Bradken keen to sell Tewsley Street premises

### dunedintv.co.nz November 17, 2014 – 6:25pm
Bradken’s move to Hillside Workshops foundry delayed
It’s been two years since Bradken announced it would move its Dunedin operations to the Hillside Workshops foundry. But the global company seems unable to sell its long-time premises in Tewsley Street. Bradken signed a five-year agreement with KiwiRail to lease the Hillside foundry. It planned to move its entire operation to the site, and expand capacity. Some workers have moved to Hillside, and the foundry’s been marked with the Bradken logo. But the company’s Tewsley Street premises remain open and on the market. Bradken’s been in Tewsley Street for almost 50 years.
Ch39 Link

Bradken Resources Pty Ltd, Mason St frontage (detail) | Derek Smith 2003

ODT articles:
25.1.13 Bradken tight-lipped over Hillside move
22.5.13 Bradken on the move
8.6.13 Bradken’s foundry site likely to be divided
5.7.13 Final day at Hillside
7.8.13 4-day week as Kiwi Rail tender lost
8.8.13 Otago unemployment up 37% on year ago
14.8.13 Bradken earnings down at $A183.6m
21.12.13 Rally helps keep Hillside hopes alive
29.12.13 Bradken staff back on five-day week

DCC Webmap – Bradken, 2 Tewsley Street, Harbourside [click to enlarge]

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### dunedntv.co.nz November 14, 2014 – 7:02pm
Nightly interview: Des Adamson
There’s been good and bad news for the Dunedin business sector recently, with the closure of some operations and expansion of others. Des Adamson is the manager of economic development at Enterprise Dunedin, and he’s here to tell us about the state of business in the city. Video

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*In 2003 photographer Derek Smith generously shared two DVDs of Dunedin images he had made, for my use in heritage advocacy. These include industrial and commercial subjects.

Whaleoil on “dodgy ratbag local body politicians” —just like ours at DCC

### whaleoil.co.nz Fri, 31 Oct 2014 at 5:20pm
Why is there no law to rein in dodgy ratbag local body politicians?
By Cameron Slater
Former ARC Councillor Bill Burrill is not the first dodgy ratbag Councillor to trough from abuses of power to his own pecuniary advantage in recent years. A few years back in 2009 Council Watch was calling for a number of Councillors from the Canterbury Regional Council to be prosecuted and sacked from their positions after an investigation by the Auditor General Lyn Provost found that four individuals had broken the law by acting in conflict with their official role. Back then those Canterbury Councillors failed to declare a conflict on interest that [led] to a financial benefit for themselves by participating in discussion and voting on proposals before Council. Under investigation the Auditor General’s office chose not to prosecute stating that whilst the Councillors should have withdrawn as a matter of principle – they had each received and shared legal advice that they could participate. And here in lies the problem. The Auditor General and Office of the Ombudsmen publish clear guidelines for Councillors and council staff but the reality is that the law is erroneously filled with holes that are exploited and there is precious little oversight of Local Government leading to the Auditor General loathing to bother and the Courts uninterested.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC adds staff positions, significant ratepayer cost

Two permanent full-time project co-ordinators to run the Project China and Export Education Uplift initiatives.

### ODT Online Tue, 21 Oct 2014
Vandervis takes aim over funding request
By Chris Morris
There were heated exchanges between Dunedin city councillors as a debate over an economic development funding request turned into a spat yesterday. The dust-up came as councillors considered a request from the Grow Dunedin Partnership to use $190,000 a year from existing council budgets to pay staff salaries for two projects during the next three years.
Read more

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█ Report – EDC – 20/10/2014 (PDF, 126.7 KB)
Economic Development Strategy Projects Budget – Project Co-ordinators’ Funding Request

From the report…

Enterprise Dunedin’s EDS projects budget is $518,000 for the current 2014/2015 financial year and has yet to be ratified for the 2015/16 year and future years. This budget pays for progressing EDS projects and includes payment for the project co-ordinators and project management costs.

RECOMMENDATIONS
That the Committee:

1. Approve the earmarking of $190,000 on an annual basis from the Economic Development Project Budget for the purpose of employing two project co-ordinators.

2. That this funding be included as two line items within the Economic Development Project fund for a period of three years:
- Export Education Uplift Co-ordinator – $95,000
- Project China Co-ordinator – $95,000

BACKGROUND
Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy (EDS) was adopted in 2013 by its six partners. There are two specific economic goals:

1. 10,000 extra jobs over 10 years (requiring employment growth of approximately 2% per annum.

2. An average of $10,000 extra income for each person (requiring GDP per capita to rise by about 2.5% per annum).

. . .

The Strategy is built around five themes:
1. Business vitality
2. Alliances for innovation
3. A hub of skills and talent
4. Linkages beyond our borders
5. A compelling destination

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Related Posts and Comments:
14.8.14 Mayor Cull’s reflections on Edinburgh #SisterCity #Junkets
21.4.14 Dunedin economic development strategy — low flying Year 1
15.3.13 Dunedin showcase (election year tripe): economic development strategy
19.6.12 DRAFT Dunedin Economic Development Strategy
31.5.12 Public Forum: Dunedin’s DRAFT Economic Development Strategy

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Daaave Dodo Cull —highly evolved from turkey

### ODT Online Mon, 22 Sep 2014
Cull calls for end to exploitation
By Timothy Brown
Dunedin’s mayor has added his voice to the chorus of local politicians calling for an end to worker exploitation. Speaking to the Otago Daily Times about the issue recently, Dave Cull said: “It’s a major focus of council to create jobs in this community, but not sweatshop jobs. Those employers aren’t welcome, we don’t want them and we don’t need them.”
Read more

****

█ Sketchy outline of Dodo Daaave’s confusion:

On results of the latest Residents’ Opinion Survey (ROS 2014):

“Mayor Dave Cull said it was ironic the community rated economic development, jobs and businesses so highly given changes to local Government meant councils no longer had a mandate to work in that area.” ODT 29.7.14

****

█ Dodo Daaave saves jobs from extinction:

Dunedin Economic Development Strategy (2013), a blueprint for increasing incomes and job opportunities for Dunedin people —creating 10,000 jobs and lifting the median income by $10,000 pa within 10 years.

Partners: Dunedin City Council, Ngai Tahu, Otago Chamber of Commerce, Otago Polytechnic, Otago Southland Employers Association, and University of Otago.

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Related Posts and Comments:
1.9.14 Cull’s council spent the cash
9.9.14 DCC: More loose spending on Cull’s watch #SexySummerJobs wtf
14.8.14 Mayor Cull’s reflections on Edinburgh #SisterCity #Junkets
23.7.14 Eddie Cull suffering lead singer’s disease?
23.7.14 Minister of Finance Bill English on Dunedin governance #Regions #Cull
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs
21.4.14 Dunedin economic development strategy — low flying Year 1
5.3.14 Stadium: Mayor Cull stuck in his rut, ‘going forward’
23.2.14 Mayor Cull ‘handshakes’ Hodgson
24.12.13 Daaave’s $47 million Christmas present to Jinty. We’re paying.
17.11.13 Cull, MacTavish: (to borrow a phrase) “Have you fixed the debt crisis?”
19.8.13 Cull on senility (firing up graduates)
8.7.14 Bloody $tupid cycleways and Cull’s electioneering…
30.4.13 Shrinkwrap the Mayor of Dunedin —Cull snubs Dalai Lama #shame
15.3.13 Dunedin showcase (election year tripe): economic development strategy
28.9.12 Turkey. Cull.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: thegreenupgirl.com – Dodo bird

DCC $tar-ship enterprise

Prepare for intergalactic exchange…

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More structural changes inside the council, including across its property group, are expected to be announced today by chief executive Sue Bidrose.

### ODT Online Fri, 2 May 2014
Agency given a name
By Debbie Porteous
The new Dunedin marketing agency to co-ordinate tourism, events, investment, skills and migrant promotion efforts for the city will be known as Enterprise Dunedin. Dunedin City Council […] was to form the new agency, moving Tourism Dunedin in-house, from July 1. The agency would be responsible for economic development and city marketing and consist of the council’s present economic development unit, i-Site and Tourism Dunedin staff.
Read more

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Updated post 3.5.14

New team structure unveiled
Following consultation with staff the decision was made to retain property staff as one team. A new property manager, in a lower level management position than previously, would oversee the team and report to infrastructure and networks general manager Tony Avery. However, ownership, and therefore any final decisions, of the investment property portfolio would sit with group chief financial officer Grant McKenzie.
ODT Link

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: 3.bp.blogspot.com – NSE bridge; odt.co.nz – Grant McKenzie (re-imaged by whatifdunedin)

Dunedin economic development strategy — low flying Year 1

Call a meeting with local business representatives… does this speakfest qualify as formal reporting (audit) of ‘first-year’ progress for Dunedin’s economic development strategy, through the touted partnership process? Perhaps this is ‘same-old’ head chasing tail stuff? Ratepayers and residents deserve to know how much money DCC is wasting on partnership activity, junkets and promotion. What are the true gains or losses to DCC on fostering this ‘investment’? Cr Chris Staynes, be accountable and transparent for the council pigs that fly.

█ Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy BY DUNEDIN FOR DUNEDIN AND BEYOND 2013-2023 (PDF, 1408 KB)

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The Otago Southland Employers Association “had reviewed export capacity” and was “focusing on mentoring and assisting medium to small companies to improve their exports”.

### ODT Online Mon, 21 Apr 2014
City development a long game: Staynes
By Debbie Porteous
Cr Chris Staynes told about 150 members of Dunedin’s business community gathered recently for an update on the city’s year-old economic development strategy that a partnership of the city council, Ngai Tahu, Otago Polytechnic, University of Otago, Otago Chamber of Commerce and Otago Southland Employers Association was already making inroads on an agreed target of creating 10,000 extra jobs in Dunedin and increasing average per capita income by $10,000 in 10 years.
Read more

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“At the far end of the positive scale was Dunedin, declining from 5% the previous quarter to the last of the eight regions in positive territory, at 3%.”

### ODT Online Mon, 21 Apr 2014
Business
Queenstown investors rival Auckland’s
By Simon Hartley
Queenstown and Dunedin are poles apart in commercial property investor confidence, as the tourism capital vies with Auckland for top spot.
The Colliers International quarterly survey on commercial property investor confidence, based on more than 3700 responses [shows] Auckland and Queenstown have returned confidence levels at 58% and 56% respectively, similar to the previous quarter, while Christchurch has slumped from 60% to 43%, but is third-highest of the 11 regions canvassed.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
15.4.14 Destination Queenstown immediately on the job #RoyalVisitNZ
14.4.14 Woop! Waterfront TOWER hotel RIP [Fail: Song gives up]
10.4.14 Stadium: Edgar’s $1m donation (private sector fundraising) [Fail/IOU]
8.4.14 Cinderella Shanghai + 75 ugly sisters
20.3.14 Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General [Fail: Lose $9m]
17.2.14 Oil and gas: Supply base competition [Fail: No gas]
24.1.14 Stadium: It came to pass . . . [Fail: Stadium Review, losing +$20m pa]
17.12.13 Eiontown killing it: Plans for upmarket convention centre + hot pools
29.10.13 DCC (EDU) invents new job! [Fail: Digital Office]
14.8.13 Fall Down Otago —The Summit (gasp!)
18.7.13 Dear DCC: Dunedin’s [choke] $47M cycle network [Fail: Expensive gifts to minority]
17.5.13 Dunedin: city marketing @@@ [Ongoing Fail]
15.3.13 Dunedin showcase (election year tripe): economic development strategy
31.10.12 Cull’s council takes business away from retailers [Fail: CBD bus stops and parking]
17.10.12 “But there’s more to Dunedin than just bloody cruise ships”
13.9.12 Dunedin City Council meeting (17 Sept) [EDS: Seven priority projects]
19.6.12 DRAFT Dunedin Economic Development Strategy
5.5.12 Dunedin and the southern region’s business future

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: awakenedaesthetic.com – Flying Pig coin bank (re-imaged by whatifdunedin)

DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 Submissions due by 15 April

### ODT Online Fri, 11 Apr 2014
Draft budget feedback pretty good: council
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council says feedback on its draft budget has been “pretty good” despite some disappointing turnouts at public meetings in recent weeks. The council concluded a series of eight public meetings and drop-in sessions with a discussion of cycleway and road-widening work on Otago Peninsula at the Edgar Centre on Tuesday night.
Public submissions on the council’s 2014-15 draft annual plan were “flooding in now” and had reached 427 by late yesterday, council corporate planner Jane Nevill said. That was well above the 262 submissions received by the council on its 2013-14 draft budget.
Read more

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DRAFT DCC ANNUAL PLAN 2014/2015
The draft annual plan sets out the Council’s proposed annual budgets and performance measures for 2014/15 and updates the information for the 2014/15 year that in contained in the Council’s ten year plan or Long Term Plan (LTP) which was put in place last year.
Please tell DCC whether you agree or disagree with spending priorities for 2014/15 outlined in the draft plan by making a submission.
The consultation period is your opportunity to “Have Your Say” about what you want to see included in the Council’s plans.

█ Submissions close at 5pm, Tuesday 15 April 2014.
Timeframes and Meeting times

█ Read more (with downloads):
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/your-council/draft-annual-plan-2014-2015

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Related Posts and Comments:
30.3.14 Paul Pope on local body annual plans
20.1.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

New Zealand waste recycling

How many businesses in Dunedin have a zero waste policy or strategies in place for minimisation of waste and packaging? Would the city and regional councils even care? Do they facilitate? What is Otago Chamber of Commerce advocating to its membership?

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Link received from Hype O’Thermia
Saturday, 5 April 2014 10:54 a.m.

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00 05/04/2014
Recycling buyers losing patience
By Abbie Napier
On your way to work you stop and grab a takeaway coffee. A few minutes later, you make the point of putting it in the recycling bin, secure in the knowledge you’ve done your bit for global warming today. A few hours later, a recycling collection truck comes by and ferries the recycling bin contents to a sorting plant. Diligent and nimble-fingered staff grab your takeaway cup off the conveyor belt and throw it into the rubbish pile headed for landfill.

Contrary to popular belief, cardboard takeaway coffee cups are no longer being recycled. Neither are plastic bottle caps, supermarket shopping bags, pizza boxes or beer boxes.

New Zealand is reliant on the custom of foreign recycling companies which set the standards, and they are getting fussy. New Zealand has no recycling facilities. There are plenty of collecting and sorting depots, but none can actually recycle the material they collect. Instead, Kiwi companies sort and grade items. Companies from China, Indonesia, India and Vietnam then tender for a shipment of a certain grade of paper, plastic or aluminium. Bales are stacked into shipping containers and sent overseas, where they are eventually recycled.

Mastagard is the South Island’s largest independently-owned recycling and waste collection company. Quality assurance and shipping manager Dave Oberholzer said the recycling industry was changing. In the past five months, he has had to slowly start excluding items like takeaway coffee cups from his recycling operation. Oberholzer said if a centrally-located recycling facility was set up in New Zealand, it would be well used. It would stop the recycling industry from being dictated by foreign companies and would cost less for local companies.
Read more

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WHITCOULLS CRINGE PALACE – DUNEDIN
Have you visited Whitcoulls ‘revamped’ store in George Street lately? Books and magazines have been pushed to the back of store, book displays promoting new titles are ho-hum (so bad, why bother?), try finding the book section that interests you… Replacing the books at front of store are shelves and shelves of hideous brightly-coloured ‘over-packaged’ childrens toys and education aids.

With these changes, Whitcoulls transcends the last ten or so years of middle-of-the-road dullness. Not in a good way. Apart from nearly going bust, the company has made the large premises mind-numbingly awful – functionally and aesthetically. This is Cringe Palace.

What is Whitcoulls telling New Zealand families? “Welcome to the throw-away age!” “Books, what are books?! (we don’t know)” “Buy cheap trash from shipping containers, manufactured by overseas underclasses!” “Fight your way through the packaging!” “These products can’t be recycled here, that’s a good thing!” Et cetera.

Whitcoulls has been diminished and devalued by its owners and directors. The retail market is always hard, especially for ‘average’ book stores. But for ‘imagining the scene’ that promotes child and adult education and entertainment, if not stationery supplies… Whitcoulls has concussion and blindness. By abandoning and denying innovation and inspiration, Whitcoulls fails all the challenges that make New Zealand retail fun and edgy.

Whitcoulls George Street resembles another $2 store, with huge mark-ups. The proud historical Whitcoull’s brand is LOST. Packaged Junk is now the primary ‘store presence’. Ghastly.

We won’t be back.

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Related Post and Comments:
5.12.09 Dunedin’s kerbside waste collections

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

HOTEL Town Hall… Another investment group, Daaave’s pals from the communist state?

ODT (via Channel 39) tells us that Dunedin City Council is discussing a proposal for another hotel in the city. This time, near the Town Hall.

For the Filleul Street/Moray Place car park site?

[ODT Link added 2.4.14] CBD may get new hotel

Together with the hotel project for 41 Wharf Street (Worstways), is Daaave intent on cutting off at the knees developer Geoff Thomson and the locally financed Distinction Dunedin Hotel? Oh probably.

Daaave’s that thick. And so is Staynes. Both men should not be in charge of this forsaken city. Staynes, will keep pumping the $20 million Dunedin airport runway extension. (The Chinese love investing in quiet ports and airports – why not sell them Dunedin Hospital too? And an aquarium where we can watch mermaids swim.)

If Worstways elected to piss off from the waterfront, the ‘Town Hall’ site or the Dowling Street carpark would count as sensible solutions for DCC to control height, townscape and cultural landscape.

City Property had better not be hocking off prime publicly-owned development sites to the overseas Horror Brigade. Of course they will, to meet the Council Debt CRISIS created by the criminal STADIUM build.

Or… City Property (in a new group guise) will do the hotel build and lease out to our ‘Mainland’ customers?

DUNEDIN IS UP FOR SALE by the IDIOT DCC which determinedly FAILS in business. Time and time again, while CLOSE MATES in the private sector accumulate wealth as they clip their tickets and pillage City Ratepayers and Residents.

Fail-proof DCC recipes for widening The GAP.

Exactly what you’d expect from the short-arsed mayor and his dumb-blond wine taster. Hospitality anyone? Nah, we’d rather go to Queenstown too.

****

Subsequent to writing the above HYSTERIA, this was found at the DCC website. BINGO. We are DEAD.

SELL OUT STATEMENT PROPER
[How to raise property prices beyond the reach of Dunedin people and all New Zealanders (see Auckland issues) – recent tweets from Sophie Barker have been promoting Chanel O’Brien. Both Economic Development Unit babes-in-the-woods are taxed with selling this city from beneath our feet. Check their CVs. Then think about who the EDU manager is.]

Do note, The Prospectus, joke, will be distributed WITHOUT being formally approved by the elected Council.

Dunedin City Council – Media Release
Promoting Investment in Dunedin

This item was published on 01 Apr 2014

An investment prospectus has been developed for Dunedin to provide valuable information for potential investors.

The prospectus is a generic, high-level “fishing “document which aims to elicit interest from businesspeople who are considering options to expand their businesses and ex-pats thinking of returning to New Zealand. It also encourages high net worth individuals/investors from New Zealand and offshore to seek further information about opportunities in Dunedin.

Co-ordinated by the Dunedin City Council’s Economic Development Unit, the investment prospectus aligns with projects under the umbrella of Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy.

DCC Business Development Advisor Chanel O’Brien says work on the prospectus has been carried out in collaboration with the City Investment Panel, which is developing a cohesive approach to investment in the city under the strategic theme of ‘business vitality’.

“In addition, the document aligns to another strategic objective, ‘linkages beyond our borders’, proactively attracting more businesses and investment into the city.”

After consultation with businesses, support agencies, the tertiary sector and skilled migrants, the prospectus focuses on the key areas of health and education across the tertiary and business sector.

The internationally-recognised research capacity of the University of Otago, coupled with the market validation and product development capacity of the Otago Polytechnic, is a focus of the document, along with a wide selection of businesses that have started and grown in the city. Opportunities are noted in areas such as education and learning, health technologies, design technology and niche manufacturing.

Ms O’Brien says the 37-page prospectus also features information on access to markets, infrastructure, resources, the regulatory environment, and business culture and lifestyle.

The investment prospectus has been endorsed by the City Investment Panel. This is a collaborative group of economic development partners, including New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, which is committed to generating market confidence and trust in Dunedin as a prime location for investment. The Panel also includes representatives from all the partners driving Dunedin’s Economic Development Strategy – the DCC, Ngāi Tahu, the Otago Chamber of Commerce, the Otago Polytechnic, the Otago Southland Employers Association and the University of Otago.

To see a copy of the prospectus, visit
www.dunedin.govt.nz/services/business-support.

The prospectus will go to the DCC’s Economic Development Committee on 7 April, for noting.

Contact Business Development Advisor on 03 477 4000.

DCC Link

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Broadband AND bicycles #fraudband speed

Contentious McPravda | ‘Cull, Vandervis censured over feud’ —read Rob Hamlin on the front page headline and story appearing at ODT today. Link

Video link received Friday, 14 February 2014 at 2:33 a.m.

Subject: Broadband AND bicycles
Comment: Yes, it’s possible to have the best of all worlds, almost.

ClarkeAndDawe Published 11 Apr 2013

A Very Smooth Presentation
“Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott release the Opposition Broadband policy” Originally aired on ABC TV: 11/04/2013

Discussing the cheaper alternative to Fibre to the Premises (FttP), known as BttP or Bicycle to the Premises.

ABCTV: For 25 years John Clarke and Bryan Dawe have broadcast a weekly interview in which prominent figures speak about matters of public importance. John pretends to be someone he isn’t pretending to be and Bryan behaves with grace under pressure. The interviews are broadcast on ABCTV on Thursday nights and are available online here, on mrjohnclarke.com and on YouTube. They are also available by prescription at selected retail outlets.

http://www.twitter.com/mrjohnclarke
http://www.facebook.com/ClarkeAndDawe

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More Clarke and Dawe at What if? Dunedin:
29.12.13 Clarke and Dawe —November/December 2013
17.11.13 Cull, MacTavish: (to borrow a phrase) “Have you fixed the debt crisis?”
9.11.13 Quiz on politics

Related Posts and Comments:
9.10.14 DCC’s Daaave at university bollard, in his twilight
14.1.14 DCC: Hospital area parking changes #cyclelanes
24.12.13 Daaave’s $47 million Christmas present to Jinty. We’re paying.
29.10.13 DCC (EDU) invents new job! [GigatownDunedin]

For more on cycle lanes, enter *cycle* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin’s former Chief Post Office

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### ODT Online Sat, 22 Jun 2013
Post office conversion ready to go
By Hamish McNeilly
A multimillion-dollar project to transform the former Dunedin chief post office has been delivered. Work on converting the 10-storey heritage building into a 120-apartment hotel and office space for Silver Fern Farms and other commercial tenants could begin within weeks.

Building owner Geoff Thomson, of Distinction Hotels, told the Otago Daily Times: “I just love the building and it was just about trying to find a way to make it stack up.”

Arrow International would spearhead the fit-out of the office space and hotel and the construction of a multilevel car park at the rear of the building. The four-star plus Distinction Dunedin hotel project would cost more than $15 million, but those involved with the project declined to confirm a figure.
However, the anchor tenancy of Silver Fern Farms, which would occupy the first two floors, and unnamed commercial tenants the third floor, would help to “underpin the building”, Mr Thomson said.
The commercial floors would be fitted out by the end of the year. Construction of a three-storey car park on its Bond St car park at the rear of the building would also be done by then. Designs had yet to be finalised for the remaining seven floors of the hotel apartments.
Read more

[history and significance]
█ Heritage New Zealand (HNZ) registration report: List No. 2145 (Category II)

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Related Posts and Comments:
16.3.10 Public meeting: planning the future of Dunedin heritage buildings [updates on SFF]
2.7.12 Demolition by neglect. Townscape precincts.
6.12.11 Distinction Hotels: more work on former Chief Post Office
5.3.11 Former Chief Post Office, Dunedin – magazine feature . . .
14.8.10 No surprises with former CPO redevelopment
27.5.10 Distinction Dunedin: former chief post office
12.5.10 DScene – Geoff Thomson buys back former CPO
11.5.10 DCC Media Release – Chief Post Office
10.11.09 Dunedin public library services
23.10.09 Weekend ODT looks at The Exchange
3.9.09 Dunedin Public Library feasibility
26.8.09 DScene: Delta, STS, DCC larks
20.7.09 DCC + former CPO + others(??) = a public library (yeah right)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: (from top) topnews.net.nz – Dunedin Chief Post Office, 283 Princes Street, Dunedin; distinctionhotels.co.nz – thumbnail; rootsweb.ancestry.com – 1930s b/w

D Scene: fubar, another revelation

“Forsyth Barr have had the advantage of over two-and-a-half years of advertising locally, nationally and internationally without digging into their own pockets.” -Bev Butler

### D Scene 9.5.12
Up in lights – you paid (page 5)
By Wilma McCorkindale
Dunedin ratepayers borrowed money to cover naming rights funding while waiting for Forsyth Barr to stump up for Dunedin’s stadium. The revelation comes from stadium critic Bev Butler who said official documented forecasts showed under the original deal with the Carisbrook Stadium Trust, Forsyth Barr’s payments were ‘‘effectively two years overdue’’ by the time of its first single monthly payment towards naming rights in September 1, 2011. Details gleaned under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act showed Forsyth Barr made no payments until September 1, 2011, Butler said. “It is now plain that the much heralded millions of dollars promised upfront in 2009 by Forsyth Barr for the naming rights to the new Dunedin stadium just never happened.”
{continues} #bookmark

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Losing friends (page 6)
By Mike Houlahan – Editor
As biting the hand that feeds you goes, the lawsuit members of the Otago Rugby Football Union are proposing to take against Mayor Dave Cull takes some beating. The merits of the case are for the court to decide, but there is a different burden of proof in the court of public opinion. With its very existence hanging on the good grace of the Dunedin City Council – which decided, against strong public sentiment, to forgive half a million dollars of ORFU debt ratepayers could ill-afford to write off – the rugby union needed to be apologetic, and forthright in dealing with the circumstances which got it in trouble.
{conmtinues} #bookmark

Register to read D Scene online at
http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/

Moneytalks : Business News
Dunedin extends helping hand (page 9)
By Paul Gorman and Mike Houlahan
Dunedin is gearing up to play a major role in the rebuild of Christchurch but is aware of the risks of losing tradespeople and future business further north. The South Island’s second city is positioning itself to supply materials and services to Christchurch while recognising the Canterbury earthquakes have also affected its economy. There is also a proposal to provide special train services to carry workers between the two cities. The Dunedin City Council has calculated that the expected $20 billion to $30b cost of the rebuild is up to 6.6 times Dunedin’s total annual gross domestic product. Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie said Dunedin was not eyeing up Christchurch opportunities in any ‘‘predatory manner’’, but having a strong Christchurch was good for the South Island.
{continues} #bookmark

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Distinction Hotels: more work on former Chief Post Office

Initial plans for the Distinction Dunedin included 180 rooms and suites, restaurants, bars, conference facilities, a business centre, gym, as well as a lap pool.

### ODT Online Tue, 6 Dec 2011
Steelwork spans new space
By Hamish McNeilly
As an airy new space is created with major engineering work at Dunedin’s former chief post office, the building’s developer is praising the city’s potential. Geoff Thomson, of Distinction Hotels, said contractors were yesterday putting in place steel beams over the top of a new conference centre area for the four-star redevelopment. The roof over the conference centre was likely to be completed by Christmas, after work to replace the main roof was completed earlier this year.
Read more

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Related Comments:
16.3.10 Public meeting: planning the future of Dunedin heritage buildings

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

amalgamation, Anyone?

Would you trust your own mother with the information that Dunedin City Council (DCC) is fully debt laden, that is, stony broke? You should.

Also, tell her DCC has no insurance for infrastructure assets, which badly need upgrade and replacement. Prettily, DCC has a new stadium that’s bleeding millions of dollars annually and it will continue to do so for years and years and years. She’ll want to know that each DCC ratepayer is now carrying five to six times the debt burden of the average New Zealand ratepayer.

The list goes on. She’ll love you for it.

Or would you hide this from her and pretend a forensic audit of the Council books wasn’t needed – so to foster happy collaborations (comings together) with ‘super’ fellow cities, as if Dunedin was level-pegging?

Dear god, your Dunedin ratepayer base is around 53,000. A high proportion of the population is low-waged and or receiving some sort of benefit assistance. The majority of citizens live in ‘old, cold and costly’ houses. Fatally, your Council keeps borrowing like there’s no tomorrow.

Definitely grounds for inter-city collaboration and blending there. If other cities want to share our deep impoverishment due to Council’s continuing lack of fiduciary responsibility, roll on up. Ignore our weaknesses and transgressions, love your mother and the useless council despots.

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### D Scene 30-11-11 (page 5)
Add it up
Dunedin City Council Economic Development Unit and Corporate Policy department is working on the first draft of a central government project to compare the economies of 6 core NZ cities. Due for completion in early December, the project analyses economic and social information about the cities, highlighting strengths and areas for potential collaboration between them. The project is being led by the Ministry for Economic Development and Local Government New Zealand. #bookmark

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC self-examinations…

### ODT Online Wed, 17 Aug 2011
Project Gateway on hold
By David Loughrey
Project Gateway – an initiative that has cost the Dunedin City Council $3.5 million over the last decade – will be put on hold and “reviewed” after results that have fallen well short of initial goals.

Despite early hopes of attracting 60,000 visitors a year, creating 555 jobs and opening up a market worth $21 million, council economic development unit manager Peter Harris said it had instead sparked sales of about $4.6 million, and helped create “around 34 jobs”.

Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr