2017?

5. Does the mayor also retain the vehicle for his own casual use when not on official business? If so, is this mileage logged separately and what has been that annual mileage clocked in the period October 2010 to April 2017? Or please supply the annual mileage clocked for all use of the vehicle in the period October 2010 to April 2017?

6. Designated driver(s). Besides the mayor, are there other dedicated drivers specified for this vehicle? (see 2. above). Please identify the drivers – if for privacy reasons names cannot be supplied, state by position or role to include council staff, elected council representatives (councillors), or the mayor’s family.

7. See 4. above. How does this mileage compare with the annual mileage recorded for a mayoral vehicle (if any) used by previous mayors, where this is known? For example, for Richard Walls, Sukhi Turner and Peter Chin.

8. In the period October 2010 to April 2017, have any vehicles assigned for mayoral use been badly damaged or written off? Please provide vehicle identification (make/model/colour/year/registration), date of vehicle crash or incident, crash site or incident location; and, where relevant identify whether this was an injury/serious injury/non injury crash (cross out whichever does not apply).

9. See 8. above. What was the official cause of each vehicle crash or incident as determined for DCC’s insurance claim (if any); and or as claimed in the official CAS report* involving a DCC vehicle, a copy of which may be held on DCC files?

*The NZ Transport Agency manages the Crash Analysis System (CAS) – New Zealand’s primary tool for capturing information on where, when and how road crashes occur. CAS is used by a range of organisations all with the broad aim of improving road safety. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/safety-resources/crash-analysis-system/

10. See 6. above. Was the mayor or another officially designated driver identified for each vehicle crash or incident listed at 8. above?

11. How recently was the mayoral vehicle replaced following a vehicle write-off? Did DCC’s insurance cover and budgets meet the full cost of vehicle replacement and other associated costs such as accident victim transfer to hospital? Please itemise all costs to DCC.

12. Further to 3. above, please confirm the make, model, colour, year and registration number of the present mayoral vehicle and its date of purchase or commencement of lease by DCC.

Please respond by email within 20 working days. Thanks.

File attachment
No file uploaded

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: hyundaiusa.com – 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

21 Comments

Filed under DCC, Democracy, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Health & Safety, New Zealand, People, Politics, Property, Public interest, Transportation

Tagged as Crash Analysis System (CAS), Crash statistics, DCC, Dunedn City Council, Hyundai Santa Fe, Information requests, Insurance, LGOIMA, Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987, Mayoral vehicles, NZ Police, NZ Transport Agency, NZTA, Official information, Serious injury, Vehicle write-off, Vehicles

by Elizabeth | April 24, 2017 · 2:01 pm

As predicted —Aurora Energy delivery stuffed on pole replacement

I T ● W A S ● N E V E R ● G O I N G ● T O ● H A P P E N

Aurora Energy board chair Steve Thompson should shuffle back under his rock.
DCHL chairman Graham Crombie, mowing lawns at Clyde, has nothing to say.
The largest risk to the Otago Community continues to be Aurora itself.

At Facebook:

### ODT Online Mon, 24 Apr 2017
Aurora sets new date to ‘remove risk’
By Vaughan Elder
Aurora Energy has abandoned a target to have all condition-zero poles replaced by the end of this month, saying it was now on track to “remove the risk” of 2910 poles by the end of this year. […] An Aurora spokesman said it had abandoned its original plan to replace all 1181 condition-zero poles, which are the worst-rated poles on its network, by the end of this month.
“Our target is to remove the risk around 2910 priority poles by the end of the year and we are on track to achieve that. That’s the target we are working towards. The April target was an initial working target before detailed programme planning had been completed.” After being given more than two weeks to respond, the spokesman did not say how many new condition-one and zero poles had been discovered during its fast-track programme, saying: “We don’t have these figures to hand today”.
Read more

The article also says: “Aurora had stepped up customer service support and communication so its customers were informed when power needed to be cut.” As far as we know this support and communication has been seriously deficient in many instances.

█ Customers should check the Aurora website on outage days for cancellations.
http://www.auroraenergy.co.nz/outages/

****

At Facebook:

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█ For more, enter the terms *aurora*, *delta*, *grady*, *godfrey*, *poles*, *asset management plan*, *dchl*, *auditor-general*, *epicpolefail* or *epic fraud* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

15 Comments

Filed under Aurora Energy, Baloney, Business, Central Otago, Construction, DCHL, Delta, Democracy, Design, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Electricity, Finance, Geography, Health & Safety, Hot air, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Perversion, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Queenstown Lakes, Resource management, SFO, Structural engineering, Technology, Tourism, Town planning, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Asset management, Aurora Energy Ltd, Commerce Commission (industry regulator), Company audits, Council owned companies (CCOs), Customised price-quality path, Dangerous workplaces, DCC, DCHL, Delta Utility Services Ltd, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin City Holdings Ltd, Good Old Boys (GOBs), Grady Cameron, Graham Crombie, Health and Safety, Infrastructure networks, Lack of accountability, Lack of transparency, Obfuscation, Official complaints, Penalties, Pole replacement program, Power outages, Power poles, Renewals, Standards, Steve Thompson, WorkSafe

by Elizabeth | April 23, 2017 · 5:45 pm

‘Big play’ —NZ to spend $53M at Expo 2020, Dubai UAE

[Source: Expo2020 Dubai]

The Government is about to launch a process within the creative sector of New Zealand to select the best team and ideas for the design and content.

### nzherald.co.nz 3:00 PM Sun, 23 Apr 2017
NZ to spend $53m on Dubai Expo
By Grant Bradley – Aviation, tourism and energy writer for Business Herald
The Government will spend $53 million showcasing New Zealand at Expo 2020 in Dubai in an attempt to boost trade in the region and beyond. Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges made the announcement in Dubai today. “It’s a unique and dynamic part of the world. For us this a relatively big play,” Bridges told the Herald. […] When Dubai bid for Expo 2020, its rulers said they would spend more than $10b on a 2 sq km site that will contain three thematic areas: opportunity, sustainability and mobility. New Zealand has been invited to participate in the sustainability precinct. […] While trade runs heavily in US favour, Bridges said the New Zealand pavilion would allow Kiwi businesses to highlight their innovative products and services and open doors to new export markets. New Zealand is close to completing a free trade agreement with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), which comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. […] Bridges said participation at the Expo was a carefully calculated strategic investment. “Ultimately this is a pretty hard-headed investment for exporters and the economy. New Zealand being there is essential.” […] New Zealand had signed up early as an exhibitor and it would help its push “against the open door” of trade negotiations.
Read more

ArabianBusiness.com Arabic Published on Apr 3, 2017
Al Wasl Plaza during Expo 2020 Dubai – source :Expo 2020 Dubai
Al Wasl Plaza, the central hub of Expo 2020 Dubai

Expo2020 Dubai Published on Apr 5, 2017
Al Wasl Plaza

Show Me Dubai Published on Dec 7, 2016
8 Billion Dollars Dubai Expo 2020 Master Plan
Dubai’s theme for the Expo is Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Its proposed schedule is from October 2020 until April 2021, the first Expo to run over two years stretching over UAE’s 49th National Day and touching on UAE’s 50th Jubilee year in 2021. Dubai’s Masterplan proposes a site on 438 hectares of land in Jebel Ali equidistant to the Dubai International Airport and Abu Dhabi International Airport. To support its theme of sustainability, the iconic structure that covers much of the site will have photovoltaic fabric that is planned to generate at least 50% of the Expo’s power on site. Dubai Expo 2020 expects to create 277,149 jobs between 2013 and 2021. 40% of the employment opportunities generated would be in the travel and tourism sector. Dubai Expo 2020 expects to attract 25 million unique visitors and up to 33 million visits over the six-month period. Courtesy: Expo2020 Dubai

█ Expo 2020 Dubai UAE [website]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

3 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Business, Construction, Design, Economics, Education, Events, Finance, Fun, Geography, Innovation, Inspiration, Leading edge, Media, Name, New Zealand, People, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Public interest, Site, Technology, Tourism

Tagged as Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Wasl Plaza, Animations, Business, Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, Dubai, Dubai International Airport, Exhibitors, Expo 2020, Exporters, Free trade agreements, Jebel Ali, Mobility, New Zealand, Opportunity, Pavilions, Photovoltaics, Showcases, Sustainability, The Economy, Thematic districts, Trade and Industry, Trade negotiations, United Arab Emirates

by Elizabeth | April 23, 2017 · 4:15 am

Regional council builds Palace, refuses help to dredge Otago boat harbour

The ironies are Most Apparent.

The Otago Regional Council contributed $30m to the stadium roof (an activity beyond its local authority mandate), yet the council has no intention of helping the Otago Yacht Club to maintain the city’s marina, the Otago Boat Harbour.

[click to enlarge]
DCC Webmaps – Otago Boat Harbour at Mouth of Leith JanFeb 2013

Otago Yacht Club’s origin dates back to 1892, making it one of the oldest yacht clubs in Otago. The club caters for a range of sailing interests from keelboats to trailer yachts and centreboarders. The club also operates keeler haul-out facilities and welcomes visiting boats. The club manages a full events programme during summer, including harbour, coastal and ocean races. On Sunday mornings in the season the club runs ‘learn to sail’ and ‘learn to race’ programmes which cater for all ages. The clubhouse is a popular venue for private functions and for local organisations to hold meetings and events. Within walking distance of the city centre, the clubhouse offers showers, laundry facilities, email connections etc. The resident caretaker-manager will usually manage to accommodate requests for berthage for boats up to 50 feet. The alongside mooring facilities consist of several large punts inside a walled boat harbour. Due to silting, access to the boat harbour has only been tenable approximately two hours either side of high tide for boats with 2m draft. The Otago boat harbour was last dredged in 1995.
Source: otagoyachtclub.org.nz

****

### ODT Online Thu, 20 Apr 2017
Club gets go-ahead to dredge boat harbour
By David Loughrey
The Otago Boat Harbour is about to get its first dredging in more than 20 years, after the facility reached such a state rescue vessels could not leave the harbour at low tide. The work, expected to start soon, has been described as a major achievement by the Otago Yacht Club, which leases the boat harbour. Club vice-commodore Blair McNab said the cost of the project – more than $300,000 – was being paid for from grants and club membership fees. […] The club recently received resource consent from the Dunedin City Council for the work. The consent allowed the club to deposit dredged sediment and soil on land in Magnet St, behind the club, for drying. Mr McNab said once the dredged material had been dried, which took about two weeks, it would be taken to the nearby Logan Point quarry. The consent said once the work was completed, about 100cu m would remain on the grass area at Magnet St to form a barrier around its perimeter, and provide better drainage. The consent decision said the boat harbour was in such a state that at low tide, craft used for harbour rescues could not get out. […] The club had hoped the Otago Regional Council might help with the cost of the dredging, as alterations to the Water of Leith meant more spoil was coming from the nearby mouth of the stream. Mr McNab said it appeared the council was not going to help.
Read more

The Star April 2014 via Otago Yacht Club. Also at ODT Online 22.4.14

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The Otago Regional Council’s “special consultation” over its Dunedin headquarters is flawed, writes former councillor Gerrard Eckhoff.

### ODT Online Tue, 18 Apr 2017
Review needed in lieu of proper consultation
By Gerrard Eckhoff
The Otago Regional Council’s annual plan is now open for public consultation. Implicit in the word consultation is the opening of a meaningful dialogue with the public. It would be entirely disingenuous for any local authority to enter into discussion on their annual plan by merely informing the public of council intent without showing a willingness to accept “the wisdom of crowds”.
….This year’s ORC annual plan contains four lines on “Dunedin building review” in its feedback document which could easily be missed at first reading. To its credit, the council has finally accepted its statutory obligation for “special consultation” on this $30million major project.
….The last time the council ventured forth on a new building project without any prior special consultation, it cost the ratepayers upwards of $3million for the concept design and drawings alone. The cost of that proposal was well over $30million and it was never built. It is, therefore, hard to reconcile how the new building/s is going to be around the projected $20million mark, unless building costs have halved in Dunedin from eight years or so ago. The potential cost of a new car park building must also be factored in, so the ratepayers could soon be the lucky owners of two new buildings, as well as a difficult-to-sell ORC headquarters building in Stafford St.
Read more

DCC Webmap – Dowling St carpark JanFeb 2013, ORC office site starred

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Images: Otago Yacht Club except where stated otherwise.

14 Comments

Filed under Business, DCC, Democracy, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Geography, Heritage, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, ORC, People, Perversion, POL, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Sport, Tourism, Town planning, Transportation, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Consultants, DCC, Diligence, Dowling St carpark (DCC-owned), Dredging, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Environmental monitoring, Environmental protection, Feasilibility, Fiduciary responsibility, Forgone conclusions, Headquarters, Intergenerational debt, Offices, Options farce, ORC, Otago boat harbour, Otago Harbour Board, Otago ratepayers, Otago Regional Council, Otago Regional Policy Statement, Otago Yacht Club, Port Otago Ltd, Public consultation, Public funds, Ratepayers, Rates, Silting, Stadium subsidy, Stafford Street, Water of Leith

by Elizabeth | April 21, 2017 · 3:14 am

Why would DCC shaft its own company instead of investing in its change and development ?!

ODT 20.4.17 (page 28)

At Facebook:

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█ For more, enter the terms *delta*, *grady*, *aurora*, *poles*, *asset management plan*, *dchl*, *auditor-general*, *epicpolefail* or *epic fraud* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Waste Management NZ Ltd is Chinese owned

16 Comments

Filed under Business, DCC, DCHL, Delta, Dunedin, Economics, Finance, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Stadiums, What stadium

Tagged as Asset management, Change management, Council owned companies (CCOs), DCC, DCHL, Delta Utility Services Ltd, Dividends, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin City Holdings Ltd, Employment, Expertise, Green Island landfill, Infrastructure networks, Landfill charges, Loss leaders, Ratepayers and Residents, Re-investment, Recycling costs, Restructuring, Tenders, Undercutting, Waste management, Waste Management NZ Ltd

by Elizabeth | April 18, 2017 · 4:29 pm

Payrise for low-wage workers in aged care and home support #genderpaygap

About 55,000 low-paid workers, mainly women, are about to get one of the biggest pay rises ever after details of a historic pay equity settlement are revealed today. The deal will cost the Government more than $500 million a year when fully implemented in five years, assuming it is signed off by union members and the Cabinet. The settlement will mean hefty pay increases from July in three government-funded service sectors which employ mainly women on low rates: aged residential care, home support, disability services. Prime Minister Bill English says today’s historic pay equity deal is likely to have ramifications for the private sector. –NZ Herald

At Facebook:

The Herald understands that for the primary litigant, rest home caregiver Kristine Bartlett, it will mean an increase from about $16 an hour to about $23 an hour, more than 43 per cent. […] The case is the first legal settlement in New Zealand that recognises that some jobs pay less because they are done mainly by women. […] The Service and Food Workers’ Union lodged a claim on Bartlett’s behalf with the Employment Relations Authority in 2012. […] The union took the case on behalf of Bartlett and 14 other union members of the 110 employed by Terranova rest home. Their wages were effectively set by the government subsidy paid by the Ministry of Health for rest home services. The case was elevated to the Employment Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. But once the Court of Appeal confirmed that pay equity cases could be heard under the Equal Pay Act of 1972, the Government stepped into the process because it was loath to leave a case with such far-reaching repercussions solely in the court’s hands.

At Twitter:

About 55,000 low-paid workers, mainly women, are about to get one of the biggest pay rises ever https://t.co/VuQjLZOB7O pic.twitter.com/4wCjcpDDE2

— nzherald (@nzherald) April 17, 2017

Equal pay settlement reached – caregivers wages to increase https://t.co/d9CwRXGOA1 #equalpay #caregivers #nzagedcare #resthomes

— INsite NZ (@INsite_NZ) April 17, 2017

Big pay rise for women as a result of historic pay equity settlement https://t.co/L33ItTcrjz via @nzherald pic.twitter.com/IzL8Uq7YCS

— NZ Human Rights (@NZHumanRights) April 17, 2017

Exciting to see the settlement of this historic pay equity case: one step closer to closing the #genderpaygap! https://t.co/YfQQqRLV2M pic.twitter.com/SxSqwEudN2

— NZGlobalWomen (@NZGlobalWomen) April 18, 2017

****

A U D I O

### radionz.co.nz Tue, 18 March 2017 at 8:11 a.m.
Morning Report with Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner
money life and society
Low-paid women are at parliament today for an announcement on pay
Tax specialist Deborah Russell says an announcement today on a reported big pay rise for women in low-paid work.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (4′40″)

The New Zealand GST burden:

### radionz.co.nz Tue, 18 March 2017 at 8:15 a.m.
Morning Report with Susie Ferguson and Guyon Espiner
economy
NZ wage earners among the lowest taxed in OECD
A new report from the OECD shows out of 35 countries New Zealand and Chile workers are taxed the least, and those in Belguim and France the most. As Patrick O’Meara report, this comes as the Government considers tax cuts for low and middle income workers.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (3′50″)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

8 Comments

Filed under Business, Democracy, Economics, Education, Finance, Geography, Inspiration, Leading edge, Media, New Zealand, People, Politics, Public interest

Tagged as Aged care industry, Artificial deal?, Central government, Cost of living, Employment, Gender pay gap, Home support, Jobs, Low-wage workers, New Zealand, Pay equity, Pay rise, PRODUCTIVITY, Reality check, Social inequality, Women's wages

by Elizabeth | April 16, 2017 · 9:05 pm

rough sheds, sydney london

Tinshed by Raffaello Rosselli
Amy Frearson | 21 June 2013 ● Dezeen
Australian architect Raffaello Rosselli has repurposed a corroding tin shed in Sydney to create a small office and studio apartment. Rather than replace the crumbling structure, Raffaello Rosselli chose to retain the rusty corrugated cladding of the two-storey building so that from the outside it looks mostly unchanged. The project embraces that it will continue to change with time through rust, decay and repair.

“The humble tin shed is an iconic Australian structure,” he explains. “As the only remaining shed in the area it is a unique reminder of the suburb’s industrial past.”

The architect began by taking the building apart and replacing its old skeleton with a modern timber frame. He then reattached the cladding over three facades, allowing room for three new windows. The frames of the windows are made from sheets of Corten steel that display the same orange tones as the retained facade.

“The materials have been left raw and honest, in the spirit of its industrial economy,” adds Rosselli. In contrast with the exterior, the inside of the building has a clean finish with white walls and plywood floors in both the ground-floor living space and the first-floor office.
Read more + Images

*Photography by Mark Syke, apart from where otherwise indicated.

****

Collage House, London

Dezeen Published on Feb 13, 2017
Movie explores Jonathan Tuckey’s home in a 19th-century workshop 14 years on
Filmmaker Tapio Snellman has documented the ageing process of architect Jonathan Tuckey’s home, 14 years after he overhauled a 19th-century London workshop to create it. The architect, who is the founder of London-based firm Jonathan Tuckey Design, renovated and extended the steel fabricator’s workshop in 2002 to create a unique home for his family and their dog. He left the bare brick walls tarnished with black marks and chose “simple and everyday” materials to rejuvenate the character of the building, but also because they would weather well. Snellman, who shot Collage House in 2016, captures the ageing of these materials – including nicks and scratches on a series metal fixture and doors by splitting the screen into four – a trick he repeats throughout his film. “The split-screen sequences talk about the occupants and about the way architecture is integrated seamlessly with family life and personal expression,” Snellman told Dezeen. “The four simultaneous views create one strong spatial impression without any single image dominating the effect,” he told Dezeen. Both moving and fixed larch plywood panels clad the exterior, while beach plywood sheeting used as a floor lining inside the house, along with a concrete covering. Douglas fir stud work was planed and left exposed to partition spaces. This enables zones of activity to be defined, while also maintaining openness throughout.

Movie explores Jonathan Tuckey’s home in a former London steel workshop
Eleanor Gibson | 13 February 2017 ● Dezeen
This photography taken by James Brittain when the project completed in the early 2000s shows how Tuckey overhauled the industrial building by partially demolishing walls to create a central courtyard. “Plywood has weathered beautifully on both the interior and exterior and the scuff marks of 15 years use now tell the personal story of the family,” Tuckey told Dezeen. “The concrete floors have patinated and subsequently become more beautiful,” he continued. “The exposed brick was already there but continued to age gracefully as it was used to hang pictures and the kids used it to draw on it.” A space that forms a central part of Snellman’s film is the open-plan kitchen-cum-dining room, which occupies the former workshop. Here, he captures diagonal patterns of light that floods in through the long skylight between the original wooden bowstring beams restored by Tuckey. Snellman contrasts colour footage with black and white in the film, as well as tracking members of the family through the house. “The very controlled track shots try to eliminate the viewers awareness of the presence of the camera, as if the space would be seen at its most intimate, when no-one is present,” the filmmaker told Dezeen.

Ground floor plan [click to enlarge]

First floor plan

When renovating the building, Tuckey’s aim was to maintain as many of the building’s existing features as possible, while also creating plenty of playful spaces that catered to his then-young children. He divided the long and narrow building, which widens at the southern end, into three parts. He also demolished one of the existing buildings to create a courtyard and a small pond. The entrance hall and living area occupy the northern end with a mezzanine above, while the kitchen-cum-dining room occupies the central space. A walkway links these spaces to the two-storey structure added to the southern side, which houses the bedrooms and a bathroom. Since the original renovation, Tuckey has reconfigured the arrangement of the bedrooms, as his now teenage daughters needed more space. The children’s bedrooms have moved upstairs from the downstairs, while the single room used by the parents was divided into two interconnected rooms. A pair of hatches in the bedrooms open to the rooftop terrance, which was also only recently completed by the designer.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

7 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Construction, Design, Economics, Education, Fun, Heritage, Housing, Innovation, Inspiration, Media, Name, People, Pet projects, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Structural engineering, Town planning, Urban design

Tagged as Adaptive reuse, Architecture, Building conversions, Building technology, Built environment, Collage House (London), Contemporary design, Design, Dezeen, Industrial sheds, Jonathan Tuckey, London, Materials, Raffaello Rosselli (architect), Redevelopment, Sense of Place, Skinny buildings, Sydney, Tin sheds, Vernacular design, YouTube

by Elizabeth | April 16, 2017 · 6:09 pm

RNZ: Government crashes plans for a more pedestrian/cycle-friendly Christchurch

At Twitter:

Govt threatens to pull funding for Chch downtown plan https://t.co/H2NIzs9rHz

— RNZ News (@rnz_news) April 15, 2017

Christchurch City Council proposes turning Victoria St into a cul-de-sac………

### radionz.co.nz Sun, 16 Apr 2017 1:37 p.m.
RNZ News: Politics / Canterbury
Govt threatens to pull funding for Chch downtown plan
The government is threatening to cancel its funding for a plan to make central Christchurch more pedestrian and cycle friendly if changes are not made. The Minister supporting Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Gerry Brownlee, said the government was paying 60 percent of the funding for the Accessible City plan, but last week he was granted authorisation by Cabinet to suspend its funding. Mr Brownlee said the plan, which has been partially implemented, risked creating a dysfunctional central city. “Its absurd. I’m hearing all the time from people who are going to have lunch or coffee in the central city and simply can’t park their car. Or end up parking such a long way away from it that they decide they may as well just drive to one of the suburban malls.”
Read more

****

Video link received Sun, 9 Apr 2017 at 9:53 p.m.

From the folks who brought you the self-driving car!

Google Nederland Published on Mar 31, 2016
Introducing the self-driving bicycle in the Netherlands
This spring, Google is introducing the self-driving bicycle in Amsterdam, the world’s premier cycling city. The Dutch cycle more than any other nation in the world, almost 900 kilometres per year per person, amounting to over 15 billion km annually. The self-driving bicycle enables safe navigation through the city for Amsterdam residents, and furthers Google’s ambition to improve urban mobility with technology. Google Netherlands takes enormous pride in the fact that a Dutch team worked on this innovation that will have great impact in their home country.

****

Link received from Hilary Calvert
Thu, 6 Apr 2017 at 7:53 p.m.

Message: Cycle lane cyclist truck turning left. Very dangerous.

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 07:03, Apr 7 2017
Former Hamilton teacher killed in collision with truck at Hamilton roundabout
By Phillipa Yalden – Waikato Times
Mike Leach taught Fairfield College students for 34 years. Some of the things he was involved in at Fairfield were outdoor education and building drama sets. He was a geography and social sciences teacher, and also a Dean. On Wednesday, as he cycled through the rain down Te Rapa Straight, the father of two’s life was cut short in a collision. The 67-year-old was killed when his bike and a B-train truck and trailer collided at the Te Rapa Road and Sunshine Avenue intersection at lunchtime on Wednesday. […] Quite a few people witnessed the crash on Wednesday, Waikato road police Senior Sergeant Gill Meadows said. “There are a number of people who were quite traumatised by the incident and we have referred them to Victim Support. There is quite a bit of work to be done on that particular incident.” Initial inquiries showed that the Halls refrigeration B-train truck was heading north along Te Rapa Straight when it went to turn left at the roundabout into Sunshine Avenue. “He was in the lane to turn left, and the cyclist was going straight ahead, and was on the left side of the truck. But we are still doing inquiries in regards to that.” There is a cyclist lane that runs along the straight, feeding into the roundabout. The crash occurred metres from shops and cafes at 11.30am.
Read more

Hamilton roundabout crash site [Christel Yardley/Fairfax NZ via stuff.co.nz]

—

█ For more, enter the term *cycle* in the search box at right.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

1 Comment

Filed under Business, Construction, Cycle network, Democracy, Design, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Geography, Health & Safety, Hot air, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, NZTA, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Perversion, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Sport, Tourism, Town planning, Transportation, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Amsterdam, Built environment, Christchurch, Cycleways, Cycling, DCC, Death, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin Strategic Cycle Network, FAVOUR CARS IN CBDs, Hamilton, Health and Safety, Left-turning trucks, New Zealand Transport Agency, NZTA, Parking, People in place, SH1 segregated cycleways, Urban design

by Elizabeth | April 15, 2017 · 6:12 pm

One of the reasons I ❤ NYC

[economist.com]

Installed to celebrate International Women’s Day, the four-foot statue of a young girl staring down Wall Street’s “Charging Bull” was scheduled to be removed this weekend. But sculptor Kristen Visbal created both a symbol of the necessity of female leadership and a sensation. Crowds are flocking to pose with the statue; a petition calling for its permanent installation has attracted over 30,000 signatures. The mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio has said that in “standing up to fear, standing up to power”, the statue “spoke to the moment”. This week he announced that “Fearless Girl” will stay until March 2018. Boston-based investment firm State Street Global Advisors commissioned the statue.

The New York Times Published on Mar 8, 2017
Statue of Courageous Girl Faces Wall Street Bull | The New York Times
As many American women prepare to draw attention to their role in the workplace, a Wall Street firm on Tuesday put up a statue of a girl in front of Lower Manhattan’s bronze bull, fearlessly staring it down.

CNNMoney Published on Mar 8, 2017
State Street: Why we commissioned Wall St. ‘Fearless Girl’
CNNMoney’s Maggie Lake talks with State Street’s Lori Heinel about the importance of diversity on corporate boards and in leadership positions. “What more iconic symbol than to put a young girl as a symbol of women” facing off against The Bull.

****

From Twitter feed:

.@NYCMayor @BillDeBlasio Will Defend #FearlessGirl Statue Against #ChargingBull Sculptor https://t.co/6Xy5aCVSao via @DNAInfoNY @nickr15

— NYC ALL DAY 24/7 (@nycallday247) April 14, 2017

NYC mayor to 'Charging Bull' artist: 'Fearless Girl is staying put' https://t.co/T2zTMfgZP4 pic.twitter.com/t0NYKMgkQv

— WLWT.com (@WLWT) April 14, 2017

Unlike the Charging Bull, which has become a symbol of Wall Street, Fearless Girl is becoming a beacon for the fight against injustice.

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 13, 2017

Fox News Published on Apr 14, 2017
‘Charging Bull’ vs ‘Fearless Girl’: Sculptor wants her gone
Sculptor of the New York City’s iconic ‘Charging Bull’ statue is demanding the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue be removed, claiming she is violating his legal rights

The artist behind the Charging Bull is charging NYC for violating his rights. https://t.co/rhMiCTqjpl

— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) April 13, 2017

'Charging Bull' artist says NYC is violating his rights by installing 'Fearless Girl' without his permission. https://t.co/ssWOpD5WSb pic.twitter.com/zFBYQda9kN

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 12, 2017

Who would have though that the artist who made the Wall Street charging bull statue was such a…capitalist. https://t.co/HXbRhhh514 pic.twitter.com/tAx5dupuKj

— Occupy Wall Street (@OccupyWallStNYC) April 13, 2017

The man who sculpted Wall Street's "Charging Bull" is accusing NYC of infringing on his artistic copyright with "Fearless Girl"'s placement. pic.twitter.com/5tjWlbn0lI

— Fusion (@Fusion) April 12, 2017

We wouldn't move the Charging Bull statue if it offended someone. The Fearless Girl is staying put. https://t.co/Qu7CSbrmQw

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 12, 2017

It is perfectly symbolic that Arturo DiModica – who put up the Charging Bull in NYC WITHOUT PERMISSION – is offended by the Fearless Girl.

— Ian Dickerson (@RicardusIoannes) April 12, 2017

Men who don’t like women taking up space are exactly why we need the Fearless Girl. https://t.co/D2OZl4ituJ

— Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) April 12, 2017

"Charging Bull" sculptor accuses NYC of violating his legal rights by allowing "Fearless Girl" statue installation. https://t.co/tX1oee5IdH pic.twitter.com/xWQv1k4U0D

— ABC News (@ABC) April 12, 2017

Fearless Girl Statue Charging Bull Wall Street New York City – NYC Picture https://t.co/k8QI8zwajh pic.twitter.com/VfJoI6uoNg

— NYC Informer (@newyorkcityinfo) April 1, 2017

NYC's ‘Fearless Girl’ statue will continue to defiantly stare down Wall Street’s ‘Charging Bull’ until 2018: https://t.co/xQg0EoKtTE

— Gillian Rich (@IBD_GRich) March 28, 2017

'Fearless Girl' statue will stay face to face with Charging Bull through February 2018.#travel #fearlessgirl #NYC pic.twitter.com/6Ah4R6TDPh

— Newyorcanka (@Newyorcanka17) March 27, 2017

@Wemma24 Emma, Thanks for following. You’ll get daily news on NYC travel and tourism, bike news too, plus a photo.

Charging Bull pic.twitter.com/Lx91RJN1qn

— New York City Guide (@TourguideStan) March 24, 2017

Charging Bull creator fumes that #FearlessGirl statue is just an ‘advertising trick’ https://t.co/3IcbGdwepc @MakeMePermanent #NYC pic.twitter.com/hSNtHl8Iqp

— Lori Neuhardt (@LoriNeuhardt) March 22, 2017

Why McCann Dropped a Statue of a ‘Fearless Girl’ Next to Wall Street’s Charging Bull Overnight – Adweek #nyc https://t.co/cbP8qxAKUz

— Teresa Ciccarelli (@Teresa3c) March 12, 2017

First stop in NYC with Status of Women Minister @MaryamMonsef to see Fearless Girl on Wall Street facing down the charging bull pic.twitter.com/6GH4PsQrqC

— Terry Duguid (@TerryDuguid) March 12, 2017

On #InternationalWomensDay, State Street installed a statue of a Fearless Girl staring down the Charging Bull in NYC https://t.co/TbDg5oIh4q

— The ARTery (@WBURartery) March 9, 2017

NYC just got a little bit more awesome. New statue of defiant girl in front of Wall Street charging bull. https://t.co/dgWpPAr2EX pic.twitter.com/DcPAdoBtQo

— Jan Schaumann (@jschauma) March 8, 2017

New this week – facing the famous charging bull at NYC's Bowling Green, a statue of a 'Feisty Girl.' pic.twitter.com/5DBq9qdXc9

— Michael Li (@mcpli) March 8, 2017

****

CBS New York Published on Apr 12, 2017
Artistic Showdown Over ‘Fearless Girl’ Statue
CBS2’s Jessica Moore reports.

Associated Press Published on Mar 27, 2017
‘Fearless Girl’ Statue Stays Through Feb. 2018
New York City has decided that the globally popular statue of a young girl staring down Wall Street’s famous “Charging Bull” will remain in place through February 2018. (March 27)
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats.

Storyful News Published on Mar 8, 2017
Ad Agency Puts ‘Fearless Girl’ Statue Opposite Wall Street’s Charging Bull
Courtesy: State Street Global Advisors/McCann

Dagbladet Published on Mar 7, 2017
Slik ble «Den flyktløse jenta» laget
KVINNEKAMPANJE: Det gigantiske reklamebyrået McCann oppfordrer mer enn 3500 selskaper – som SSGA investerer i på vegne av klienter -til å iverksette tiltak for å øke antall kvinner i styrene. Video: McCann

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

[storyful.com]

5 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Business, Construction, Coolness, Democracy, Design, Economics, Education, Events, Finance, Geography, Infrastructure, Innovation, Inspiration, Leading edge, Media, Name, Other, People, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Stadiums, Tourism, Town planning, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Bill de Blasio - Mayor of New York City, Charging Bull by Arturo Di Modica, Controversy, Corporate governance, Diversity on boards, Fearless Girl by Kristen Visbal, Female leadership, Financial District - Manhattan, Gender equality, Guerilla art, International Women’s Day, Manhattan, McCann, New York City, NYC, Politics, Public sculpture, State Street Global Advisors, Street art, Visual art, Wall Street - New York City, Women on Boards

by Elizabeth | April 14, 2017 · 10:21 pm

Dunedin homes face power blackout #Delta #Aurora

Updated post
Sat, 15 Apr 2017 at 2:15 p.m.

████ Reports of outages last night (Good Friday) at Leith Valley, Ross Creek and Mt Cargill area, and separate outages in Brighton and at Gladstone Road, Mosgiel. This during calm weather, following the last days of rain.

****

Fri, 14 Apr 2017
ODT: Dunedin power outage issue resolved
A fault in a high voltage switch resulted in a power outage affecting 446 Dunedin homes between 6.30pm and 10.10pm [Friday], in the Leith Valley, Ross Creek and Mt Cargill area. Delta operations and risk general manager John Campbell said lines crews had worked on the problem, isolated the fault and restored power by 10.10pm, and further work would be done to repair the switch.

****

At Facebook:

[whatifdunedin]

—

█ For more, enter the terms *aurora*, *delta*, *grady*, *poles*, *asset management plan*, *dchl*, *auditor-general*, *epicpolefail* or *epic fraud* in the search box at right.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

12 Comments

Filed under Aurora Energy, Business, DCC, DCHL, Delta, Democracy, Dunedin, Economics, Electricity, Events, Geography, Health & Safety, Housing, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Travesty, What stadium

Tagged as Aurora, Blackout, Buggered Otago power network, Burnt asset, Delta, Electricity, Good Friday, Power outage

by Elizabeth | April 13, 2017 · 8:54 pm

Moron Drivers stay off Otago Southland roads….

….this long Easter Weekend.

[ends]

****

The warm fuzzy more genial (guinea pig?!) message:

At Facebook:

****

At Facebook:

Fri, 14 Apr 2017
ODT: On the buses over Easter weekend
Heritage buses will be back on the road over Easter weekend, providing public transport over the public holiday. Otago Heritage Bus Society treasurer/secretary Jacqui Hellyer said Dunedinites could ride the buses, which serviced St Kilda, St Clair, the Octagon, Brockville, Halfway Bush and Normanby, for a gold coin donation on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
The services would run hourly and the timetable would be available on the Otago Heritage Bus Society’s Facebook page, Ms Hellyer said. Passengers could take service dogs or pet dogs on a leash.
The St Kilda service had stayed like its former route – to Brockville then Halfway Bush – and the other services took the routes used on non-public holidays, she said.

The Otago Regional Council, in a statement published on its website, said there would be no bus services on Good Friday or Easter Sunday. However, the standard Saturday timetable would apply on Saturday, and Easter Monday would run on the public holiday timetable. Normal services would resume on Tuesday.

****

Cool image at Twitter:

Looking forward to hosting the annual Easter Egg Roll at the @WhiteHouse on Monday! pic.twitter.com/nz7vucugx9

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) April 14, 2017

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the NZ public and foreign interest.

DCC 2017/18 Annual Plan —Call for Submissions by Mon 1 May at 5 pm

Updated post
Fri, 21 Apr 2017 at 3:37pm

The site owner has corrected the post below for Cr Hawkins’ name and apologises to the councillor for the error in judgement and any offence or distress the now deleted form of addresss may have caused. A full apology will be emailed to the councillor later today.

+++++++++++++++

If you’ve stacked all your furniture up and carefully placed your mattress on top where it’s dry, here’s a DCC Sudoku to while away the hours before the FLOOD WATERS (what flood waters) recede from your property. Yarp, study the numbers and statements, the patterns, in the (draft) Annual Plan 2017/18, and go Bonkers.

The rain has become fractionally heavier for a moment due to AUTUMN WEATHER, that’s no reason not to try the DCC Sudoku. Do critique where YOUR MONEY is disappearing to, and slap Daaave’s wrist if you Disagree with the prescribed budget lines. Treat this as a warm-up for the Long Term (Community) Plan. Is your money ACTUALLY being spent on core infrastructure services, or more of the soft-goo and popcorn programmed by Cr Hawkins on behalf of the Labour/Greens vote in September.

—

The DCC summary of the current (draft) Annual Plan says:
“We’re on track. We listened carefully to you when we developed the Council’s Long Term Plan (LTP) in 2015 and the Annual Plan for 2016/17. We’ve responded to calls to reduce our debt and rates increases and to provide services to high standards.”

Ah well. Rates increases at Dunedin are still far ahead of the national rate of inflation and…. are about to escalate strongly.*

[screenshot – click to enlarge]

*The council-owned Aurora/Delta fiasco is Not Mentioned by your elected mayor and councillors – that’s ONE BILLION DOLLARS WORTH of burnt asset (the totality of Otago’s electricity network) that Dunedin Ratepayers will have to (paying twice!) finance in replacement.

—

[screenshot – click to enlarge]

Active links:

Click here for the Annual Plan summary.

Submissions: Use this online feedback form.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DunedinCityCouncil
Twitter feed (@DnCity Council): http://twitter.com/DnCityCouncil

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

5 Comments

Filed under Aurora Energy, Baloney, Business, Central Otago, Construction, Cycle network, DCC, Delta, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Electricity, Finance, Geography, Health & Safety, Hot air, Infrastructure, LTP/AP, Media, OAG, Ombudsman, Pet projects, Politics, Pools, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Queenstown Lakes, Resource management, Site, Travesty, University of Otago, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Buggered Otago power network, DCC, DCC Annual Plan 2017/18, DCC LTP/AP, Dunedin City Council, Public consultation, Ratepayers and Residents, Submissions

by Elizabeth | April 11, 2017 · 5:10 am

We (Oz, NZ, The World) lost John Clarke #tragic #demoralising

[mrjohnclarkebandcamp.com]

John Morrison Clarke (29 July 1948 – 9 April 2017) was a New Zealand comedian, writer, and satirist.

Born: 29 July 1948, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Died: 9 April 2017 (aged 68), Grampians, Victoria, Australia

Living in Australia since the late 1970s, Clarke was a regular actor and writer on Australian television. He first became known during the mid to late 1970s for portraying a laconic farmer called Fred Dagg on stage, film and television. Gumboot and singlet-clad, Dagg had seven sons all named “Trev”. Clarke also recorded a series of records and cassettes and published several books as Dagg. Thirty years after its release, the first Fred Dagg album, Fred Dagg’s Greatest Hits (1976), remains one of New Zealand’s biggest selling records.

[nz rockstuff]

In 1982 he was nominated for an AFI award for co-writing the acclaimed Paul Cox film Lonely Hearts. He also co-wrote the mini-series Anzacs and provided the voice of Wal Footrot in the feature-length animated film, Footrot Flats: The Dog’s Tale (1986), based on the comic strips by Murray Ball. Towards the end of the 1980s, he featured in a number of other films, and began to be known for his political satire.

John Clarke & Murray Ball – masters & commanders of humour & satire – thanks for all the laughs #freddagg #KiwiRoyalty @nzherald pic.twitter.com/3ZzURjmh4U

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) April 10, 2017

In 1989, along with collaborator Bryan Dawe, Clarke introduced weekly satirical mock interviews to television, and these short pieces (usually between 2–5 minutes in duration) became a regular and popular segment of the Nine Network current affairs programme A Current Affair. […] In 2013 the mock interviews became an eponymous program Clarke and Dawe which screened at 6.57pm on ABC TV.

[mrjohnclarke.com]

Clarke was the author of several books, notably two mock compilations of Australian poetry, and The Tournament, a book describing a fictional tennis tournament involving many philosophical and literary figures of the twentieth century. Clarke was inducted into the Logies Hall of Fame in 2008. The Logie was presented to him by long-time collaborator and friend Bryan Dawe.
Read more

█ Website: http://mrjohnclarke.com/

****

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Apr 5, 2017
Clarke and Dawe – Complete Cohesion As We Approach the Budget
“Scott Morrison, Federal Treasurer” Originally aired on ABC TV: 06/04/2017
Clarke and Dawe’s most recent segment, takes on Scott Morrison’s preparations for the budget.

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Jul 13, 2016
Clarke and Dawe – Thank God it couldn’t happen here.
“The Unique Circumstances Which Produced the Brexit Vote.” Originally aired on ABC TV: 13/07/2016

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Nov 11, 2015
Clarke and Dawe – The Night the Abbott Went Down
“Scott Morrison, Federal Treasurer” Originally aired on ABC TV: 12/11/2015
Clarke as Scott Morrison sorts through the chaos of the night that Tony Abbott was deposed as leader of the Liberal party.

Umbrella Entertainment Published on Jan 11, 2015
The Games Excerpt
‘Have you measured the 100m track, Mr Wilson?’ Preparations for the Olympics run into a number of unexpected hurdles in this episode of The Games. Featuring John Clarke, Gina Riley, Bryan Dawe and Ross Stevenson, this hit ABC comedy series is a deadpan, surreal and highly satirical look at bureaucrats in the throws of organising the extravaganza that will be the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Jul 9, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – Asylum Seeker Policy. Proudly Australian.
“Lionel Dropout. Customer Relations Consultant” Originally aired on ABC TV: 10/07/2014

ClarkeAndDawe Uploaded on Jun 23, 2010
Clarke and Dawe – The Front Fell Off
“Bob Collins, Australian Senator” Air date: 26/07/1991processing system.

Suparnovah Uploaded on Mar 25, 2007
Fred Dagg – We Don’t Know How Lucky We Are [1998] Clarke created the character Fred Dagg as a satire of the Kiwi everyman. A farmer, Dagg often appeared on television to express his opinion, often in song, and regularly accompanied by a dog.

So when things are looking really bad
And you’re thinking of giving it away
Remember, New Zealand’s a cracker
And I reckon come what may
If things get appallingly bad
And we’re all under constant attack
Remember, we want to see good clean ball
And for god’s sakes, feed your backs

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe [newsapi.com.au]

19 Comments

Filed under Agriculture, Baloney, Education, Fun, Hot air, Innovation, Inspiration, Leading edge, Media, Music, Name, New Zealand, People, Perversion, Pics, Politics, Public interest

Tagged as ABC TV, Actor, Australia, Bryan Dawe, Clarke and Dawe, Comedian, Footrot Flats, Fred Dagg, Humour, John Clarke, Logie Award, Lonely Hearts (film), New Zealand, Political Satire, Politics, Satirist, Writer

by Elizabeth | April 9, 2017 · 8:08 pm

DCC obfuscates : Open slather for freedom campers at Warrington

According to the DCC (via LGOIMA) – [but make that the personnel manning desks at the department concerned; not the LGOIMA officials] – the survey results for freedom camping at Warrington Domain WILL NOT be available until a council or community board meeting this month.

The DCC response to my LGOIMA request (13 March) was:

[16 March] Official information request for 577864, KERR, FREEDOM CAMPING SURVEY
I refer to your official information request dated 13-March-2017 for a full copy of the survey results of the Warrington freedom camping survey. We have decided to refuse your request under section 17(d) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, as the information requested will soon be publically (sic) available. Staff are planning to present this as a report to either the Infrastructure Services and Networks committee on April 10, or the next meeting of the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board on April 19….

The agenda for April 10 does not contain the item.
An agenda is not yet available for April 19.

****

NO SURVEY FIGURES
because DCC’s busy with Other things like keeping Lids On, like managing COMPLETE RUBBISH such as the slant grab of public land for corporations that might build cheap leaky Chase-style apartment buildings (that look like hotels)(tall penile ones no longer allowed at CHC) or site the ‘Govt gold mine of revenue’, ACC (that can easily afford any Other property in town), on the best ancillary site to assist the Hospital rebuild; and for the developers of Mosgiel who Must Have an over-specified over-priced pool funded by ratepayers using the successful CST model that sent us all to Penury.

NO SURVEY FIGURES
because the pool site, road names (diversity!?!) and road stopping will be discussed at the meeting on 10 April (Infrastructure Services and Networks Committee); greenhouse gas emissions (Planning and Regulatory Committee meeting, 11 April); and ‘updates’ (glory be, more pressure to Spend rates) for the boondoggles Ara Toi, City of Literature and the Public Art Framework (Community and Culture Committee meeting, 11 April). In amongst this menu of outstanding nothingness, is the item South Dunedin Hub, surely another chance to Delay and Defund that.

Inestimable Joy. And no survey figures.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED to the city council under the present red-green fawning leadership with Corporation Christmas dangling on its mind.

Well, local body politics has ESCALATED on what it does best – supervising with maximum inefficiency, the major time-wasting DCC slushfund (The Bank Of Other People’s Money) using impractical, morally-superior soft-handed ‘councillors’ to push council staff agendas into play.
Piglets are expected to Roast the LTP.

Oui, monsieur. The free lunches, coffees outside The Fix, and council stipends are at an all-time A+ for deficiency and delinquency.

****

Then came a missive from The Star, via ODT this weekend. When all council bad timing and obfuscation had looked to succeed. There it was: NUMBERS.

At Facebook:

Deeply interested, I read further……

TRUCKLOADS…. HUNDREDS….
All down to DCC staff deciding before Christmas NOT TO ENFORCE the current Camping Control Bylaw 23. So to Keep Trouble out of Metropolitan Dunedin.
—Leaving Warrington residents and ratepayers to absorb the antisocial hours, the noise, the indiscriminate toileting and rubbish, the shell fishing defying bag limits, all the unlawful long-stayers, and the Total loss of proper access to their own village green, now rutted by tyre tracks.

Despicable.

DCC should be formally challenged on the lack of enforcement and lack of Health & Safety.

Dear god, don’t let the present threat of disease at Warrington Domain, poorly managed by DCC in the current conditions, involve Typhoid. The deskhuggers won’t cope.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

14 Comments

Filed under Baloney, Business, DCC, DCC Bylaws, Democracy, Design, District Plan, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Events, Freedom camping, Geography, Health, Health & Safety, Heritage, Hot air, Housing, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Perversion, Pet projects, Politics, Pools, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Tourism, Town planning, Transportation, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as Bans on freedom camping, Bylaws, Community reserves, DCC, Dunedin City Council, Environmental impacts, Freedom camping, Freeloaders, Health issues, Human excrement, National standards, Poor council management, Recreational areas, Self-contained vehicles, THIS ISN'T ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, Warrington Domain

by Elizabeth | April 9, 2017 · 3:46 pm

No protection for Dunedin’s DARK Skies —Otago Peninsula subdivision decision #GrievouslySucks

Commissioner Colin Weatherall said the amended application was expected to have fewer adverse effects on the environment. He treated “with caution” some of the evidence received by submitters opposing the consent.
ODT: Peninsula subdivision approved (7.4.17)

Opponents of a plan to allow residential development on land designated an outstanding natural landscape area on the Otago Peninsula have labelled the decision “terrible” and “a travesty”.
ODT: Project by inlets ‘travesty’ (8.4.17)

****

Dunedin City Council
78 Cape Saunders Road, Portobello, Dunedin (LUC-2006-370881/B)
█ Letter of decision (PDF, 3.3 MB) 57 pages all inclusive

More about the application at this DCC webpage.

Whatiffers, consider lending support to any organised submitters (opposing the decision on points of law) who decide to take this to Environment Court.

—

Meanwhile At Twitter:

Oh well. May as well say goodbye to the Aurora Australis from Hoopers and Papanui Inlets. #disaster pic.twitter.com/v6MBwuBFel

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 6, 2017

Today I'm officially in mourning for Dunedin's dark sky initiative. Sorry to say a dream for a dark sky future has been extinguished #sad pic.twitter.com/sgFSPVmbID

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 6, 2017

Very sad day for Dunedin stargazers & dark sky tourism efforts https://t.co/qZeQYDT6be‘terrible’-dark-skies #sad

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 7, 2017

Woah observing Jupiter from my front garden. Star party anyone? pic.twitter.com/fZWTNx6OGG

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

If you have a telescope and live in New Zealand a transit and shadow transit of one of Jupiters moons is about to begin.

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Woah. Just taken this picture of Jupiter. You can see the Red spot + Shadow Transit + Transit of its moon Io #astronomy #astrophotography pic.twitter.com/SQSNRNTFli

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Here’s my picture of Jupiter tonight annotated. #astronomy #Astrophotography #Jupiter pic.twitter.com/oHDJrbes0r

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Next up on tonight's observing list on a perfect night here in Dunedin is Saturn. What a beauty! pic.twitter.com/FO1O8F7kNK

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

What an amazing night here in the Deep South of Aotearoa. Clear sky, moonlight dominating but Jupiter and Saturn looking gorgeous

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Nice view of the moon tonight from Portobello #moon #astronomy #Astrophotography pic.twitter.com/ePGW8DsBA6

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Wow. I can’t believe I shot this picture from my front garden with a small telescope! Saturn last night from Portobello. #astronomy #saturn pic.twitter.com/VEJh1X7Yhk

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

Holy Moly. Its incredible what you can see with a small telescope these days! This is Jupiter from my front garden last night! #astronomy pic.twitter.com/tOlrYUVYTm

— Ian Griffin (@iangriffin) April 8, 2017

—

Related Post and Comments:
8.3.17 Ancestral landscape, natural heritage, dark skies & the district plan #respect ● [more Dunedin dark sky images from the Peninsula]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

11 Comments

Filed under Business, Construction, DCC, Democracy, District Plan, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Geography, Heritage, Housing, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, NZPI, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Perversion, Pics, Politics, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Technology, Tourism, Town planning, Travesty, What stadium

Tagged as 2GP, 78 Cape Saunders Road, Ancestral landscape, Anthropology, Archaeology, Breach of consent, Brian Hailes, Coastal Otago, Cultural Heritage Landscape, Dark sky city, DCC, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin City District Plan, Environmental protection, Fishing waka (waka hi ika), Geary's Hill quarry, Historic waka, Light pollution, Ngai Tahu, Ngati Mamoe, Night sky tourism, Otago Peninsula, Otakou runanga, Outstanding Landscape, Papanui Hoopers Community and Environment Protection Group, Papanui Inlet, Peninsula Holdings Trust, Peninsula: Exploring the Otago Peninsula (book), Proposed second generation district plan, Quarrying, Resource Consent application, Rural subdivision, Save The Otago Peninsula, Steve Clearwater Contracting, Steven and Jacqueline Clearwater, Steven Clearwater, Subdivision, Te Runanga o Otakou, Tourism, Waitaha

by Elizabeth | April 8, 2017 · 5:15 pm

Questions over Council’s Dunedin Hospital SOS campaign

Received from Diane Yeldon
Fri, 7 April 2017 at 4:06 p.m.

OPINION

What’s wrong with the DCC Dunedin Hospital SOS Campaign?

If you clear away all the smoke from the party-political bluster, bickering and name–calling arising over this campaign, has the Dunedin City Council really done anything out of order? Or were some councillors, in fact, a majority, just trying to do their best for the people of Dunedin?

Unfortunately, the road to hell can be paved with good intentions. A council communication cannot be a political advertisement.

The Electoral Act more or less defines a political advertisement as anything which persuades or encourages voters to vote in a particular way. But our democratic rights to participate in government decision-making are not limited to voting once every three years. Citizens also have the right to petition Government, make submissions to select committees and other public authorities and deliberative bodies, and lobby MPs and Government Ministers.

If local councillors had been presented with a motion which proposed the following : that the Council encourages and persuades voters to choose candidate A, they would have rightly been horrified and would have rejected it.

In comparison, a single, short and final paragraph in a council motion which proposes that the Council should ask for public support for ONLY its own preferred position on a central government decision, and that people make such views known to central government, looks harmless and is quite likely to pass unnoticed – and, in fact, did. But it is just as political. It encourages people to use their democratic rights in a particular way.

The council staff should have alerted councillors that this was the case and that such political activism was beyond the proper scope of any local body. The difference in wording may be subtle but the democratic principles involved are significant and far-reaching.

Monday, 3 April 2017

[ends]

—

Dunedin City Council’s Dunedin Hospital SOS petition states:
“I demand that central government redevelops Dunedin Hospital in the centre of the city. The government must also make a clear commitment to retain a top flight teaching hospital for Dunedin and the wider Otago/Southland region.
Save Our Site. Save Our Services.”

Petition at the DCC-managed SOS website [framed screenshot]

At the bottom of the webpage, DCC says:
“Dunedin Hospital SOS
The Dunedin City Council (“DCC”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) operates, hosts, or manages a number of websites, including DunedinHospitalSOS.nz. This site was created and funded following a Council resolution (21 February 2017) to communicate to Government its complete opposition to a rebuild of Dunedin Hospital outside the central city. It is not a permanent website.”

—

How the petition got off the ground by Council vote (21 February 2017) on the Notice of Motion:

[screenshots – click to enlarge]

DCC Council 21.2.17 Agenda – 15 Notice of Motion Dunedin Hospital Rebuild

DCC Council 21.2.17 Minutes – 15 Notice of Motion Dunedin Hospital Rebuild

****

The DCC Dunedin Hospital SOS flyer and Facebook campaign cost Ratepayers $7,102 (excl GST). Ratepayers also find themselves footing the bill for a DCC-led SOS media campaign:

ODT Online 8.4.17 [screenshot]

—

█ For more, enter the terms *hospital*, *sdhb* and *swann* in the search box at right.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

61 Comments

Filed under Business, DCC, Democracy, Dunedin, Education, Finance, Health, Hospital, Hot air, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Pet projects, Pics, Politics, Project management, Property, Public interest, Resource management, SDHB, Site, Town planning, Transportation, Travesty, University of Otago, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as ACC - Frederick St carpark, Aging population, Base hospital, Built environment, CBD and campus, Central city, City parking, Clinical Services, Community health provision, Connectedness, Construction, DCC, DCC political agenda, DCC SOS media campaign, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin Hospital Redevelopment, Health, Hospital, Junior councillors, Medical services, Medical specialties, Michael Woodhouse - National Party List MP, Notice of Morion, ODT editorial, Office of the Auditor-General, Otago Daily Times, Patients and hospital users, Political agendas, Politics, Ratepayer funding, SDHB, Sites, Southern District Health Board, Sustainable health services, Urban design

by Elizabeth | April 7, 2017 · 7:57 pm

Proposed hotel height and design —the very least of it #sellingoursouls

At Facebook:

[screenshot]

Channel 39 via YouTube [screenshot]

—

Related Post and Comments:
5.6.17 Application lodged for FIASCO Hotel by Tosswill #DunedinWrecks

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

7 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Baloney, Business, Construction, DCC, Democracy, Design, District Plan, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Heritage, Hot air, Infrastructure, LGNZ, LTP/AP, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, Other, People, Perversion, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, SFO, Site, Structural engineering, Technology, Tourism, Town planning, Transportation, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as 1980s Chase, Anthony Tosswill (Tekapo), Anti-contextual design, Apartments, Appeals, Arrogance and greed, Baubles, Central Business District, China, City parking, City Property transaction, Connections, DCC, Dunedin City Council, Environment Court, ex, Filleul Street, Glass facades, GOBs, Hot money, Hotels, Less Chinese visitors (NZ), Mirror glass?, NZ Horizon Hospitality Group Ltd, Out of scale bullshit, Property sale, Protest, Ratepayer-owned site, Ratepayers' equity, SAME OLD BOYS, Secret deals, Sold us out, Submissions, THE FRICKING YAWN, Thom Craig - architect (Christchurch), Ugly edifice, Visitor accommodation

by Elizabeth | April 7, 2017 · 3:06 pm

#RNZAFBlackFalcons performing over Dunedin’s St Kilda beach today

At Twitter:

The #RNZAFBlackFalcons will be performing over Christchurch and Dunedin today. Make sure you check them out. Send us your pics and videos 🛩 pic.twitter.com/BSqYcaiwqB

— Royal NZ Air Force (@NZAirForce) April 6, 2017

—

[unfortunately Dunedin has fog and low cloud but we still Heard….. the #RNZAFBlackFalcons]

Photos received from Rose McRobie, maxing out her iPhone zoom:

█ https://www.facebook.com/RoyalNZAirForceBlackFalcons/

At Facebook:

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

3 Comments

Filed under Dunedin, Events, Fun, Media, Name, New Zealand, Public interest, South Dunedin

Tagged as Air Force, Black Falcons, Dunedin, Flying display, Formation flying, New Zealand, Planes, RNZAF Black Falcons, Royal New Zealand Air Force, South Dunedin, St Kilda Beach

by Elizabeth | April 6, 2017 · 8:27 pm

ODT editor comments strongly #tick —Dunedin Hospital rebuild

Junior councillors should think carefully about how they appear in writing and how they might appear in publicity shots on Frederick St, as a band of politicos.

BRAVO to the ODT Editor:

—

Wisely, this editorial had already put dogsbodies in their place:

### ODT Online Thu, 30 Mar 2017
Editorial: Hospital central to city’s needs
OPINION What a shame the Dunedin City Council is divided over its campaign to keep the city’s hospital in the central city. This is an issue which should unite Dunedin. The squabbling is distressing. The council has initiated an effort to keep the rebuilt hospital right in town, with three councillors, Lee Vandervis, Mike Lord and Doug Hall, voting against. Dunedin-based National-list MP Michael Woodhouse waded in late last week, implying the campaign was a front for the Labour Party […] There are two fundamental issues. First, on the siting of the hospital, and second on whether the council should campaign on that. As as been pointed out strongly on this newspaper’s opinion page by two distinguished Dunedin residents, Sir David Skegg (a former University of Otago vice-chancellor) and Emeritus Prof David Jones (a former university medical division head), close links between the medical school and the hospital are vital.
Read more

—

DCC’s ‘Dunedin Hospital SOS’ flyer and Facebook campaign cost Ratepayers $7,102 (excl GST).

[click to enlarge]

DCC says 55,000 campaign flyers were printed, with 50,000 supposedly delivered to households (however, thickish piles of flyers have been found by cleaners about town —gathering dust in corporate office tearooms and reception areas)….

—

ODT 25.3.17 (page 1) – tweaked by whatifdunedin

### ODT Online Sat, 25 Mar 2017
Woodhouse blasts DCC
By Eileen Goodwin
National list MP Michael Woodhouse has lashed out at the Dunedin City Council over its hospital rebuild campaign, implying it is a front for the Labour Party. And Mr Woodhouse said the council’s stance was “confusing” — on the one hand it wants a central city rebuild, but it granted the Accident Compensation Corporation the right to consider buying the Frederick St car park. ACC has a 12-month timeframe to look at development options for the site. […] Mr Woodhouse is also ACC Minister, and he made it clear he was speaking as a local MP.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

10 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Business, Construction, DCC, Democracy, Design, District Plan, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Events, Finance, Health, Hospital, Hot air, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, SDHB, Site, Town planning, Travesty, University of Otago, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as ACC - Frederick St carpark, Aging population, Base hospital, Built environment, Central city, City parking, Clinical Services, Community health provision, Connectedness, Construction, DCC, Dunedin, Dunedin City Council, Dunedin Hospital Redevelopment, Health, Hospital, Junior councillors, Medical services, Medical specialties, Michael Woodhouse - National Party List MP, ODT editorial, Otago Daily Times, Patients and hospital users, Politics, SDHB, Sites, Southern District Health Board, Sustainable health services, Urban design

by Elizabeth | April 5, 2017 · 8:45 pm

Application lodged for FIASCO Hotel by Tosswill #DunedinWrecks

At Facebook:

****

Tekapo-based businessman Anthony Tosswill is hoping to send the signal “the city is open” with this master-disaster, or something closely akin.
JFC i

An application for resource consent was lodged with DCC today for this unlanced boil on the elegant hind quarter of our heritage city.

Details in brief according to ODT deputy editor Craig Page at Channel 39 News tonight:

● 17 storey ‘glass hotel in central city’
● 60 [read 64] metres at highest point
● 210 rooms
● 64 apartments
● 4 penthourse suites
as well as retail opportunities.

The proposal exceeds the district plan height limit (11 metres) – meaning the application is to be publicly notified.

ODT will publish concept renders and contextuals tomorrow.

Get your Smart Hats on Dunedinites, give him a fricking run for his (or other people’s) money. Beyond the Mass Unsightliness, you will lose your convenient central city parking area – be prepared to walk for blocks next time you want to attend events at the Council, Town Hall, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Central Library or Regent Theatre.

Has the Dunedin City Council SOLD YOU OUT ???
Ratepayers own/owned the site. What DEAL has been done by council politicians and staff to prosper an OUT OF TOWN private individual above and beyond your immediate and long term LOCAL requirements in the central city.
JFC ii

DCC Webmap – Filleul St council-owned parking area (shaded)

█ Market Gap Report Hotels – Evidence Stephen Hamilton, Horwath HTL
December 2012 (PDF, 482 KB)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

60 Comments

Filed under Architecture, Business, Construction, DCC, Democracy, Design, District Plan, Dunedin, Economics, Education, Finance, Heritage, Hotel, Infrastructure, Media, Name, New Zealand, OAG, Ombudsman, People, Perversion, Pet projects, Politics, Project management, Property, Proposed 2GP, Public interest, Resource management, Site, Tourism, Town planning, Travesty, Urban design, What stadium

Tagged as 1980s Chase, Anti-contextual design, Apartments, Appeals, Baubles, Central Business District, City parking, City Property transaction, DCC, Dunedin City Council, Environment Court, Filleul Street, Glass facades, Hotels, Less Chinese visitors (NZ), Mirror glass?, NZ Horizon Hospitality Group Ltd, Out of scale bullshit, Property sale, Protest, Ratepayer-owned site, Sold us out, Submissions, Thom Craig - architect (Christchurch), Ugly edifice, Visitor accommodation

by Elizabeth | April 5, 2017 · 5:46 pm

Town Belt Traverse 2017

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

[FUT] There will be an SAS inquiry

Photo via publishers pottonandburton.co.nz

█ Website: HIT AND RUN – https://www.hitandrunnz.com/

****

N U T S H E L L S ● S I N C E ● B O O K ● L A U N C H

At Facebook:

### ODT Online Mon, 3 Apr 2017
No SAS inquiry: PM
There will not be an inquiry into allegations an SAS raid in Afghanistan led to civilian deaths. Prime Minister Bill English revealed that decision at his regular post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon, saying there was no basis for an inquiry. It came after formal advice from Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating. “After considering Mr Keating’s briefing…and viewing video footage of the operation I have included there is no basis for an inquiry.” Mr English said if new information changed this it would be reconsidered. He said the allegations had caused distress to NZDF staff and their families. […] Hit & Run by journalists Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager claim six civilians were killed and 15 were injured in the 2010 raids in Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, and those facts have been covered up by the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
Read more

****

### radionz.co.nz 4:17 pm today
From The Panel with Jim Mora
No inquiry into the Afghanistan SAS operation #
Are there gaps in the NZDF account of the SAS operation in the Hit & Run book?
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (6′57″)

### radionz.co.nz 8:35 am today
PM trusting military’s word ‘a joke’ – Hager
By Craig McCulloch, Political Reporter
Investigative journalist Nicky Hager has accused Prime Minister Bill English of joining “a seven-year cover-up” by refusing to hold an inquiry into a 2010 raid in Afghanistan. Mr Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book Hit & Run claims six civilians were killed in a raid on two Afghan villages involving New Zealand’s SAS in 2010. Mr English yesterday ruled out an inquiry after being briefed by the Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, and watching video footage of the operation shot by some of the aircraft involved. But Mr Hager said it was “a joke” for Mr English to trust the military’s word. “These are the people who are in trouble, so of course they don’t want an inquiry … No experienced minister should fall for that.”
Read more

### radionz.co.nz 12:39 pm on 3 April 2017
RNZ News
Soldiers’ honour hinges on inquiry – Transparency International
By Jane Patterson, RNZ Political Editor
A global anti-corruption group has added its voice to calls for an inquiry into allegations in the book Hit & Run, relating to raids on a Afghan village in 2010. The book alleges several civilians – including a three-year-old – were either killed or injured in the raid, which involved New Zealand special forces. The Defence Force has confirmed Operation Burnham took place on 22 August 2010, that New Zealand had a leading role, and there were fatalities that could have included civilians. However, it said the troops followed rules of engagement and the only people they could definitively say were killed were insurgents. Along with some parties and the book’s authors, Transparency International New Zealand chief executive Janine McGruddy wants an inquiry.
Read more

****

█ The New Zealand Special Air Service was formed on 7 July 1955 and is the special forces unit of the New Zealand Army, closely modelled on the British Special Air Service (SAS). It traces its origins to the Second World War and the famous Long Range Desert Group that a number of New Zealanders served with. The New Zealand Government states that NZSAS is the “premier combat unit of the New Zealand Defence Force” and it has been operationally deployed to a variety of locations, including the jungles of South-East Asia, the Pacific region and Afghanistan. The NZSAS was accorded Regimental status in 2013 and presently has the responsibility of conducting domestic Counter-Terrorism operations and international on request, overseas Special Operations missions and performing the disposal of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive hazards for both the military and civilian authorities. #

****

At Twitter:

Disappointing to see the Govt & NZDF getting away with addressing only #HitandRunNZ's civilian deaths & not other issues raised in the book.

— Felix Geiringer (@BarristerNZ) April 3, 2017

Interesting profile of Nicky Hager by @Nikki_Macdonald. https://t.co/zfKvZAXzK5

— Philip Matthews (@secondzeit) March 31, 2017

Another map of Afghanistan – circa 2010 in today's @nzherald #HitandRunNZ pic.twitter.com/rjnaDHMdLH

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) March 31, 2017

Hit & Pun – in today's @nzherald #WayneMapp #HitandRunNZ pic.twitter.com/gxO8hqX559

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) March 30, 2017

A revised edition – in today's @nzherald #HitandRunNZ #NZDF pic.twitter.com/H9AZYKpNJY

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) March 27, 2017

Deborah Manning tells @lisaowennz there are "options in New Zealand courts" if Government refuses inquiry into #HitandRunNZ raid. #NationNZ

— Newshub Politics (@NewshubPolitics) March 24, 2017

Afghan raids: RSA head backs inquiry for 'clarity' https://t.co/PBhb6KUgWp' #HitandRunNZ

— Stephen Clarke (@StephenClarkeNZ) March 24, 2017

GCSB infrastructure in Afghanistan relating to #HitandRunNZ revealed in @Snowden slide.@hitandrunnz page 22 pic.twitter.com/JMeUYCfd3m

— ******* Pax (@matarikipax) March 24, 2017

.@PeterDunneMP says he doesn't want a witch hunt, but an inquiry into SAS is vital after #HitandRunNZ claims https://t.co/VYIpGQZVUt pic.twitter.com/ecFBFfJmNs

— Newstalk ZB (@NewstalkZB) March 24, 2017

Must listen this Sunday folks! @wallacelchapman quick off the mark with #HitandRunNZ co-author Jon Stephenson. https://t.co/jdpYAMFRhg

— THE 5TH EYE (@The5thEyeMovie) March 24, 2017

It couldn't be clearer : – 2010 Annual Report Protection of Civilians in armed conflict states p.27 #HitandRunNZ pic.twitter.com/DEKQBRq6Xj

— Miss BetseyTrotwood (@Suzyiam) March 22, 2017

Be a good trooper Gerry – in today's @nzherald #HitandRunNZ #nzpol #NZDF #HagerBookLaunch pic.twitter.com/kew3DxkBQe

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) March 22, 2017

Hit and Run – in today's @nzherald #HitandRunNZ #HagerBookLaunch #Afghanistan #JohnKey pic.twitter.com/K6I5U75lbX

— Rod Emmerson (@rodemmerson) March 21, 2017

Ex-Defence Minister accepts civilians died in #HitandRunNZ raid, but says no war crimes committed: https://t.co/4iaMdv5xWe pic.twitter.com/E6LdSq0fHY

— The Wireless (@TheWirelessNZ) March 22, 2017

Wayne Mapp's openess shames Government silence: https://t.co/vRsoxQ89gW #HitandRunNZ

— Patrick Gower (@patrickgowernz) March 22, 2017

After 8 o'clock news: Jon Stephenson on #HitandRunNZ plus @_AJCole – from International Justice, formerly of International Criminal Court. pic.twitter.com/7SmzcFEWeW

— Morning Report (@NZMorningReport) March 21, 2017

█ Read more at Twitter #HitandRunNZ

****

### radionz.co.nz 8:35 am on 26 March 2017
From Sunday Morning with Wallace Chapman
Jon Stephenson – Hit and Run #
Co-author of the book, Hit and Run, Jon Stephenson, joins Wallace to talk about what he and Nicky Hager uncovered in their book and why there needs to be an official enquiry into what happened in Afghanistan.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (19′36″)

### radionz.co.nz 7:11 am on Wed 22 Mar 2017
From Morning Report with Susie Ferguson and Guy Espiner
New book claims Govt, NZDF covered up civilian casualties #
Journalist Nicky Hager says it is beyond belief government officials deny New Zealand SAS troops were involved in civilian deaths during a botched raid in Afghanistan in 2010.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (12′51″)

—

### radionz.co.nz 8:11 am on Wed 22 Mar 2017
From Morning Report with Guy Espiner
Blanket denial made about claims SAS soldiers killed civilians #
Journalist Jon Stephenson says SAS soldiers involved in a botched raid in Afghanistan have told him and fellow writer Nicky Hager that lies were told to cover up the fact civilians were killed.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (8′56″)

—

### radionz.co.nz 8:20 am on Wed 22 Mar 2017
From Morning Report with Susie Ferguson
War crimes specialist says NZ could face problems #
War crimes specialist Alison Cole says Hit and Run contains enough information for International Criminal Court prosecutors to begin an investigation.
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (5′40″)

****

S A T I R E

Bill English to Wayne Mapp
RE: Way to go blabbermouth#nzpol #satire https://t.co/zDGx7ikii6 pic.twitter.com/sXwgmTpxeJ

— Beehive Letters (@BeehiveLetters) March 22, 2017

Steven Joyce to the National Party
RE: Hold on with the Hager responses please#nzpol #satire #hitandrunNZ https://t.co/zDGx7i2GTw pic.twitter.com/hP7krk5r4k

— Beehive Letters (@BeehiveLetters) March 21, 2017

****

C I R C L I N G ● T H O U G H T

COOL! Published on Mar 25, 2017
Sia – Blank Page ft. Christina Aguilera (Mashup)
“Blank Page” is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, taken from her seventh studio album, Lotus (2012). It was written by Aguilera, Chris Braide and Sia Furler, with production done by Braide. Aguilera had worked with Furler on her previous two albums Bionic and Burlesque, both released in 2010.

Artist: Francis Perreault
https://www.facebook.com/perreaultcreations

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

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Monthly Archives: April 2017

Good Old Boy pushes waterfront stadium for Auckland *yawn

Prison revives for visitor experience

SDHB change management: 59 roles proposed to go

LGOIMA vehicle (DCC) : Hyundai Santa Fe (2016) written off Jan 2017

As predicted —Aurora Energy delivery stuffed on pole replacement

‘Big play’ —NZ to spend $53M at Expo 2020, Dubai UAE

Regional council builds Palace, refuses help to dredge Otago boat harbour

Why would DCC shaft its own company instead of investing in its change and development ?!

rough sheds, sydney london

RNZ: Government crashes plans for a more pedestrian/cycle-friendly Christchurch

One of the reasons I ❤ NYC

Dunedin homes face power blackout #Delta #Aurora

Moron Drivers stay off Otago Southland roads….

DCC 2017/18 Annual Plan —Call for Submissions by Mon 1 May at 5 pm

We (Oz, NZ, The World) lost John Clarke #tragic #demoralising

DCC obfuscates : Open slather for freedom campers at Warrington

Questions over Council’s Dunedin Hospital SOS campaign

Proposed hotel height and design —the very least of it #sellingoursouls

#RNZAFBlackFalcons performing over Dunedin’s St Kilda beach today

ODT editor comments strongly #tick —Dunedin Hospital rebuild

Application lodged for FIASCO Hotel by Tosswill #DunedinWrecks

Town Belt Traverse 2017

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Monthly Archives: April 2017

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