“We talked earlier about Delta being the story that keeps giving, and that’s the case”.
“We’ve got a group of seven Saddle Hill property owners who, we understand, are suing Delta for more than two million dollars, because they believe they [Delta] were to blame for the fire back in 2015, quite a significant fire around Saddle Hill area, [with] something like ten buildings including garages damaged.
“They’re not saying too much about their claims but we understand it’s to do with mismanagement of some safety equipment in the power line there, branches fell on the lines which started the fire and some sort of switch shouldn’t have turned back on, but did…..”
News presenter Craig Storey: “We’ll see you in court.”
Craig Page: “Exactly.”
****
Saddle Hill fire 7 Oct 2015 [JSNNZ at imgur.com]
TheManCave Published on Oct 6, 2015 Large fire on Saddle Hill Dunedin 2015
A large fire close to Dunedin city on Saddle Hill with multiple fire engines and helicopters with monsoon bucket, with very high winds fanning it and making it hard to get under control.
****
### ODT Online Wed, 14 Oct 2015 Saddle Hill fire warning to Taieri residents
By Timothy Brown
….The warning of a hot, dry El Nino summer and last week’s Saddle Hill blaze should remind all residents to prepare for the worst and be vigilant, Otago Rural Fire Authority deputy principal rural fire officer Graeme Still says. Nine structures – including two homes – were damaged by the blaze which swept through between 50ha and 100ha of land and put one woman in Dunedin Hospital with serious throat burns. “People need to just be aware,” Mr Still said. “Keep a bit of defensible space around their structures, especially living in the rural areas. Keep their lawns mowed and spouting clear of debris.” Those carrying out permitted burns needed to watch the fire danger and ensure their fires were out. […] The Saddle Hill fire now appeared to be under control, but firefighters would maintain a watch on it until the area received heavy rain. Read more + Images
### ODT Online Thu, 28 July 2016 Saddle Hill fire ‘chaotic’ – review
By Shawn McAvinue
An operational review of the “erratic” Saddle Hill fire in Dunedin last year has revealed the first ground crews at the scene had to battle the blaze for more than two hours with “chaotic” communication, including cluttered radio channels, forcing many key decisions to be made by cellphone. A key finding of the review – undertaken by the Otago Rural Fire Authority (ORFA) and New Zealand Fire Service – was the communication between fire crews on the ground was compromised during the first hours of the fire. The crews were called to a fire in Morris Rd at 1.51pm on October 7 last year. Read more
███ A “MUST” WATCH
Vincent Eastwood Published on Sep 14, 2015 Local Governance & Corruption, Paradigm Episode 2 Vinny Eastwood
Episode 2 of PARADIGM broadcasted on Face TV Sky Channel 083 on September 14th 2015 at 9pm NZT
TOPIC: Local Governance & Corruption
GUESTS: Bruce Rogan from the Mangawhai Residents and Ratepayers Association with activist and Mayoral candidate Penny Bright.
● How privatisation and secretive powerful roundtable groups (comprised mostly of large companies) have led to the rise of unelected, unaccountable officials.
● The utter refusal of EVERY SINGLE AUTHORITY in New Zealand to investigate corruption.
The police, the judiciary, the ombudsman, the minister for local government, the auditor general, political parties, the list goes on, every authority whose job is to investigate, prevent or punish corruption actually supports it!
● Why local citizens have no rights and why local government has no rules.
FACE FACT KIWIS
Believing NZ is corruption free was the very mechanism by which criminals took control of our country. The only reason NZ is #2 on Transparency International’s “perceived” least corrupt countries in the world list, is we’re the 2nd best in the world at concealing our corruption.
—
Vincent Eastwood Published on Sep 12, 2015 Paradigm Episode 2 coming soon! Local Government Corruption PLEASE SHARE THIS!
Help me get as many people as possible to watch the show tomorrow night!
9pm NZT
—
Received. [names deleted]
Mon, 14 Sep 2015 at 4:00 p.m.
Re: DOCO ON CORRUPTION, AND MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL.
Tonight (14 September, 9:00pm) on Sky channel 83 there will be an episode of Paradigm which will feature the Kaipara Scam. Paradigm is a program that is the brainchild of a guy called Vinny Eastwood, and it is not an exaggeration to say that Vinny has picked up the ball that John Campbell (or rather Channel 3) dropped. Promo for the programme is at https://www.facebook.com/vincenteastwood/videos/10153220793607879/
Vinny has a deceptively casual and disarming manner that belies a very serious commitment to exposing corruption and fraud (he calls it scumbaggery).
As an MRRA member you will already be aware of the degree of scumbaggery besetting Kaipara, but it is highly unlikely that your friends and relations will grasp the scale of what is happening in New Zealand. Please do yourself a favour and send this email to everyone in your circle, especially your adult children, who are going to be wealth-stripped by the corporates that are taking over. Add your personal plea that they take a few minutes away from Coronation Street and watch something that might actually affect their lives.
Our financial year ends on 31 October. We want everyone to renew their membership please and we want new members from all over the country (world!) as we mount the final campaign to get justice for the country’s ratepayers. Please renew – don’t just leave it to the other guys to carry all the water. What other association can you think of that supplies over forty free informative newsletters per year?!, and has an executive team that is prepared to go to jail to defend your rights! (informative might be stretching it, but beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, going to jail is still a real possibility!).
The annual sub is still only $15.00 per family, or $10.00 single, and we have put no limit on donations, because we do not want to discourage that philanthropic person out there with $100,000 they have no further use for.
The account number is 38 9012 0318164 00 or cheques to MRRA at Box 225 Mangawhai 0540. Make sure please to include your membership number […], and if you are a new member please provide a name and phone number so we can call you and get all the details.
Kind regards,
MRRA Executive Committee.
[Mangawhai Residents and Ratepayers Association]
Link received. [Hooray!]
Fri, 28 Aug 2015 at 10:50 a.m.
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### joelcayford.blogspot.co.nz Thu, 27 August 2015 Mangawhai Ratepayers at Court of Appeal
Joel Cayford [‘Reflections on Auckland Planning’] updates the Court of Appeal hearing (25-26 August) – Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents Association v Kaipara District Council – in front of Justice Rhys Harrison, Justice Mark Cooper, and Justice Forrest Miller.
Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents Association (MRRA) is represented by Matthew Palmer QC and barrister Kitt Littlejohn. David Goddard QC represents the council.
Cayford summarises the “causes of action for this hearing – which followed the judicial review heard by Justice Heath (posts here and here)”:
“that the Kaipara District Council (KDC) does not have the power to rate for unlawful purposes. That KDC acted unlawfully in deciding to enter into and expand the Ecocare Wastewater Scheme, and that it could not then enforce rates on ratepayers.
“that the Validation Act did not retrospectively validate ALL matters stemming from those unlawful decisions. It only validated various historic rating defects. Significant matters – including the additional $30,000,000 loan were not dealt with or validated by the Validation Act.
“that the KDC acted inconsistently with the Bill of Rights Act by initiating Validation Legislation which had an effect of undermining MRRA judicial review proceedings – to which they had a right.”
Of critical interest, Cayford says Matthew Palmer, in his closing, “told the Justices, to the effect: “a consequence of adopting the arguments of my learned friend would mean that any Council in New Zealand can breech Local Government Act provisions with impunity, leave ratepayers with the bill, and mean that Long Term Plans all become window-dressing, ratepayer submissions become meaningless. That cannot have been what Parliament intended.””
█ Read Cayford’s excellent post and reader comments here.
Although the Court of Appeal ruling is some way off, fallout might very well illuminate effects of the Dunedin stadium rort, council debt loading and issues of general competency.
Received from Lee Vandervis
Mon, 20 Jul 2015 at 10:06 p.m.
█ Message: I am chasing answers to many questions regarding the Noble subdivision. Two LGOIMA ‘answers’ appear below.
Cheers, Lee
—— Forwarded Message From: Sandy Graham [DCC] Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 01:58:34 +0000 To: Lee Vandervis Cc: Sue Bidrose [DCC], Graham Crombie [DCHL], Grant McKenzie [DCC] Subject: Nobel Subdivision
Dear Lee
I refer to your request for information related to the Nobel Subdivision and respond as follows:
Q1. Can you please supply details and quantify the likely cost of the Delta/DCC exposure to the mortgagee sale of the Nobel Subdivision. There is a very limited risk to Delta/DCC by way of mortgagee sale. There is however some financial exposure related to the subdivision and this was reflected in Delta’s Annual report for the 2014 financial year.
Q2. Can you please confirm the contractual details [preferably provide copies of the original and any subsequent contracts] that have led to our enormous exposure with the Nobel development.
All contractual details are withheld pursuant to section 7 (2)(h) of LGOIMA to protect the commercial position of Delta and further withheld pursuant section 7(2)(i) of LGOIMA to enable Delta without prejudice, to carry on negotiations.
When considering the request, the public interest was considered. This matter is currently before the Court in an effort to minimise any financial loss to the shareholder. We consider that protecting the legal position best meets the public interest at this time.
Given we have withheld information, you are entitled to a review of this decision by the Office of the Ombudsman.
I have cc’ed the original recipients of your request and the Acting CEO.
Regards
Sandy
Sandy Graham
Group Manager Corporate Services
Dunedin City Council
—— End of Forwarded Message
Note: Noble has been incorrectly entered as ‘Nobel’ by Ms Graham and Cr Vandervis in this exchange. -Eds
Received from our northern friends (html email partially rebuilt here).
Wednesday, 29 January 2014 4:10 p.m.
—
Getting the Validation Bill ready for Parliament
● The new Mangawhai Ratepayers and Residents Association (MRRA) website can be viewed here.
● “When Government Goes Bad” – see the MRRA video on YouTube.
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The KAIPARA VALIDATION BILL
KAIPARA’S PROBLEMSParliament “solves” the problems of Kaipara with the Validation Bill
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LATEST NEWS
● OAG report: Summary
● OAG report: Full Report* (click the sections on the left)
*Link to download report (PDF, 2.6 MB; 423 pages) is broken at OAG website.
A MESSAGE FROM THE MRRA 3 February 2014
The day that JUSTICE finally comes to Kaipara Come to the Court Case in Whangarei 3-7 February
The High Court is located at 105-109 Bank Street Whangarei
The hearing commences at 10 AM.
You have paid for this, so come and watch it play out. Those who came last time were glued to their seats for the whole day. Watching our justice system in action when the matter is one you are involved in is a riveting experience.
[Six days at court] might be needed but we won’t know until Feb 3rd. The hearing should play out as follows: Administrative stuff first, then MRRA puts its case (possibly all of Monday and some of Tuesday), then KDC puts its case Tuesday and all of Wednesday. Then MRRA replies, which will take part of Friday. The judge will then sum up and indicate what he is going to do, and perhaps reserve his decision which he would then hand down in writing some time later.
The Judge has instructed that a second courtroom be made available with closed-circuit TV to accommodate the large number expected to attend this hearing. In an earlier decision the Judge said that this judicial review raises important legal questions of wide public interest.
It may be one of the most important cases in connection with Local Government that has ever gone to trial in New Zealand. The issues at stake are of fundamental significance to everyone who lives in this country. This is not a tiff over rates. This is a test of what power elected and appointed officials really have to take money from ratepayers and taxpayers and use it in any way they choose. The Government and the Kaipara District Council (KDC) both say that councils must have the power to take any amount of money they want, for any purpose whatsoever, and the ratepayer has no say at all in the process.
If you think that’s OK, then we have not reached you. If you think it is not OK but nothing can be done about it, please be assured that something can be done — and it is in the High Court where that will happen. Eventually, the people will call a halt to the madness.
—
COUNCIL INCOMPETENCE 29.01.14 Frank Newman comments here on the Dunedin City Council’s fancy $230 million covered stadium that “will forever be a black hole that eats ratepayer money”.
There will be no easy fix for Dunedin’s ratepayers. Their elected representatives of the day were reckless and ratepayers will be punished for a very long time because they (as a society) elected a reckless bunch of people to make decisions on their behalf.
I do not know of the Dunedin Councillors complied with the law and consulted with ratepayers but Kaipara ratepayers find themselves in a very similar situation.
The debt for EcoCare is completely unmanageable for a small council such as the KDC but the Commissioners and the Banks have so far delayed the inevitable day of judgement by mesmerising ratepayers with promises of only three percent rate increases over the next ten years.
How can that happen, you might ask, when there is such a massive debt to pay? The answer is that it can’t. But to levy high rates now and charge extra capital payments per household right across the district would result in a massive rate strike and civil disobedience and the collapse of the KDC.
To prevent that, the Commissioners and the Banks have made promises of minimal rate rises that cannot be substantiated and are so dishonest that they border on the criminal. They are nothing more than a confidence trick and the reality is that, sooner or later, ratepayers across the district will be billed for the principal of the debt. Generations of Kaipara ratepayers will pay for the EcoCare folly just as generations of Dunedin ratepayers will pay for their Stadium folly.
The only difference is that the MRRA has challenged the validity of the Kaipara debt in the High Court and is asking that Court for a ruling that ratepayers are not responsible for an illegal debt that was secretly entered into by the Councillors.
Never before have ratepayers made such a challenge and no doubt many ratepayers across the country will be awaiting the outcome.
If Councils can operate outside the law with utter impunity, with all the watchdogs sound asleep, and the ratepayers have to pay all the bills, then we have been conned into being the peasants at the bottom of a 21st Century feudal system.
That is not a good place to be but unless we get behind the MRRA and support its action, then that is where we will end up.
[ends]
****
LAST WORD from What if? Dunedin…
Will DCC’s stadium review be enough? Answer: NO
We’re staying busy —can’t blog it.
### DScene 28 Nov 2012
Editorial DCC needs to shape up (page 7)
By Mike Houlahan
Land transactions under investigation, illegal road building, a debt mountain, monumental building projects, possible credit downgrades. No, not some obscure Balkan country or African military dictatorship, but our home town. There is a vociferous body of opinion that Dunedin is going to hell in a hand cart and events of recent weeks have done nothing to persuade them otherwise.
Delta’s land transactions coming under Audit Office investigation, and a damning court verdict – which has seen Dunedin City Council cop a six-figure court costs order over the State Highway 88 realignment – follow an auditor’s report trying to establish the final cost of building the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and a controversial bailout of the Otago Rugby Union.
A “we will fight them on the beaches” opinion piece from Mayor Dave Cull last week sounded desperate. The announcement soon after from Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services that it had revised its outlook of Dunedin City Council from stable to negative made it look desperate, too. A negative outlook means a one-in-three chance of a credit downgrade in the next two years – unwelcome news for a city well in hock before it borrowed millions more to build the stadium.
The agency does offer a ray of hope – if the DCC’s budgets strengthen, as forecast, its rating could revert to stable. But having just stated doubts the DCC could achieve the financial targets in its long-term plan, Standard and Poor’s are going to take a lot of convincing all is well.
In response, Cull – sounding like a rugby captain before a test – said Dunedin “was up to the challenge of continued financial belt-tightening.” Sadly, in this comparison Dunedin is probably Scotland rather than the All Blacks. Quiet reassurance is no longer enough. If ratepayers are to have faith in the DCC as chamberlains of their assets, they will want to see decisive leadership. #bookmark
Channel 9 forewarned there would be an on-site media opportunity today.
The “opportunity” featured on ONE News at Midday. Luckily, hardly anyone saw it at that screening time.
### ONE News Midday Update Monday, 25 May 2009 (23:40)
Follow the link, select Chapter 2, the item is near the end of Sports coverage. TVNZ ondemand
****
Here’s the local version of said news propaganda:
### Channel 9 Online May 25, 2009 – 8:25pm Demolition Work First Stage In Stadium Construction
With a demonstration of confidence that the Forsyth Barr Stadium at University Plaza will go ahead, Mayor Peter Chin and Stadium Head Malcolm Farry donned hard hats and did some demolition work today.
The photo opportunity giving a strong message to the public that eleventh hour attempts to thwart the Stadium’s progress are unlikely to succeed. Video Link
****
### STS website May 25th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Comment by Ian Smith on DCC reminded of social duty
It’s happened, and every bit as stomach-churning as expected, (TV-One News, approx 12.25pm today). Those who didn’t see this unsavoury spectacle might also be interested to know that our Mayor, looked straight into the camera and assured viewers nationwide that the people of Dunedin were ‘behind’ it, as well as the nation, while his offsider sat in the cab of a wrecking-device grinning inanely at something off-camera. Read more
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### Radio New Zealand National Monday, 25 May 2009
Checkpoint with Mary Wilson Work to make way for Dunedin’s new stadium begins
Demolition work has begun in Dunedin to make way for the construction of the city’s new $198-million enclosed sports stadium, after more than three years of planning. Audio Link (duration: 2′43″)
****
[Simon Cunliffe] Tomorrow’s ODT “takes a tongue-in-cheek look at what happens when you put a mayor on an excavator”.
### ODT Online Sun, 10/05/2009 – 10:20pm.
Comment by Duke of Ban Phai on Case(s) against the Stadium: Communique to Prostadia
Now I understand. The two stadium factions live in parallel universes. In the pro-stadium universe (Prostadia) there must have been a tiresome series of court-cases and appeals against the stadium, whereas in the universe where I live (Antistadia) there has only been one court–case and one appeal. Read more
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(ODT 9/5/09) When Mayor Peter Chin was contacted on Friday evening about Stop the Stadium’s application to the Court of Appeal, he said: “I suppose there is a right of appeal, and they have chosen to take it up. I find it very disappointing, and I hope it’s going to be very unsuccessful.”
****
### ODT Online Mon, 11/05/2009 – 4:59pm.
Comment by Duke of Ban Phai on No outcome yet in Antistadia
No result yet here in Antistadia. Another Prostadian (mike38) mentioned multiple court cases and appeals in your universe. Which particular appeals are you referring to, and can you tell us what the other cases and appeals were all about? Just interested. ODT Link
### ODT Online Sun, 10/05/2009 – 7:26pm.
Comment by mike38 on Get on with it
Let’s get the show on the road. This is getting way out of hand with all these court cases going on. Just when things are looking good to go another appeal pops up. Read more
Seems Basil Walker is up to his usual tricks again, speaking for everyone else – even if we want him to shut up.
First it came with his legal challenge to the Emissions Trading Act taken against the government (get this) on behalf of the people of New Zealand. Now the ODT has revealed that he’s taking action against the ORC, even though he’s not a Ratepayer but is doing it for his family.
Further, of course, if the judge finds against him and awards costs to the ORC (for defending their democratic actions), it’s been revealed that it will be difficult for the judge to award full costs, the man’s a declared Bankrupt.
Sorry Basil, your heart might be in the right place, but I didn’t want your interference with the ETS (some of us liked it), and I don’t want your non-rate-paying interference now.
Saddle Hill fire 7 Oct 2015 [JSNNZ at imgur.com]![Yaldhurst Village Mortgagee Tender [realestate.co.nz - Harcourts]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/yaldhurst-village-mortgagee-tender-realestate-co-nz-harcourts.jpg)
![Yaldhurst Village contact information [villagelife.co.nz]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/yaldhurst-village-contact-information-villagelife-co-nz.jpg)
![Yaldhurst Village location map [villagelife.co.nz]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/yaldhurst-village-location-map-villagelife-co-nz.jpg)
What if? Dunedin... 