Asbestos contamination at Dunedin Railway Station

[womentravelnz.com]

There’s a new tenancy at the Dunedin Railway Station.

People working on the project had been told the whole underfloor area was safe to enter; that there was plastic down.

Turns out the plastic cover ran short, and a number of site workers had crawled across bare dirt, kicking up a lot of dust as they went – it was found the area had been contaminated with asbestos.

We understand workmen from several companies have been affected.

The Dunedin Railway Station is a council owned property. Affected sitemen have since had their names added to the WorkSafe Asbestos Exposure Database; and Health and Safety meetings have been called to review safety drills and gear provision.

It appears a few people have slipped up along the ‘food chain’ of managerial responsibility for the workers, starting with DCC management (the building owner).

We hear DCC is now paying for workers to be educated on what protection gear they must wear on exposed asbestos worksites.

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Related Post and Comments:
19.6.16 Thoughts on ODT Insight : Chris Morris investigates Asbestos plague

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Stadiums, in particular the FB Aurora Delta Stadium at Dunedin

Olympiastadion München, opened 26 May 1972

Received from Gurglars
Thu, 8 Jun 2017 at 2:11 p.m.

Bayern Munich bought out TSV 1860 Munich, their 50% joint venture partners, for €11 million. The stadium cost €360 million and originally seated 80,000 pax.

This is despite the Stadium being used weekly for matches for Bayern and TS Munchen, and six World Cup games being played at the stadium.

█ Wikipedia: Olympiastadion (Munich)

What this tells us is that stadiums are worthless once built – are not assets, but liabilities.

If they are fully owned (no debt) and receipts go to the stadium owners then they can be profitable, but only if the owner is also the user. Thus the only hope is for the Highlanders/Otago to own the stadium.

The DCC have demonstrated that all they can rack up is more debt, more bills and more losses.

[ends]

****

Fat chance of Otago Rugby taking over the stadium while it continues to be subsidised by DVML – the true cost of which is not made public. ORFU is now making profits but declines to pay back the ratepayers for the ‘simple things’, like black tie dinners held at the stadium in recent times. God knows what we’re paying for while Mr Davies sits atop his rugby goal post roost, clucking inanely, looking down at the pretty (untouchable) grass.

The prima donna approach is a False Economy, but not for dullards and professional rugby thugs.

Rip up the grass, put in articial turf, and let the Otago stadium be used by more codes / more sports people.

****

“It is a little naive to think because it is raining outside and there is water on the facilities, you can just come inside.” –Terry Davies

### ODT Online Thu, 8 Jun 2017
Unrealistic to have club sport at stadium – Davies
By Adrian Seconi
The chances of playing club sport under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium without an advanced booking are virtually nil, Dunedin Venues chief executive Terry Davies says. The issue came up in mid-April when the Dunedin City Council closed all its grounds due to poor weather. The Dunedin Rugby Metropolitan Council was reluctant to cancel round five of premier rugby and had hoped to play on the sand-based surfaces at Hancock Park and Kettle Park and possibly under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium. However, the stadium was ruled out because of scheduled maintenance. The issue came up again last month when grotty weather forced more cancellations, although premier rugby went ahead as planned. Davies said the idea club sport could be played at Forsyth Barr Stadium because of poor weather was naive. […] “The stadium was fundamentally built to deliver a real economic impact for the city. We have a number of major contracts in place with the professional rugby bodies … and there are other major events that we need to look after. On that basis we run quite a detailed maintenance schedule right through to the year it ensure we can deliver. The last thing we want to do is have a facility that is [not looking its best].”
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

DCC fails to meet LGOIMA request re ‘lost’ secure storage of CST files

The Dunedin City Council OWNS the Carisbrook Stadium Trust files, note.

Received from Bev Butler
Mon, 8 May 2017 at 1:40 p.m.

Subject: Complaint Dunedin City Council/storage of stadium documents

Message: Attached is the letter from the Ombudsman Office. I have sent a response to the Ombudsman letter.

[screenshot – click to enlarge]

● Download: 0_1-408161-3117439

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Related Posts and Comments:
2.6.16 Official Information at Dunedin City : Bev Butler maintains pressure
10.7.15 Ombudsman complaint re DCC reply to LGOIMA requests #CSTfiles
9.7.15 DCC: Council-owned CST files whereabouts not declared
27.6.15 Ratepayer boxes #saga
20.6.15 DCC / CST document scramble #LGOIMA

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

DCC LGOIMA Response : Wall Street Mall and Town Hall Complex

Email correspondence.

From: DCC Governance Support
Sent: Friday, 20 January 2017 8:48 a.m.
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Official information response 280070 Council Buildings WOF

Dear Ms Kerr,

Official information request for information about COUNCIL BUILDINGS WOF

I refer to your official information request dated 28-November-2016 for the following information. Our response to each question is in red font [italics at this website -Eds]:

1. Does the council-owned Wall Street Mall (211 George St, Dunedin) have a current building warrant of fitness, and if not why not?

The Wall Street Mall at 211 George Street does not have a building warrant of fitness. The current status of the Wall Street Mall building warrant of fitness is that a Letter in Lieu was issued for the Specified Systems 15.3, 15.4, 15.5 because a full 12 months’ worth of daily inspections had not been completed. We can confirm that since July, 2015, these daily checks have been in place and this will not be an issue for subsequent warrants of fitness.

Please note that where a Letter in Lieu is issued this means the Independent Qualified Person (IQP) confirms that the systems in the building are working as they should and are compliant.

2. Since the construction of Wall Street Mall was completed in what years has it had a current building warrant of fitness issued, and if not why not?

Mar 2012 – Outstanding form 12A for Specified System 6 (Riser Mains).
Mar 2013 – Letter in lieu issued for Specified System 6 (Riser Mains).
Nov 2013 – Building Warrant of Fitness Received.
Sep 2015 – Letter in lieu issued for 2014/15 & 2015/16 compliance year for Specified System 15/3.
Regarding the reasons for this, please refer to the comments of the Manager, City Property below.

3. Does the council-owned Dunedin Town Hall complex, including Glenroy Theatre, Metro Cinema, and Municipal Chambers, have a current building warrant of fitness(s), and if not why not?
Since the major Dunedin Town Hall Redevelopment Project was completed (including Glenroy Theatre, Metro Cinema, and Municipal Chambers) in what years has it had a current building warrant of fitness(s) issued, and if not why not?.

There is no building warrant of fitness in place for these premises. Instead the Dunedin Town Hall complex, including the Municipal Chambers, Dunedin Centre and the Metro Theatre, have a Certificate of Public Use in place. This means the buildings are safe to use.

These buildings do not have a current Building Warrant of Fitness as, at time of writing, no current Code of Compliance has been issued following the completion of the redevelopment work as there were some building elements requiring attention relating to fire engineering. These elements have been completed and the documentation submitted to DCC Building Compliance for Final Inspection and issue of the Code Compliance. Once the Code Compliance Certificate has been issued there will be nothing to prevent the issue of a warrant of fitness at the next inspection.

If you wish to discuss this information with us, please feel free to contact Property Manager Kevin Taylor on 03 477 4000. Mr Taylor has prepared the following report for the chief executive. This is provided for your information:

The DCC Property department has previously engaged an outside contractor to administer and manage the BWOF compliance on DCC properties, in particular the Wall St Mall. In early 2015, the Building Compliance aspect was sold to Logic Project Management Consultants and a new company called Logic FM was formed and took over the majority DCC BWOF administration.

Our experience as we undertake building audits is that previous advice may have been too lax or liberal in assessing the building’s compliance with particular codes, specifically around fire protection and fire cells. We have also found that the inspections that were contracted to have been undertaken were not fulfilled, leaving gaps in the compliance processes. Thus the BWOF could not be issued by deadline or due dates.

Subsequently, it has been our experience that Logic FM has been interpreting code compliance components beyond that required by the law and schedules to the Acts governing the specified systems. Thus we have experienced a number of “notice to fix” instructions issued which are in error.

To satisfy ourselves that the BWOF is being managed and administered as it should be, DCC Property has engaged independent experts, especially structural and fire engineers, to review the building’s specified systems and as-built safety components. These independent audits have been completed and the required reports and Letters in Lieu issued to enable the DCC Building Authority to issue the BWOF.

The BWOF owners inspections have been brought in-house and are undertaken by the property team’s asset management staff. IQP inspections continue with the specific trades as required.

Yours sincerely

Governance Support Officer
Dunedin City Council

Stadium : Used car and underwear sales down #missdpopularitycontest

The man running Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium says the venue is still hunting for sell-out concerts, despite being overlooked by a string of top international acts.

### ODT Online Tue, 27 Dec 2016
Concert quest ongoing despite setbacks
By Chris Morris
After a bumper period last year in which Rod Stewart, Fleetwood Mac and Neil Diamond all performed at the stadium, the venue’s international concerts have dried up, the last being Black Sabbath’s show in April. Hopes more big acts would stop in Dunedin this summer were dashed when performers such as British rockers Coldplay and pop superstar Adele opted for shows in Auckland instead…. Dunedin Venues Management Ltd chief executive Terry Davies [said] this summer’s “dry” period for concerts in Dunedin would continue for the first half of 2017.
Read more

****

Listen:
### radionz.co.nz Fri, 12 Dec 2008
Radio NZ National : Nine to Noon with Kathryn Ryan
Carisbrook Stadium in trouble (Link)
09:30 Malcolm Farry, Chairman Carisbrook Stadium Trust; and Jeff Dickie, property investor and outspoken critic of the stadium.
Audio | Download: Ogg  MP3 (13′15″)

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The instant the CST and the council started believing in their own hype and spin about Dalai Lama visits, world swimming championships and Royal tours was the moment that this city’s ratepayers were doomed to have to meet all of the “private funding”.
–Russell Garbutt ODT 13.4.12

Garrick Tremain – 13 May 2012

At various times, it was imagined that it might host international soccer, rugby league and even swimming; that penguins would frolic in a (converted) adjoining quarry, and not just that the biggest names in rock music would visit, but, perhaps, the Dalai Lama and British royalty.
–Steve Kilgallon Stuff 3.6.12

Then….

### channel39.co.nz Tue, 17 July 2012
█ Dalai Lama’s proposed visit puts smile on face
The Dalai Lama’s proposed visit to Dunedin has put a wry smile on the face of the man behind Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Video

Garrick Tremain – 17 Jan 14

Garrick Tremain – 1 Oct 2014

****

Full article:

[before we knew the GOBs were completely buggering Dunedin and Central Otago’s electricity network]

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00 03/06/2012
House of Blame
By Steve Kilgallon – Sunday Star Times
AMBITIOUS: The Forsyth Barr Stadium has left a city divided and its ratepayers facing vast debts.
….In June 2008, two major concert promoters had told the D-Scene newspaper what should have been self-evident: Dunedin was too small, remote and student-oriented to provide the sales base to attract big-name acts. In February this year, council-owned stadium management company Dunedin Venues Management Limited’s (DVML) chief executive David Davies said concert bookings for the stadium would be “thin” in 2012. “What’s thinner than one?” asks Garbutt. Cull says the council has to leverage the advantage of having a roof, guaranteeing events won’t be rained off. Farry, who wanted to run the stadium for its first two years, is disappointed the council hasn’t attracted more concerts.
Read more

*The same article, retitled, appears at Stuff Sport: Stadium builds under fire

****

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 12:38 14/09/2012
Councils should stay away from business
By Chalkie – Tim Hunter
There are people who believe local councils should own businesses because they generate returns and ease the burden on ratepayers. Chalkie is not one of them. Your humble correspondent thinks councils should stick to their knitting. The reasons are many and varied. Taking a couple of examples at random:
a) Councils can start to think they are there to make money instead of, say, distribute water; and
b) Councils are not commercially savvy shareholders.
Poppycock, you say. Show me a single case of a council’s emptyheaded pursuit of unprofitable goals. In response, Chalkie invites you to consider Dunedin. In that southern city the council is the proud owner of Dunedin City Holdings, whose job, according to its report, is “to manage the commercial investments of the Dunedin City Council to maximise returns”. The businesses under DCH’s umbrella include electricity network company Aurora, forestry company City Forests, the Taieri Gorge Railway Company and an engineering business called Delta Utility Services. DCH’s 2012 numbers are not yet available, but last year it trumpeted an improvement in revenue and profit and a total cash return to the council of $23.2 million. If you thought that was a good result, you’d be wrong. When you look at several years of DCH numbers a disturbing pattern emerges of ever-increasing millions being borrowed and pumped into underperforming assets. The cashflow statements tell the story.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Tim Hunter, NBR —Aurora/Delta, DCC and ComCom

Essential reading:

National Business Review 16.12.16
Hunter’s Corner by Tim Hunter (page 2)
Opinion: Lines companies: it’s worse than we thought

The article appears in today’s NBR print edition, available at bookstores and supermarkets, and by subscription. Short excerpt at right.

Tim Hunter has appraised the Deloitte report and the activity -or not- of the lines company Aurora Energy and ‘contractor’ Delta Utility Services. He also provides brief overview of the companies’ position as seen (problematically!) by industry regulator, the Commerce Commission. The award-winning business writer typically shows fine ability to crack code, applying thrift and plain sense in noting gross impediments to good governance and operational performance. Mr Hunter could write the book on Aurora/Delta, the ugly sisters, a true Horror Story —not the kitten tale by Deloitte, which anyway gets things rolling. As one of three investigations, Deloitte’s was always going to suffer lack of scope and independence given its commissioners:
the brothers Grimm —DCHL and DCC.

█ LineTech Report July 2010

█ For more, enter the terms *aurora*, *delta*, *grady*, *luggate*, *jacks point*, *dchl*, *auditor-general*, *noble*, *yaldhurst* 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.

*Image: NBR excerpt by smartphone (screenshot)

Audit and Review, Deloitte

U N N E R V I N G ● N E W S

“If Deloitte was caught with one such brazenly egregious case, just what else is there that goes unreported, and undiscovered when it comes to corporate “books”, not only in Brazil but also in the US.”

### zerohedge.com Dec 5, 2016 9:43 PM
Auditor Deloitte Fined A Record $8 Million For Massive Fraud
By Tyler Durden
Remember when auditors were, by their very definition, supposed to be the embodiment of credibility, trustworthiness and moral fibre? The Brazilian arm of Big Four auditing giant, Deloitte, forgot these simple prerequisites and as a result the US auditing watchdog fined the firm a record $8 million for what amounts to massive fraud: falsifying audit reports, altering documents and providing false testimony during an investigation that unearthed what it described as its “most serious” finding of misconduct.
The US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, or PCAOB, also penalised or barred 12 former partners, including a national practice director, and auditors of the Brazil-based Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Auditores Independentes.
The Deloitte Brazil case is the first time the PCAOB has “charged a member of the Big Four auditing firms with fraud and for failing to co-operate with an investigation” according to the FT [Financial Times]. Worse, unlike banks which resolve similar cases without admitting or denying guilt, in settling, Deloitte Brazil admitted it had violated quality control standards and failed to co-operate with the auditing board’s inspection and subsequent investigation.
“This is the most serious misconduct we’ve uncovered. It’s cover-up after cover-up after cover-up,” Claudius Modesti, director of enforcement at the PCAOB, said. “As an investor you’re expecting that the audit was done properly and sufficiently and that wasn’t the case here.”
Not only was that not the case, but the details read like straight out of a fictional account of third-world crime.
Read more

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd, commonly referred to as Deloitte, is a UK-incorporated multinational professional services firm with operational headquarters in New York City in the United States.
Deloitte is one of the “Big Four” accounting firms and the largest professional services network in the world by revenue and number of professionals. Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, enterprise risk and financial advisory services with more than 244,400 professionals globally. In FY 2016, the company earned a record $36.8 billion USD in revenues. As of 2016, Deloitte is the 6th-largest privately owned organisation in the United States.

The Big Four:
● PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), largest accounting firm in terms of revenue.
● Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (Deloitte)
● Ernst & Young (E&Y)
● Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG)

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OTAGO RUGBY & RACING ASIDE

Remember the old chestnut…. The connection between TTCF (The Trusts Community Foundation Ltd; formerly, The Trusts Charitable Foundation Inc) —and Deloitte.

“TTCF engaged Deloitte when they desperately needed an ‘independent’ audit so as to put the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and Audit NZ off the scent. Unfortunately, even though Deloitte uncovered approximately $40k per month in mis-spent funds, TTCF ensured that was left out of the report because after all they were paying the Deloitte bill.”

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Related Post and Comments:
2.6.15 Queen’s Birthday honours to rogues #TTCF #ORFU #PokieRorts
11.3.15 DIA —poor job as gambling regulator
2.2.15 Operation Chestnut: DIA, SFO fluffing round the edges #TTCF #ORFU
11.1.15 Southern complainants: IPCA won’t ensure upfront investigation…
14.12.14 DIA regulates what? Not white collar crime, not with govt looking on!
5.8.14 Gambling Commission shuts down racing’s Bluegrass pokie trust
3.2.14 DIA signed up Intralot amid concerns about bribery and corruption
31.12.13 Martin Legge: Operation Chestnut [DIA’s PR exercise]
30.12.13 DIA insights: Pokie rorts, money-go-rounds, names
11.10.13 New Zealand: Pokie trusts same everywhere #pokierorts
10.10.13 Whistleblowers’ message heard ??! #OtagoRacingClub #pokierorts
1.8.13 Politicians keeping DIA/SFO quiet on ORFU and TTCF #pokierorts
31.3.13 DIA and Office of the Auditor General stuff up bigtime #pokierorts
21.2.13 DIA, SFO investigation #pokierorts
11.11.12 Department of Internal Affairs #pokierorts #coverup #TTCF
25.7.12 Martin Legge backgrounds TTCF (pokie trust) and Portage and Waitakere Licensing Trusts #DIA

█ For more, enter the terms *pokies*, *pokie rorts*, *ttcf*, *orfu* or *dia* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: Deloitte via Wikimedia Commons

The EVIL Blend: Delta, Aurora, Fubar Stadium, Our Rates

Received from nick
2016/11/22 at 11:06 pm

DELTA
Think Rundown Infrastructure
Think Pigs in Troughs
Think High Living at Ratepayers Expense
Think Cynical PR Spin
Think Appalling Attitude to Public Safety
Think Expendable Linesmen
Think Bloody Hard about What Comes Next
Think Richard Healey has Shown Us Up
Think the Game Might Be Over.

****

Angina attack.

Oh my lord! Nooooo. The DCC can’t be ‘surprised’ after ALL these years (each and every year) of information slung at it about ongoing stadium spending and subvention payments (particularly by the likes of Calvin Oaten!), Not after the (effortless?) Stadium Review…. Which planet are you on, DCC ?

Some backside covering ERUPTS at ‘city hall’.

Then there’s poor Grady Cameron, he’s someone just not coping with Questions these days. Mr Cameron has turned into quite the veritable rapidly depreciating, $417M cracked record. After the ‘concretising’ Drifting event, let’s see him Put Out To Pasture at the Stadium —once DVML restores the hallowed Otago Rugby turf, of course.

—

“It is patently clear that Delta/Aurora/Dunedin City Holdings Ltd’s priority over the last few years has been to support a rugby stadium at the expense of public safety by way of subsidies/subvention payments.” –Bev Butler

### ODT Online Mon, 28 Nov 2016
Delta payments to stadium queried
By David Loughrey
The Dunedin councillor charged with overseeing Delta and Aurora says the beleaguered companies should be concentrating on their business and health and safety before pouring money into the Forsyth Barr Stadium. That came after it was revealed the companies have paid $29.9 million in subvention payments to the stadium in the past five years. It also appears a Deloitte investigation into the companies will consider the payments issue.

“In no way should people’s health and safety be compromised because we’re trying to pay for a stadium.” –Cr Mike Lord

A Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) request from stadium critic Bev Butler, passed to the Otago Daily Times, showed the extent of the payments. It also showed Delta had paid $392,499 on its corporate suite and other costs at the stadium since 2010. The details of the spending come after weeks of criticism of the companies in which it has been revealed infrastructure has not been maintained, leaving thousands of power poles compromised and potentially dangerous.
Read more

● ODT: Stadium drifting track build ‘ambitious’
The turf at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin handles 1600kg scrums with ease but it is now bearing a load 500 times heavier….

—

On the issue of the corporate suite, Mr Cameron said like any large business, “from time to time we host our customers to strengthen the working relationships”. (ODT)

So, Grady:
Question, you splurge Many Dollars on your main customer – Aurora Energy – by entertaining them at the Stadium? The champagne lifestyle. On Our Money.

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Related Post and Comments: [THE CHEAPIE INVOICES]
22.11.16 Delta/Aurora spend-up at Stadium —Degraded electricity network, Us ? (said the GOBs) #LGOIMA #Rugby

█ For more, enter the terms *delta*, *aurora*, *dchl*, *grady*, *cameron*, *crombie*, *noble*, *yaldhurst* 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.

Douglas Field 18.11.16 [click to enlarge]

Truthful Letters : Stadium + DCC #toobadaboutmayoralreply

ODT 27.7.16 (page 12)

[click to enlarge]

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DEPLORABLE MULTIPLIERS [what more do we need ?]

The god awful millstone stadium is due to have its 5th birthday soon – ODT will be saturated, note bilge leaking into the Op-ed pages, already.

WE ONLY CARE ABOUT . . . .
THE UNMITIGATED UNPRINCIPLED FLOW OF RATEPAYER MONEY AT +$20MILLION PA to subsidise the Stadium, DVML/DVL, Professional Rugby and Grey Hair Events —meanwhile draining council owned company Aurora Energy of development capital sufficient to satisfy the regulator of lines companies, the Commerce Commission.

It is wrong. Criminal. (metaphorically!)

****

### dunedintv.co.nz Wed, 27 Jul 2016
Your word on local body elections
The Dunedin City Council is set to have some fresh blood in its midst with five current councillors confirming they won’t seek re-election. Many of those not standing have cited the large workload and increasing bureaucracy as a job deterrent. With that in mind our Word on the Street team asked the public whether they care about the upcoming local body elections.
Ch39 Link

Channel 39 Published on Jul 26, 2016

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Election Year. This post is offered in the public interest.

DCC: DCHL half year result to 31 December 2015

Council Chamber, Municipal Chambers [via architecturenow.co.nz]

—

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Dunedin City Holdings Limited Half Year Result to 31 December 2015

This item was published on 22 Feb 2016

Dunedin City Holdings Limited has reported a surplus of $8.7 million for the six months to December 2015.

The financial result was the first with the inclusion of both Dunedin Venues Limited (DVL – the company that owns the Forsyth Barr Stadium and is the landlord) and Dunedin Venues Management Limited (DVML – the event management company, which currently operates out of the Stadium and the Dunedin Centre) are now included in the Dunedin City Holdings Limited group of companies.

The net surplus for the group has decreased from the $10.1 million reported in the six months to 31 December 2014. Including the impact of DVL and DVML though, ie a like for like comparison, reveals a $2.7 million increase in surplus for the six months.

The continuing recent trend of debt reduction has also been a highlight of the financial period. Total debt has decreased from $593 million at the end of June 2015 to $588 million at the end of December, a $5 million decrease.

Dunedin City Holdings Limited Chairman Graham Crombie says, “It is pleasing to once again be able to show an improved financial result for the group. The like for like increase in surplus for the group, along with the reduction in debt levels, continues to reflect the improvement in the overall financial performance of the individual companies within the group.”

Aurora Energy Limited’s profit is down slightly on the previous year, but revenue has continued to grow. The company is continuing its major asset improvement and renewal programme, which is forecast to involve $372 million of expenditure over a 10 year period.

Improvements in both international and domestic demand, and a fall in the New Zealand dollar, were key factors for City Forests Limited. Along with reduced costs because of lower fuel prices and international shipping rates, this has led to healthy increase in surplus. The company’s net surplus has increased from $3.7 million in 2014 to $5 million in 2015.

Delta Utility Services Limited has also experienced a slight decrease in surplus for the six months, but continues to be in line with budget expectations. The company continues to develop its asset management, energy and environmental divisions.

Taieri Gorge Railway Limited has experienced an increase in revenue for the six months, reflecting a 10.2% increase in passenger numbers. Cost pressures over the reporting period have resulted in the surplus for the period being down compared with the same period last year.

The impact of increased event income, along with the implementation of the recommendations of the Dunedin City Dunedin Council’s Stadium review, has seen a significant increase in DVML’s financial result. The company has moved from a $1 million loss in 2014 to a reported six month surplus of $300,000. Mr Crombie says this is a significant turnaround for the company.

DVL has reported a net loss of $4 million compared to a loss of $4.4 million for the corresponding six month period last year. This is largely due to the impact of the Stadium review.

A rise in operating revenue, along with a decrease in interest costs, has resulted in an increase in the financial performance of Dunedin International Airport.

Contact Graham Crombie, Chairman Dunedin City Holdings Limited on 477 4000.

DCC Link

The Delta Affair [Douglas Field 23.2.16]

OTAGO DAILY TIMES
Corresponding DCC/DCHL reports below this group of news stories.

Councillors celebrate, criticise
By Chris Morris on Tue, 23 Feb 2016
A surplus of $8.7million delivered by the Dunedin City Council’s group of companies was cause for celebration and angst yesterday. The divergent views came as councillors discussed the results from Dunedin City Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries for the six months to December 31 last year at yesterday’s full council meeting.

Delta loss could top $20 million
By Chris Morris on Tue, 23 Feb 2016
Delta’s potential loss from a stalled Christchurch subdivision could top $20 million, and was still growing as the company pumped more money in to secure its position, it has been confirmed. But the Dunedin City Council-owned company has all but given up already on recovering at least part of what it is owed, which is included as a “doubtful debt” on the company’s books.

DCC stating expectations
By Chris Morris on Tue, 23 Feb 2016
The Dunedin City Council is moving to spell out the expectations it has from its companies for the first time. But the move has already been dismissed as window-dressing by Cr Lee Vandervis, prompting a debate at yesterday’s full council meeting.

Conflict policy code reworking requested
By Vaughan Elder on Tue, 23 Feb 2016
Fears of unintended consequences caused Dunedin city councillors to request more work be done on a code of conflict policy. The policy, which consolidates the management of staff conflicts of interest in one document, was considered for adoption at yesterday’s meeting, but was sent back to chief executive Sue Bidrose.

Councillors back rounding of pool charges
Tue, 23 Feb 2016
Dunedin City councillors have supported rounding pool charges to the closest 50c. Council staff said rounding pool charges would simplify the cash handling process for customer service staff and result in quicker transactions for people paying with cash.

Dunedin stadium in the black
By Chris Morris on Mon, 22 Feb 2016
The company running Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium has turned a $1 million loss into a six-figure profit, and is forecasting greater returns in future.
The result came as the Dunedin City Council’s group of companies released their latest six-month reports and statements of intent, which will be discussed at today’s full

Conflicts of interest policy
By Chris Morris on Mon, 22 Feb 2016
Dunedin city council staff could be forced to resign under a new conflicts of interest policy to be considered by councillors today. The new policy would cover all council staff and contractors, but not councillors, who would be the subject of a separate report still being prepared.

—

DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL
A full council meeting was held on Monday, 22 Feb 2016, starting at 1:00 pm.

█ Agenda – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 53.7 KB)

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 63.8 KB)
Dunedin City Holdings Ltd Financials for the Six Months Ended 31 December 2016

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 542.4 KB)
Dunedin City Holdings Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 66.1 KB)
Dunedin City Holdings Ltd Group of Companies Financials for the Six Months Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 2.0 MB)
Aurora Energy Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 206.1 KB)
City Forests Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 2.5 MB)
Delta Utility Services Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 191.6 KB)
Dunedin City Treasury Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Dunedin International Airport Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 493.6 KB)
Dunedin Venues Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 314.9 KB)
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 583.3 KB)
Taieri Gorge Railway Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 174.4 KB)
Dunedin City Council’s Letter of Expectations for 2016/17

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 68.3 KB)
Draft Statement of Intent – Dunedin City Holdings Ltd

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 192.0 KB)
Dunedin City Holdings Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 828.7 KB)
Aurora Energy Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 192.7 KB)
City Forests Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 111.3 KB)
Delta Utility Services Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 92.5 KB)
Dunedin City Treasury Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Dunedin International Airport Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 50.3 KB)
Dunedin Venues Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 119.1 KB)
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 70.4 KB)
Taieri Gorge Railway Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 130.6 KB)
Conflicts of Interest Policy (Council Officers)

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Wastewater Connection to 38 Church Hill Road

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 84.1 KB)
Community Engagement Plan for 2016/17 Annual Plan

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 295.4 KB)
2016/17 Aquatics Fees – Options for Annual Plan Consultation

█ Source: DCC webpage

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

ODT headline: ‘Stadium in the black, more to come’

TERRY AND BOARD !!!

Very difficult to be transparently and accountably in the black if your company DVML (Dunedin Venues Management Ltd) is HIGHLY SUBSIDISED by Dunedin ratepayers.

Cut us a break from incredulity.

—

### ODT Online Mon, 22 Feb 2016
Stadium in the black, more to come
By Chris Morris
The company running Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium has turned a $1 million loss into a six-figure profit, and is forecasting greater returns in future. The result came as the Dunedin City Council’s group of companies released their latest six-month reports and statements of intent, which will be discussed at today’s full council meeting.
Read more

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 314.9 KB)
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 119.1 KB)
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

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Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 493.6 KB)
Dunedin Venues Ltd Six Months Financial Statements for the Period Ended 31 December 2015

Report – Council – 22/02/2016 (PDF, 50.3 KB)
Dunedin Venues Ltd Draft Statement of Intent 2017

>>> Off to the full council meeting, started at 1:00 pm
Council Chamber, Municipal Chambers

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC LTAP 2016/17 budget discussion #ultrahelpfulhints

ODT 19.1.16 (page 6)

Comment at ODT Online:

Still on about ‘rising ground water’
Submitted by flatout on Thu, 21/01/2016 – 8:05am.

When will you…Dave…and the council admit it was a lack of mainenance that caused the flooding in Dunedin? Stop blaming climate change and rising ground water. Stop talking about high cost plans of moving South Dunedin and buying properties. Stop your endless council staff meetings about the issue of ‘what to do with South Dunedin’. Do maintenance on the stormwater. Do invest in South Dunedin to keep it a place to live and work in. All you need to do is clear drains and stormwater system that has coped with worse floods in the past…1968 for example.

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REMOVE THE IRRITANT

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Reminder to DVML | Annual cost for Stadium stings renters ratepayers $25M

16.12.15 ODT: Concerts a $20m bonus
International promoters are eyeing Dunedin for regular sell-out concerts after Forsyth Barr Stadium delivered strong ticket sales and a nearly $20 million boost to the city’s economy […] DVML chief executive Terry Davies said the results showed the stadium was delivering on “two key drivers” – delivering economic benefits and a boost to the city’s pride.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/367093/concerts-20m-bonus

—

Comment at ODT Online:

Stadium economic dis-benefit
Submitted by JimmyJones on Mon, 21/12/2015 – 8:15pm.

DVML claims an economic benefit to Dunedin of $19.7 million for the concerts held this year. Economic benefit figures are notoriously exaggerated, especially when they are provided by someone whose reputation is at stake.

Anyway, it is misleading to claim a $20 million boost to the Dunedin economy without mentioning the annual $25 million (aprox.) cost to renters and ratepayers to fund the stadium. This is a net drain on the local economy and something Mr Davies and Mayor Cull should be ashamed of.

Also, almost none of the citizens forced to pay for this financial disaster receive any financial benefit from this so-called economic benefit – this is a wealth transfer, with a few businesses benefiting greatly at the expense of all the citizens of the city – the many suffer, to benefit the few. On the whole the stadium continues to be a millstone around the neck of Dunedin’s economy.

[ends]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: fubar stadium, Dunedin

Dunedin Venues’ (DVML) clandestine operations for Rugby-Business

2015 Club Rugby: Harbour v University at fubar [orfu.co.nz community]

DVML’s Terry Davies has gone deliberately quiet on all SECRET SANTA help his company gives to Otago Rugby, more evidently so following recent purchase of The Highlanders by local parochials.

Yesterday’s dish-out to ORFU (“charitable status”) is just another *feel good* cover to the multimillion-dollar transgressions charged to Dunedin ratepayers, for PROFESSIONAL RUGBY operations.

MAKING IT WORK
Remember fubar stadium is costing ratepayers over $25 million per annum. The ‘blistering handiwork’ of Mayor Dave Cull and his cronies, Greater Dunedin.
NONsustainable as all HELL.

Otago v Canterbury at fubar stadium 15.8.15 [orfu.co.nz community]

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Dunedin Venues’ September funding gave $267,819.60 to 24 community organisations to hold 53 events.

Dunedin Venues Management Ltd – Media Release
DVML Community Events Funding September Funding Round Allocations
8 December 2015

As part of the Community Access Service Level Agreement with Dunedin City Council, DVML has annual funding of $750,000 to allocate for community events/activities to be held at Forsyth Barr Stadium and the Dunedin Centre. The funding provides financial support to people, community groups and/or organisations that have a charitable status or are a not for profit organisation, to enable community users to utilise the facilities, resources and equipment across the venues.

The September funding applications have now been processed with 53 events/activities by 24 organisations receiving funding. A total of $267,819.60 has been allocated as follows:

Group/Name of Organisation | Funding value

Forsyth Barr Stadium
Athletics Training Squad —$3,700.00
Southern Skating —$14,580.00
●●● ORFU —$19,940.96
Athletics Otago —$3,090.00
Athletics NZ —$18,870.96
Southern United Football —$43,982.88
Sport Otago —$ 10,210.00
NZ Master Games —$15,720.96
Historic Motoring —$4,000.00
SARINZ Trust —$14,730.00
Plunket —$16,110.96
Playcenter —$16,110.96
Natural Health & Wellbeing —$1,450.00
Wishbone Trust —$5,350.00
Kavanagh College —$14,660.96
Dog Rescue Dunedin —$19,530.96
Fibromyalgia Awareness —$ 2,450.00
Malcam Charitable Trust —$14,350.00
Dunedin Bike Blade & Board Development Trust —$5,240.00
Kaikorai Valley College —$2,740.00

Dunedin Centre
NZ Masters Games —$6,000.00
Southern Sinfonia —$5,000.00
Sport Otago —$6,000.00
NZ Choral Federation —$4,000.00

█ The next round of funding for events happening 1 July to 31 December 2016, will open on 1 February and close on 4 March 2016. There are specific criteria which applicants must meet and the application form and policy can be downloaded at http://www.dunedinvenues.co.nz.

Source: http://www.dunedinvenues.co.nz/whats-on/latest-news/dvml-community-events-funding-september-funding-round-allocations/

****

### ODT Online Wed, 9 Dec 2015
Community groups get $267,819
Dunedin Venues Management Ltd has given more than $250,000 to community groups in its September funding round, it was confirmed yesterday. DVML marketing and communications manager Kim Barnes said as part of the community access service level agreement with Dunedin City Council, DVML had $750,000 in annual funding to allocate for community events and activities to be held at Forsyth Barr Stadium and the Dunedin Centre.
Read more

—

Related Posts and Comments:
29.11.15 Lively dialogue with DVML’s Terry Davies —Not ! #LGOIMA #Stadium
1.3.15 DCC: DCHL/DVL/DVML limited half year result | Term borrowings $586.5M
28.2.15 Blonde ‘lawyer’ takes over DVML —expect no change
1.12.14 Stadium Review: LGOIMA request and 2009 Town Hall speeches
21.11.14 Stadium Review: Mayor Cull exposed
19.11.14 Forsyth Barr Stadium Review
8.10.14 Stadium: Liability Cull warns ratepayers could pay more to DVML
6.10.14 Stadium misses —like it would ever happen, Terry
25.9.14 DVML on Otago Rugby and Rod
13.9.14 DVML and ORFU refuse to disclose 2012 Otago Rugby deal
1.8.14 DVML and the “Otago Rugby” deal (sponsorship and payments)

For more, enter the terms *dvml*, *dvl*, *rugby*, *orfu*, *highlanders*, *stadium*, *carisbrook*, *nzru*, *cst*, *pokies*, *aurora* and *high performance sport new zealand* in the search box at right.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Lively dialogue with DVML’s Terry Davies —Not ! #LGOIMA #Stadium

Received from Calvin Oaten
Sat, 28 Nov 2015 at 5:35 p.m.

—

—–Original Message—–
From: Calvin Oaten
Sent: Sunday, 1 November 2015 10:10 a.m.
To: Sandy Graham
Cc: Dave Cull; Sue Bidrose
Subject: [LGOIMA] Request

Hello Sandy,
I have been reading the annual reports of Dunedin Venues Management Ltd (DVML) and am somewhat uncertain as to the true position regarding the matter of charges/fees for the use of the Stadium. We were given a detailed report in the 2014/15 Annual Plan wherein it [was] disclosed that the DCC/ratepayers would be making a one off lump sum of $2.271m to DVML by way of calling up unpaid capital. Then there is to be $715k per annum paid also by way of calling up unpaid capital. An event attraction fund of $400k per annum, source ratepayers? These two annual sums are I believe revenue to DVML. We won’t talk about the later decision to fund $2m per annum as a rent subsidy to DVL, due to DVML’s inability to meet the $4m rent required towards DVL’s debt reduction.
There is no mention of the Stadium in the 2015/16 Annual Plan with any reference to funding shortfalls even though both DVML and DVL continue to run deficits.

Zeroing in on sports events held in the Stadium (because that is its primary purpose) I see that in 2013 there was (sic) 44 events attracting 205,511 attendees.
In 2014 there were 39 with 206,123 there and in 2015 for 33 events 174,575 turned out in support.

DVML showed revenue of $6.085m in 2012 and $8.205m in 2013. These were of the Stadium only, thereafter it includes the Edgar Centre, the DCC Convention Centre plus the Ice Stadium management. This brought about an increase in revenue to $9.127m for 2014 and $9.960m in 2015. Similar pattern for the operating expenses over those same years.

In order to enable one to get an assessment of where these obviously inadequate revenues come from I would request under the [LGOIMA] the following points;

1. The main events being rugby, which of the ORFU, the Highlander Franchise or the NZRFU staged what events over those years? What was the rental received by DVML from those respective bodies per event and do they figure in the revenue statements?

2. What was the amount of revenue received from the other lesser codes which used the same facilities?

With respect to the Operating Expenses outlined in the reports, 2012 as $3.862m, 2013 $3.589m, 2014 $4.361m and 2015 $5.407m.

1. Of those expenses I would request under the [LGOIMA] the amounts of those expenses which could be described as paid inducements or subsidies to perform in the Stadium, albeit sports and concerts?

I trust that this information could be made available within the statutory twenty-one days and thank you in anticipation.

Cheers,
Calvin Oaten

—

Terry Davies, DVML Chief Executive [via whatifdunedin]

From: Terry Davies
Subject: FW: [LGOIMA] Request
Date: 27 November 2015 3:53:09 pm NZDT
To: Calvin Oaten

Dear Mr Oaten

I refer to your email dated 1 November which has been referred to DVML to respond. I have responded directly to your questions below:

1. The main events being rugby, which of the ORFU, the Highlander Franchise or the [NZRU] staged what events over those years? What was the rental received by DVML from those respective bodies per event and do they figure in the revenue statements?
The rental received for these events is withheld under section 7(2)(h) and (i) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 to allow DVML to carry out commercial activities without prejudice or disadvantage.

2. What was the amount of revenue received from the other lesser codes which used the same facilities?
The revenue received for these events is withheld under section 7(2)(h) and (i) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 to allow DVML to carry out commercial activities without prejudice or disadvantage.

With respect to the Operating Expenses outlined in the reports, 2012 as $3.862m, 2013 $3.589m, 2014 $4.361m and 2015 $5.407m.

1. Of those expenses I would request under the [LGOIMA] the amounts of those expenses which could be described as paid inducements or subsidies to perform in the Stadium, albeit sports and concerts?
The expenses incurred and event attraction funding for these events is withheld under section 7(2)(h) and (i) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 to allow DVML to carry out commercial activities without prejudice or disadvantage.

DVML’s audited annual accounts are published which shows revenue and operating costs and this is available on line at http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/519711/Dunedin-Venues-Management-Limited-2015-Annual-Report.pdf

You are entitled to have this decision reviewed by the Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely
Terry Davies

———————————————

From: Calvin Oaten
Subject: Fwd: [LGOIMA] Request
Date: 28 November 2015 12:08:46 am NZDT
To: Sue Bidrose

Hello Sue,
You will have been aware of my queries expressed recently via the [LGOIMA], re the DVML revenue [breakdown].
Well I would have to say that the reply as received is totally underwhelming. This would have to be the most condescending, snivelling, performance by a highly positioned manager one could expect. Hiding behind a clause in a flawed piece of legislation to deny a citizen stakeholder information which ought to be available, on the grounds that it would compromise the company in carrying out its business without prejudice or disadvantage is nothing but
a complete ‘cop-out’ by a less than forthright person. Unless there is detail showing activities detrimental to achieving maximum returns to the company, then I find it a disingenuous and rude dismissal of an honest request.

Sue, I am dissatisfied with his response but if you think it is the way it should lie, then I would be deeply disappointed. I would appreciate your comments as I treat this as a serious affront.

Cheers,
Calvin

[ends]

—

█ In other developments, ICC felt the need to secure games for its stadium. What have Terry Davies, (“make it work”) Dave Cull and Sue Bidrose been up to in behind ?

### ODT Online Fri, 27 Nov 2015
Rugby: Highlanders private investors revealed (+ video)
A group of South Island private investors has been granted a five-year licence to run the Highlanders. The group, headed by Ticket Direct boss Matthew Davey, has taken a 77% stake in the Dunedin-based Super Rugby franchise, with Otago, Southland and North Otago Provincial Unions having a 13% stake. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) retains a 10% share for the first two years.
Read more

Otago Daily Times Published on Nov 26, 2015
Highlanders private investors revealed

29.11.15 ODT: Rugby: New operators for Highlanders
The Invercargill City Council has underwritten the venture to the tune of up to $500,000 in return for one guaranteed game at Rugby Park each year for the next five years.

29.11.15 ODT: Canadian finds his ticket to success
Matthew Davey says the Highlanders helped make him – now he is ready to help return the favour. The Dunedin businessman says he started the company he founded, Ticket Direct, at Carisbrook in 1999, and it has since grown into a multinational entity based in Dunedin.

—

Related Posts and Comments:
6.10.15 DCC v Tauranga CC + costly stadium cycle/walkway :[
18.9.15 Tsunami stadium #DUD
● 29.7.15 Otago power consumers pay stadium debt, SO SORRY
● 24.7.15 Stadiums: Auckland works to limits —Dunedin, never
30.6.15 DCC low lifes #RugbyDebtStadium
● 18.5.15 DCC laundering – wring out Regent Theatre Trust, pump DVML
● 11.4.15 Stadium Tides = Subsidies (new English)
● 20.3.15 Stadium costs +$20M per annum, against one Fleetwood Mac…
10.3.15 *Surprise!* Farry’s f.u.b.a.r. Stadium not attracting first year Efts
1.3.15 DCC: DCHL/DVL/DVML limited half year result | Term borrowings…
28.2.15 Blonde ‘lawyer’ takes over DVML —expect no change
2.1.15 Stadium: Online petition to pressure $1M donation
14.12.14 ‘Stadium liability’, from the ODT unprintable letters file
1.12.14 Stadium Editorial Support strategy —ODT
1.12.14 Stadium Review: LGOIMA request and 2009 Town Hall speeches
22.11.14 ODT puffery for stadium rousing ?
● 21.11.14 Stadium Review: Mayor Cull exposed
● 19.11.14 Forsyth Barr Stadium Review
15.11.14 Stadium #TotalFail
12.11.14 DVML: Two directors gone before release of stadium review
● 8.10.14 Stadium: Liability Cull warns ratepayers could pay more to DVML
● 6.10.14 Stadium misses —like it would ever happen, Terry
4.10.14 DCHL & DVML: Call for directors
30.9.14 DCHL financial result
● 25.9.14 DVML on Otago Rugby and Rod
13.9.14 DVML and ORFU refuse to disclose 2012 Otago Rugby deal
10.9.14 Stadium: Behaviours at Suite 29 (intrepid tales)
1.8.14 DVML and the “Otago Rugby” deal (sponsorship and payments)
22.7.14 DVML catering and commercial kitchens….
21.7.14 DVML: No harassment policy or complaints procedure II
16.7.14 Stadium: Out of the mouths of uni babes…. #DVML
● 15.7.14 Rugby stadiums not filling #SkyTV
1.7.14 Southern Region, serving itself —or professional rugby (and Sky TV)
27.6.15 Stadium costs $23.4144 million per annum
24.6.14 Stadium: DVML, mothballing, and ‘those TVs’ #LGOIMA
23.6.14 DCC Annual Plan 2014/15 + Rugby and Rates
● 18.6.14 Crowe Horwath Report (May 2014) – Review of DVML Expenses
9.6.14 DVML: Crowe Horwath audit report (Hedderwick)
2.6.14 Stadium costs ballpark at $21.337 million pa, Butler & Oaten
● 20.5.14 Tim Hunter on Ward, McLauchlan, Hayne #Highlanders
7.5.14 Stadium: Jeff Dickie on costs
17.4.14 Aussie wine – NO parallels at DCC/DCHL/DVML/DVL/Delta/ORFU
3.4.14 DVML: Lost in transaction II (flatscreen TVs)
3.4.14 DVML: Lost in transaction (flatscreen TVs)
22.3.14 DVML, ‘Money for jam…..fig jam’
11.2.14 Stadium: ‘Business case for DVML temporary seating purchase’
● 11.12.13 Highlanders “Buy Us” entertainment: Obnoxious, noxious PROFESSIONAL RUGBY —stay away DCC !!!

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC v Tauranga CC + costly stadium cycle/walkway :[

Updated post
Wed, 7 Oct 2015 at 3:14 p.m.

—

Received from John Evans
Tue, 6 Oct 2015 at 3:50 p.m.

Radio NZ advised today that job applications for Tauranga had increased by 50% from Auckland’s over the past year. Auckland jobseekers look for the exit (updated at 4:52 pm).

The number of Aucklanders looking to leave the city and get jobs elsewhere is up by almost half from last year, new job figures from Trade Me show.

Population increases since Dunedin Debt burden blowout

Click to access statistical_information_report2014.pdf

One of the reasons applicants will seek positions in Tauranga (and not Dunedin) is the greater efficiency of the Tauranga local administration where Tauranga has less than half of the council employees, Dunedin ratepayers support.

Tauranga does not have an expensive indoor stadium (and it rains just as much), it does not have a $50 million overspend on council buildings, no Chinese garden, no Toitu museum.

Is it possible or even likely that Dunedin council has got the reasons for living in a city completely wrong.

New entrants want well organised RUBBISH collections, good management of water, waste water and SEWAGE.

They apparently do not want hare-brained schemes, and they don’t need mantra promising 10,000 more jobs, they are getting them due to increased population and an absence of stupid council schemes.

The only jarring note is that Tauranga is actioning 150km of cycleways. But my take on that is the cycleways are a National government pushed scheme and probably all of the cities are developing cycleways at our expense. What this means of course is that no city will have a cycling point of difference and therefore tourist numbers will be hardly likely to increase simply because of cycleways at ANY location. After all how many cyclists do you see on our cycleways. Apart from the rail trail (a genuine cycle path), the rest of them have SFA, bugger all, None basically.

[ends]

—

Ah, Mr Coryn Huddy still has a top paying job after slinging a gun while drunk at Fubar Stadium, then losing it. Thanks Terry Davies for using our Rates to pay freaking idiots. See other references at What if? Dunedin. Why were the police never called by DVML management? —the firearm incident happened prior to Terry Davies’ arrival as chief executive.

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
New cycleway/walkway officially opened

This item was published on 06 Oct 2015

Dunedin City Council today officially opened the new cycleway and walkway linking the wharf area with the west harbour near Forsyth Barr Stadium. The walkway/cycleway completes the connection between the eastern and western parts of the harbour cycle network and also means safer and easier access for people going to the stadium. It includes well-lit shared paths across and under the State Highway 88 bridge over the Leith and connects with Wickliffe Street near the corner of Fryatt Street.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, “The completion of this particular walkway/cycleway is an important milestone in Dunedin’s wider transport network. It ‘closes the loop’ on the harbour cycle network and also provides better connectivity and safety for a range of users.”

Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee Chair Cr Kate Wilson says, “I’m very pleased to see the extension of this shared path providing better connectivity towards the centre of town from State Highway 88.” Cr Wilson says the new link will be great for families gaining confidence on bikes and she’s now looking forward to further cycleway extensions which will open up cycling over time for many more commuters and recreational riders.

The completion of the new link also has several benefits for people going to Forsyth Barr Stadium. Dunedin Venues Chief Operating Officer Coryn Huddy says, “It is now a safer journey for stadium patrons because they no longer have to cross the busy State Highway 88.” “There is also faster access to the venue with walking times reduced by around 10 minutes for people parking in the vicinity of Fryatt Street. There are potentially more car parking options available as well because other spaces near the harbour may previously have been considered too far to walk,” Mr Huddy says.

█ The new cycleway/walkway project cost a total of $440,000.

This walkway/cycleway is the final stage of completing the State Highway 88 realignment project, for which the New Zealand Transport Agency was a co-investment partner.

Contact Transport Projects Team Leader on 477 4000.

DCC Link

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Douglas Field Published on Oct 6, 2015
cull and kate cycleway opening 6 10 15
Propaganda talk by ‘Hatter’ Cull and ‘Turkey’ Infrastructure Chair on central city cycleway link in Dunedin.

—

### ODT Online Tue, 6 Oct 2015
Safer way to get to stadium
A new cycleway and walkway linking Dunedin’s wharf area with the west harbour near Forsyth Barr Stadium will enable safer and easier access to the venue. The Dunedin City Council officially opened the $440,000 cycleway/walkway today, which completes the connection between the eastern and western parts of the harbour cycle network. It includes well-lit shared paths across and under the State Highway 88 bridge over the Leith, and connects with Wickliffe St near the corner of Fryatt St.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCHL: Annual Result for the year ended 30 June 2015

### dunedintv.co.nz Thu, 24 Sep 2015
DCHL in strong position
More than $15m has been paid out to the city council and its subsidiaries in the last financial year.
Ch39 Link

39 Dunedin News Published on Sep 24, 2015
DCHL in strong position

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Dunedin City Council – Media release
Annual Result for the year ended 30 June 2015

This item was published on 24 Sep 2015

The Board of Dunedin City Holdings Limited (DCHL) is pleased to report the financial result for the DCHL group for the year ending 30 June 2015.

Highlights
● Profit after tax and subvention payments for the group was $12.9m.
● We have distributed to the Dunedin City Council (DCC) and its subsidiaries outside the DCHL group a total of $15.7m consisting of $4.5m in dividends, $5.9m in interest and $5.2m net in subvention payments.
● Cash from operations continues to remain strong at $32.3m. This was after paying the budgeted subvention payments of $7.9m to Dunedin Venues Limited.
● Total borrowings across the group have reduced by $23m to $598m.
● The financial result for the year reflects the hard work and focus of the staff and directors of the DCHL group of companies, which is much appreciated.

Profit after tax for the group was $12.9m for the year consistent with last year’s result of $12.5m. The result for the year is a continuation of the solid returns for the group.

Aurora Energy Limited invested significantly in its network during the year, resulting in an overall increase of $23m in its asset base. This is a reflection of work being undertaken by the company in renewal investment on the Dunedin network and investment in the Central Otago network driven by growing consumer demand. Overall capital investment in the network over the next 10 years is expected to be $372m.

Now that Delta Utility Services Limited has fully exited its water and civil construction operations, it was able to have a full year concentrating on its core services. This saw a marked increase in demand and reflected positively on its results. Overall the company returned a surplus after tax of $4.7m.

City Forests Limited continues to consolidate its financial position through reduction in borrowings, an increase in its forestry investment and maintenance of its dividend distribution. The company had a net surplus of $7m after tax.

Taieri Gorge Railway Limited has turned around from a loss last year to record a surplus after tax of $173,000 in the year to 30 June 2015. The positive result is a reflection of an increase in passenger revenue and continued focus on costs within the business.

Dunedin International Airport Limited achieved an operating surplus of $1.7m for the year, consistent with its result of $1.8m for the previous financial year. The company was able to increase its dividend to DCHL in the year from $565,000 in 2013/14 to $640,000 in 2015/16.

A pleasing aspect of the financial performance is the continued drop in borrowings within the group’s balance sheet. Borrowings have decreased from $621 million at June 2014 to $598 million at June 2015. Most of this decrease has come from improved cashflow management within the group assisted by significantly reducing the interest costs for borrowing entities. All of the subsidiaries, other than Aurora Energy Limited, were able to reduce their debt levels during the year. An increase in debt levels by Aurora Energy Limited is expected given their capital investment programme.

Cash from operations continues to remain strong at $33m. The ability of the group to maintain strong operational cash flows is imperative to ensure that it can meet its dividends and capital investment requirements.

DCHL has signalled to the DCC, via its annual Statement of Intent, that its distributions to the Council will decrease from $15.7m to $11.2m over the next three years. With the planned capital investment being undertaken by Aurora, it is prudent that Aurora reduces dividend distributions to DCHL over the next three years to ensure the funds are invested into capital and to maintain an appropriate equity to total assets ratio. This naturally impacts in the distribution that DCHL can make to the Council.

Overall the upcoming 12 months for the group looks favourable. The capital investment by Aurora will provide financial stability for the company, Delta continues to grow its core contracts while maintaining its current contract base and improvements in the tourism market will continue to assist Taieri Gorge Railway. A favourable interest rate environment will assist in the cost of debt for Dunedin City Treasury Limited, and City Forests continues to operate well in the fluctuating forestry environment.

Contact DCHL Chair Graham Crombie on 0274 363 882
DCC Link

—

Related Post and Comments:
1.3.15 DCC: DCHL/DVL/DVML limited half year result | Term borrowings $586.5M
30.9.14 DCHL financial result

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Tsunami stadium #DUD

ODT 17.9.15 Wave surge warning for Otago
New Zealand’s southern marine and beach areas can expect strong currents and unpredictable water flows from wave surges following the earthquake.
Coastal Otago residents are being urged to watch out for wave surges from a tsunami generated by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake near Chile today.
Read more

Well done!
Submitted by Albert Square on Thu, 17/09/2015 – 7:16pm

What most people don’t realise is that Dunedin probably wouldn’t be able to attract an international tsunami of this size if we didn’t have the FB Stadium. So well done to Mr Davies and all those at the DVML/DVL for all your hard work.

It looks like the tide is finally turning. . .

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█ ‘Bread and Circuses – The Shady, Slimy and Corrupt World of Taxpayer Funded Sports Stadiums’ | posted by Michael Krieger at libertyblitzkrieg.com
[via zerohedge.com —see comments]

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image merge by whatifdunedin: tsunami [commonsenseevaluation.com] + fubar stadium [trendsideas.com]

Otago power consumers pay stadium debt, SO SORRY

Supplied.
ODT 29.7.15 (page 12)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin to host LGNZ 2016 conference —FFS TIME TO TAKE IT OUT

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Dunedin to Host 2016 LGNZ Conference

This item was published on 21 Jul 2015

Dunedin is all set to host the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) Conference for 2016 as this year’s conference wraps up in Rotorua today. LGNZ announced Dunedin as the host city for next year’s conference this week. The conference will bring up to 600 delegates to the city from 24-26 July 2016. Delegates will include mayors, chairs, chief executives, councillors and senior management from New Zealand’s councils as well as senior government ministers and stakeholders from the private sector, businesses, central government and non-government agencies.

[PROFLIGATE SPENDER ALERT] Mayor of Dunedin, Dave Cull says, “This is great opportunity for us to showcase Dunedin as a conference destination to the rest of the local government family. We don’t often get the chance to welcome people to Dunedin from every part of New Zealand at once. Delegates will get to experience New Zealand’s only UNESCO City of Literature, Gigatown winner and the country’s wildlife capital firsthand. It will also be an opportunity for all kind of councils to look at the challenges they have in common and discuss solutions.”

[DEBT-SPENDING PROPONENT ALERT] LGNZ President, Lawrence Yule says he is delighted the conference is returning to the deep south. “We have had a number of conferences in Dunedin over the past 20 years and the southern hospitality is always great,” he says. “The city has completed a significant upgrade of the hosting facilities at the Dunedin Centre and Town Hall and you put forward a very strong bid.”

The conference bid was made by Dunedin Venues and Enterprise Dunedin at the start of the year. They presented the Dunedin Centre and Town Hall facilities for the event and used Dunedin’s reputation for innovation, creativity and wildlife as a drawcard.

Contact Dave Cull, Mayor of Dunedin on 477 4000. DCC Link

—

Related Posts and Comments:
21.5.15 DCC and LGNZ, total losers
2.2.15 LGNZ run by Mad Rooster Yule, end of story
14.1.15 DCC Draft Long Term Plan: more inanity from Cull’s crew pending
13.1.15 Government’s council tax freeze
27.11.14 Auditor-general Lyn Provost #Resign
3.11.14 DCC: What happened to $20 million cash on hand? #LGOIMA
10.10.14 Cull consorts with losers at LGNZ
8.10.14 Stadium: Liability Cull warns ratepayers could pay more to DVML
18.9.14 DCC considers sale of “149 properties”
5.8.14 DCC staff-led CBD projects that impact ratepayers….
30.7.14 Dunedin City Council | Consolidated council debt
5.7.14 DCC’s debt level — who do you believe?
26.6.14 LGNZ #blaggardliars
23.6.14 DCC Annual Plan 2014/15 + Rugby and Rates
12.6.14 Fairfax Media [not ODT] initiative on Local Bodies
11.4.14 Councils: Unaccountable, ready to tax? #DCC #ORC
31.3.14 Audit services to (paying) local bodies #FAIL ● AuditNZ….
29.1.14 Mangawhai, Kaipara —we hear ya!
3.12.13 LGNZ: OAG report on Kaipara
7.10.13 DCC councillors, no idea annual cost of owning, operating FB Stadium
29.9.13 Alert: Dunedin voters —Mayors gain more powers
29.6.13 Audit NZ and OAG clean bill of health —Suspicious!
26.9.13 DCC: Council consolidated debt $623 million
21.4.13 Councils “in schtook” —finance & policy analyst Larry Mitchell
29.10.12 DCC consolidated debt substantially more than $616m to June 30, 2012
30.5.12 Larry Mitchell: 2012 Local Govt League Table Summary
4.7.11 Local government finances

█ For more, enter the terms *dcc*, *dchl*, *annual plan*, *long term plan*, *stadium* or *dvml* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Jeff Dickie: Edinburgh tough, Dunedin (DUD)

Further to the contents of an email from Jeff Dickie last month, who was writing from a hotel on Orchard Road at the time:

Supplied. ODT 13.7.15 (page 6)

****

INVOICE FRAUD AND MORE

TWO corrupt council officials and two businessmen who supplied them with cash and hospitality have been jailed with a warning they face “significant” sentences.

### HeraldScotland.com Wednesday 17 June 2015
Corrupt Edinburgh council officials face lengthy jail term
[…] Former local authority employees Charles Owenson and James Costello were treated to dances and drinks in lap dancing bars as valuable Edinburgh City Council contracts were secured through bribery. Ex-directors of Action Building Contracts Ltd (ABC Ltd) Kevin Balmer and Brendan Cantwell provided the rewards over the allocation of work for public buildings including schools, care homes and cemeteries.
Following their earlier guilty pleas a sheriff told them that he would continue their case until tomorrow for sentencing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court to consider the information he had been given. But Sheriff Michael O’Grady QC told the four men: “Having regard to the gravity of the offences, it is clear to me the sentences will require to be custodial and require to be significant.” He remanded all of them in jail ahead of sentencing.
Owenson and Costello were provided with hospitality, including corporate seats at Hibs and Hearts football grounds and meals out as well as cash, by Edinburgh-based construction firm ABC Ltd (Action Building Contracts). The contractors even submitted inflated invoices to the local authority for work carried out to cover the costs of the bribes they were paying council officials. Fiscal Keith O’Mahony earlier told the court: “In essence, the council was being charged for the cost of bribing its own officials.”
[…] Police began carrying out enquiries in 2010 as a result of complaints about the statutory notices system and were later informed that senior management had received “a whistleblower letter” alleging that Owenson was showing favouritism when allocating work to contractors. The Crown has raised proceedings to recover crime profits in the case.
Read more

█ 18.6.15 BBC News: Four jailed over Edinburgh City Council bribes

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Shades of the ‘Screaming Orgasm cocktails’ saga following Dunedin City Council’s decision to build the stadium. That evening, the board members of Carisbrook Stadium Charitable Trust went out to celebrate, booking their drinks at Alibi Bar & Restaurant to the Ratepayers.
Of course, there have been masses of local big-ticket ‘corruptions’: the stadium land purchases (including for realignment of SH88); the Carisbrook ‘deal’ with Otago Rugby Football Union, and further ‘Otago Rugby’ deals with Dunedin Venues (DVML); the Delta subdivisions and service contracts (Jacks Point and Luggate, and more recently Noble Village); the unravelling Citifleet fraud and insurance scam (substantially greater than 152 fleet vehicles lost off the inventory, allied to ‘traffic’ in car parts, tyres, service contracts, and fluid cash); the Dunedin Town Hall Redevelopment Project (via City Property) yet to be fully detailed; and field lights for Otago Cricket Association…….. et al.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Ombudsman complaint re DCC reply to LGOIMA requests #CSTfiles

Received from Bev Butler
Fri, 10 Jul 2015 at 11:25 a.m.

—

From: Bev Butler
To: complaint @ ombudsmen.parliament.nz
Subject: Ombudsman complaint: Whereabouts of secure storage facility?
Date: Fri, 10 Jul 2015 11:19:53 +1200

{Address and phone number removed. -Eds}

Friday 10 July 2015

Dear Sir/Madam

I wish to make a complaint about the Dunedin City Council’s reply to a recent LGOIMA request (copied below) where I ask the whereabouts of the secure storage facility and the date the DCC/CST documents were placed in the facility.
Please also refer to my email to Ombudsman Office dated 15 June 2015 where I express concern as to the safety of the DCC/CST documents.

In the DCC response it states:

“The location of the secure storage facility is withheld pursuant to s7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA to avoid prejudicing the commercial position of the person who is subject of the information.”
This is not a valid reason to refuse the request because s7(2)(b)(ii) only provides protection for “the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information”. This could be a valid reason to refuse to provide some of the documents, but not a valid reason to refuse to provide the location of the documents.

The other reason for refusing to provide the location was: “pursuant to s7(2)(f)(ii) of LGOIMA to enable the effective conduct of public affairs by protecting officers and persons from improper pressure or harassment.”
This is invalid because there are no public affairs being conducted that would be affected by revealing the location of the documents. More importantly, this only applies to “members or officers or employees of any local authority”. Revealing where the documents are, will not create any “improper pressure or harassment” on Council staff or Carisbrook Stadium Trust (CST) members.

The DCC in their response to the date the documents were stored in the secure storage facility state:
“The CST are unable to confirm when the documents were shifted to the storage facility. The person who can confirm this is now resident in Australia. Attempts were made to contact her but she is hospitalised, recovering from a serious illness and was unable to provide the information. Your request is therefore technically declined pursuant to s17(g) of LGOIMA as the information requested is not held.”
The DCC confirmed this morning that the documents were moved with permission of the CST. Therefore, if the documents were moved with the permission of the CST then section 2(6) of LGOIMA applies because the CST are subject to LGOIMA given their special agency agreement with the DCC.

I request the Ombudsman Office investigate the above.

Yours sincerely
Bev Butler

█ {See previous post for chain of correspondence up to and including Ms Graham’s reply at Thu, 9 Jul 2015 21:42:53 +0000, provided in full with Ms Butler’s complaint to the Ombudsman. -Eds}

—

Related Posts and Comments:
9.7.15 DCC: Council-owned CST files whereabouts not declared
27.6.15 Ratepayer boxes #saga
20.6.15 DCC / CST document scramble #LGOIMA

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Council-owned CST files whereabouts not declared

Updated post Fri, 10 Jul 2015 at 1:22 p.m.

Received from Bev Butler
Thu, 9 Jul 2015 at 12:32 p.m.

—

From: Bev Butler
Sent: Wednesday, 1 July 2015 1:46 p.m.
To: Sandy Graham [DCC]; Grace Ockwell [DCC]
Subject: LGOIMA Request: Whereabouts of secure storage facility?

Wednesday 1 July 2015

Dear Sandy and Grace

It was recently stated in the media that the DCC/CST documents were stored in a “secure storage facility”.
Also on Monday 29 June 2015, the CST stated:
“The CST advise that there is no charge for the storage and as such, there is no invoice.”

I request the location where these documents were stored, the type of “secure storage facility” and on what date the documents were taken to the secure storage facility.

Thank you.
Kind Regards
Bev

—

From: Sandy Graham [DCC]
To: Bev Butler
CC: Grace Ockwell [DCC]
Subject: RE: LGOIMA Request: Whereabouts of secure storage facility?
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2015 22:14:28 +0000

Dear Bev

I refer for your request for information about the CST secure storage facility where you asked the following questions:.
Where are the documents stored?
What type of secure storage facility it is?
What date were the documents taken to the facility?

I provide answers to these questions as follows:

The location of the secure storage facility is withheld pursuant to s7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA to avoid prejudicing the commercial position of the person who is subject of the information and pursuant to s7(2)(f)(ii) of LGOIMA to enable the effective conduct of public affairs by protecting officers and persons from improper pressure or harassment.

The facility is a commercial storage facility. I have already advised that it is not EziStor. Any further details that may identify the facility are however withheld pursuant to s7(2)(b)(ii) of LGOIMA to avoid prejudicing the commercial position of the person who is subject of the information and pursuant to s7(2)(f)(ii) of LGOIMA to enable the effective conduct of public affairs by protecting officers and persons from improper pressure or harassment.

The CST are unable to confirm when the documents were shifted to the storage facility. The person who can confirm this is now resident in Australia. Attempts were made to contact her but she is hospitalised, recovering from a serious illness and was unable to provide the information. Your request is therefore technically declined pursuant to s17(g) of LGOIMA as the information requested is not held.

As we have withheld information you are entitled to a review of our decisions by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Regards
Sandy

—

From: Bev Butler
To: Sandy Graham [DCC]
CC: Grace Ockwell [DCC]
Subject: RE: LGOIMA Request: Whereabouts of secure storage facility?/Clarification
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2015 14:15:33 +1200

Dear Sandy and Grace

Appreciate clarification before contacting Ombudsman.
In the response it states:
“The CST are unable to confirm when the documents were shifted to the storage facility. The person who can confirm this is now resident in Australia.”
Given the statement above which implies that there is only one person in the world who knows when the documents were moved, is it correct to assume the documents were moved by the “sick lady” without the permission of the CST?
Is it also correct to assume the documents were placed in the secure storage facility without the knowledge of the secure storage facility’s owner, given the “sick lady” in Australia is the only person who knows when the documents were stored there?

Kind Regards
Bev

—

From: Sandy Graham [DCC]
To: Bev Butler
CC: Grace Ockwell [DCC]
Subject: RE: LGOIMA Request: Whereabouts of secure storage facility?/Clarification
Date: Thu, 9 Jul 2015 21:42:53 +0000

Dear Bev

Your assumptions are incorrect.

Regards
Sandy

—

Related Posts and Comments:
27.6.15 Ratepayer boxes #saga
20.6.15 DCC / CST document scramble #LGOIMA

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC low lifes #RugbyDebtStadium

Huh? Huh?

The council is increasing the capital of its investment company by $850m. (Ch39)

### dunedintv.co.nz June 30, 2015 – 7:24pm
DCC takes ownership of Dunedin Venues Limited
City councillors have voted for the organisation to take on an extra $30m of debt. That’s being transferred today from Dunedin Venues Limited. Councillors have also approved the equivalent payment of DVL shares, to repay the debt. And they’ve voted for the council to take ownership of the company, as well as Dunedin Venues Management Limited, for the new financial year.
Ch39 Link [no video available]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC / Carisbrook Stadium Trust document scramble #LGOIMA

Received from Bev Butler
Fri, 19 June 2015 at 9:13 a.m.

—

From: Bev Butler
To: Lee Vandervis, Dave Cull, David Benson-Pope, Hilary Calvert, John Bezett, Doug Hall, Aaron Hawkins, Mike Lord, Jinty MacTavish, Andrew Noone, Neville Peat, Chris Staynes, Richard Thomson, Andrew Whiley, Kate Wilson
Subject: Mayor and Councillors/Security of DCC/CST stadium documents
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 2015 08:50:20 +1200

Friday 19 June 2015
 
Dear Mayor Cull and Councillors
 
During my recent DCC Annual Plan submission I requested a full forensic audit of the Carisbrook Stadium Trust (CST). You will recall that preliminary informal investigations found that documentation has been withheld. The CST and the previous CEO of the DCC both attempted via undisclosed legal opinions to ensure that this documentation remained hidden from any investigation or even LGOIMA requests and it is now more than clear that the CST, as an agent of the DCC, have no right to retain ANY documentation that relates to the entire period which the CST were in any way acting as an agent of the DCC. The CST appears to have no other function than continuing to receive donations from private persons as part of the private sector funding so, given that, I do not believe ANY documentation should be withheld from the DCC.
 
Since my public call for a full forensic investigation I have been greatly concerned about the security of the DCC/CST documents all of which were financed with ratepayer money.
 
It has now been revealed that the Chair of CST, Mr Malcolm Farry has removed most of the documents from the stadium and dumped them in a container. By doing so I believe that he has demonstrated a desire to thwart any investigation into any inappropriate spending of ratepayers money which could be revealed by a forensic audit, but he has also on the face of it, essentially misappropriated the documentation which has been, and remains, the property of the DCC.
 
On Monday 15 June 2015 I also contacted the Office of the Ombudsman expressing my concern over the security of the documents.
A representative of the Ombudsman Office then rang the DCC Governance Manager on Monday afternoon.
 
As elected representatives I believe you should be made aware of the situation.
 
Below is an urgent LGOIMA request I submitted on Tuesday 16 June 2015 followed by an acknowledgement of the request.
Further down the page is the earlier correspondence I had with the DCC CEO requesting the documents be secured.
 
Kind Regards
Bev Butler

—
 
From: Bev Butler
To: Grace Ockwell [DCC], Sandy Graham [DCC]
CC: Sue Bidrose [DCC]
Subject: URGENT LGOIMA Request: Security of DCC/CST stadium documents
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2015 09:17:33 +1200

Tuesday 16 June 2015
 
Dear Sandy and Grace
 
Given the following:
1. Changes to LGOIMA recently came into force on 26 March 2015.
In light of these changes, and especially the changes to s2(6) which unequivocally states that a local authority will be deemed to hold any information held by an independent contractor in its capacity as contractor.
2. Under section 3 of Schedule 5 of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between the CST and DCC it states:
“All files, records and other information held by CST and DVML will be held at the offices of DVML and made available to CST and DVML Board members and staff as required.”
3. DCC Governance staff were told by the Chair of CST, Mr Malcolm Farry, that ALL the DCC/CST stadium documents were in a locked room at DVML offices as per the SLA and only Malcolm Farry and his secretary had keys to the locked room. 
4. Recently it has transpired that MOST of the documents are not in the DVML offices.
5. Most of the documents are now in a container.
 
Therefore, given the LGOIMA legislation, the contract between DCC and CST and other information above, I request the following:
1. On what date were the DCC/CST documents removed from the DVML offices?
2. Apart from Malcolm Farry, who else was involved in the removal of the documents?
3. Which other CST trustees were aware of the removal of the documents?
4. Where exactly is the container located?
5. How are the documents stored in this container? Are they in cardboard boxes, supermarket bags, filing cabinets or thrown in piles or some other storage method?
6. Will the DCC report this removal of local government documents to the Police given this was done without DCC permission?
7. Will the DCC now seize these documents as is their legal right under the SLA?
8. The name of the law firm and lawyer who has been providing legal advice to the DCC over the security of the DCC/CST stadium documents?
 
Given the seriousness of this situation, I am requesting that this request be treated with urgency.
 
Kind Regards
Bev

—
 
From: Sandy Graham
To: Bev Butler
CC: Sue Bidrose, Grace Ockwell
Subject: RE: URGENT LGOIMA Request: Security of DCC/CST stadium documents
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2015 02:00:11 +0000

Dear Bev
 
Thank you for your request below. I note that you have requested urgency and we will consider this request. If we decide that we will not progress the request urgently, you will receive a response as soon as practicable or within twenty working days.
 
I do wish to formally advise that I have sighted the CST files and after conversations with the CST have no concerns about their security. I note your reference to the provisions of the Deed between the CST and the DCC and will work to give effect to that with the CST over coming days.
 
Regards
Sandy

—

From: Bev Butler
To: Sandy Graham
CC: Sue Bidrose, Grace Ockwell
Subject: RE: URGENT LGOIMA Request: Security of DCC/CST stadium documents
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2015 14:30:55 +1200

Dear Sandy
 
Thank you for your email.
Do the CST still have access to these documents?
 
Kind Regards
Bev

—

From: Bev Butler
Sent: Tuesday, 16 June 2015 3:47:51 p.m.
To: Sandy Graham
Cc: Sue Bidrose, Grace Ockwell

Dear Sandy
 
Further to your email below where you state:
“I note your reference to the provisions of the Deed between the CST and the DCC and will work to give effect to that with the CST over coming days.”
Can I assume that the DCC will be taking control of the documents by the end of the week as per SLA?
 
Kind Regards
Bev

—
  
From: Bev Butler
Sent: 24 May 2015 4:16 p.m.
To: Sue Bidrose
Subject: Security of stadium documents
Importance: High
 
Sunday 24 May 2015
 
Dear Dr Bidrose
 
I wish to formally request that the DCC secure the CST stadium documents.
Some time ago, I was made aware of a threat by Mr Malcolm Farry, Chair of CST, to remove the documents from the locked stadium room.
I think it is essential to ensure the security of these documents.
 
Given Mr Farry’s ongoing refusal to release information even with the recent change in legislation to LGOIMA and given the false statements and the malicious attack on me which he made on the front page of the ODT on Friday 22 May 2015 I believe it may be necessary to: 
(a) change the locks as I understand Mr Farry has the only key;
(b) secure any external window(s) from possible break-in or access to damage the documents.
(c) ensure Mr Farry is escorted by a security guard at all times whilst in the document room if he does now decide to co-operate.
 
Yours sincerely
Bev Butler
 
PS I think it fair to inform you I will be making this request public in a few days time.

—
 
From: Sue Bidrose
To: Bev Butler
Subject: RE: Security of stadium documents
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 03:38:28 +0000

Hi Bev
 
Thanks for the conversation. To just put it in writing, I have had discussions with the CST representative and we are working together to ensure DCC has full access to CST documents pertaining to the stadium build. Most of the documents are not at the stadium and therefore ‘locking the door’ would not only be likely to provoke legal retaliation, it would be counterproductive in our working together to ensure DCC has the documents that we are legally required to have.
 
Kind regards
 
Sue

—
 
From: Bev Butler
To: Sue Bidrose
Subject: RE: Security of stadium documents
Date: Fri, 5 Jun 2015 17:22:51 +1200

Hi Sue
 
Thanks for the email.
fyi
On reading the Service Level Agreement today on page 20 it states under Schedule 5 – Resources/Administration
3. All files, records and other information held by CST and DVML will be held at the offices of DVML and made available to CST and DVML Board members and staff as required.
 
Kind regards
Bev

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr