‘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.
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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.

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

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### 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

Related Posts and Comments:
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15.8.16 ORC : Official complaints show integrity
22.6.16 ORC New HQ : Reminder, fiduciary duty and core responsibilities
● 9.6.16 ORC empire building again : Consultants give questionable options…
11.8.12 ODT editorial (spot on!) — ORC temporary headquarters
26.6.09 ORC headquarters [incl news items to present day]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Images: Otago Yacht Club except where stated otherwise.