Microchip your employees —why not? (United States)

Received from Rob Hamlin
Fri, 4 Aug 2017 at 9:27 am

Ugh!! …if it doesn’t scare you it should do.

VIDEO: Employees at a Wisconsin firm got embedded with microchips pic.twitter.com/mQAEnZ619U

— azcentral (@azcentral) August 3, 2017

### ODT Online Thu, 3 Aug 2017
US company microchips workers
A Wisconsin vending machine company is offering its employees a chance to have a microchip implanted in their hands that they could use to buy snacks, log in to computers or use the copy machine. About 50 employees at Three Square Market have agreed to the optional implant of the chips, which are the approximate size and shape of a grain of rice, said Tony Danna, vice president of international sales at the River Falls-based company. The company, which employs 85, said it was the first in the United States to offer staff the technology which is similar to that used by contactless credit cards and chips used to identify pets. The implants made by Sweden’s BioHax International are part of a long-term test aimed to see if the radio-frequency identification chips could have broader commercial applications, Danna said.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

SDHB change management: 59 roles proposed to go

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

At Facebook:

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

****

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

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

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

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Related Posts and Comments:
8.4.17 Questions over Council’s Dunedin Hospital SOS campaign
6.4.17 ODT editor comments strongly #tick —Dunedin Hospital rebuild
27.3.17 Site Notice #DunedinHospital
26.2.17 Dunedin Hospital Redevelopment
6.2.17 Let the Ombudsman recommend for democracy at SDHB
24.1.17 SDHB/Govt : Physio Pool GRIEF
9.1.17 Audit NZ admonishes commissioner Grant and SDHB #Health
18.12.16 DCC set to take away CBD car parks without Economic Impact research
20.11.16 Delta at Dunedin Hospital #worseluck
7.11.16 SDHB #FAILS with Healthcare Communication and Governance

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

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

ODT 20.4.17 (page 28)

At Facebook:

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Related Post and Comments:
11.3.17 How Safe Are We/Our Businesses with the Corporate Disaster that’s Aurora, owned by DCC ? #reliability

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Waste Management NZ Ltd is Chinese owned

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

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

At Facebook:

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

At Twitter:

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

— nzherald (@nzherald) April 17, 2017

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

— INsite NZ (@INsite_NZ) April 17, 2017

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

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

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

— NZGlobalWomen (@NZGlobalWomen) April 18, 2017

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A U D I O

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

The New Zealand GST burden:

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Famous Fat Bros’ Aurora/Delta news trickles in…. but can the sisters divorce

### channel39.co.nz Wed, 29 Mar 2017
Delta and Aurora Energy to separate
About 95 Delta employees are expected to transfer to Aurora Energy by mid-year as the two companies separate. The business divorce is one of the recommendations from an independent review by Dunedin City Holdings Limited. Delta and Aurora Energy Chair Steve Thompson says they expect no redundancies from either business. Delta will employ just over 500 staff following the transition. Aurora Energy will be a network company with network renewal as its priority, while Delta will provide electricity distribution, green-space and solid waste services.
Ch39 Link

█ Review of Aurora Energy Limited / Delta Utility Services Limited – Network Safety Concerns (December 2016). Deloitte.

****

### radionz.co.nz 9:22 pm on 29 March 2017
Dunedin’s Aurora Energy to take on Delta workers
Almost 100 employees from Dunedin power lines company Delta will transfer to its sister company Aurora Energy as the two firms separate.
The split of the council-owned companies was sparked by the discovery that thousands of power poles in Otago were rotting.
A whistleblower last year revealed thousands of power poles managed by Delta and Aurora were failing.
The Dunedin City Council released a report in December that recommended splitting the council-owned companies into separate entities, after three official inquiries.
A report by Deloitte recommended separate board management structures.
In a statement today, Delta said 95 employees would transfer to Aurora by mid-year, and there were no expected redundancies.
RNZ Link

****

DCHL/DCC farming of the conjoined twins deserves a break….

█ The devilish ongoing loss of one billion dollars of Otago line user and ratepayer funds. And Steve Thompson can’t be contacted. Oh brother.

Yes we really believe the two council-owned companies have great governance and superb management!? We also totally believe DCHL is a solid grounded entity!? Pity about the number of executive and staff resignations from Delta to date, and the resulting inability to fill job vacancies. Would you touch these blighted babies. Oink.

At Facebook:

****

### ODT Online Thu, 30 Mar 2017
Restructure proceeds
By Vaughan Elder
Dunedin City Council-owned companies Delta and Aurora are a step closer to becoming separate entities. Aurora and Delta announced in a joint press release yesterday about 95 Delta staff were expected to transfer to Aurora Energy by mid-year as part of the companies’ transition to standalone entities. The transition comes after a Deloitte report into accusations Aurora dangerously mismanaged its power network and failed to replace compromised poles recommended the two companies be split. According to Aurora’s annual report, it employs no staff and the management of the company is carried out by Delta, which is also contracted to carry out network maintenance. The Deloitte report said the closely linked arrangement was “fraught” with challenges, but acknowledged Aurora had been working on a restructuring programme which would have split the two companies in any case. Delta and Aurora chairman Steve Thompson, who was not available to answer questions about the press release, said significant progress had been made in the reorganisation of both businesses.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
11.3.17 How Safe Are We/Our Businesses with the Corporate Disaster that’s Aurora, owned by DCC ? #reliability
16.12.16 Tim Hunter, NBR —Aurora/Delta, DCC and ComCom
12.11.16 Delta/Aurora : Current strategy to “fix on failure” [extreme neglect]
22.10.16 DCC struggles with Governance…. Delta/Aurora/DCHL in slipslidy mode
● 9.6.16 Aurora Energy Ltd warned by regulator

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: monsters international via blogspot.com – Siamese Twin Pigs by Alicia B Lim, ink on watercolour paper (US), tweaked by whatifdunedin

***Pssst #Delta CEO Grady replaced

An INTERNAL appointment has been made for the position of Chief Executive Officer at Delta Utility Services Ltd.

Which likely means few external executives with relevant experience wanted to apply for lead position in the ‘degraded’ council-owned company —but then, not many executives were left internally. What does that say…….

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Related Post and Comments:
5.3.17 Seeking the New Grady #Delta

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Councillor don’t tell us, we know Dunedin industry and manufacturing is Tops

But Rachel Elder did need to inform Mr Mayor, since it’s he who opines that [singularly ???] “weightless” manufacturing will one day make Dunedin great.
A while back Mr Mayor lauded expansion at Speight’s, Emerson’s and Greggs ….but recently, dreadfully, when interviewed by John Campbell on RNZ Checkpoint, Mr Mayor had trouble remembering these and other multimillion-dollar manufacturing investments in the good people, raw products and knowhow of Dunedin City. As well, he slipped past the convenient fact that the deputy mayor is a director of Scott Technology Ltd, and his old flower Mr McLauchlan, advisor and confidant, is the company’s board chairman.

Notwithstanding, Ms Elder thought it necessary to set herself a free writing project, an op-ed to ‘tell’ Mr Mayor, as well as advertise her paid work skills. Yes, yes, we’re all for free speech and pumping political mileage; however, we are the converted and connected, we know just how great Dunedin manufacturing is and can be —if not for DCC.

It must be said, though, that Mr Mayor’s speech at the Cadbury protest in the Octagon last Saturday was a large complimentary step up from the fatal Checkpoint phone interview.

—

“Messaging that it is too expensive to export from Dunedin and that we are too far away from markets and that manufacturing is best not done here does not support the many families and individuals who work in this sector.”
–Rachel (take that Dave Cull) Elder

### ODT Online Wed, 15 Mar 2017
We have skilled workers and can make it all here
By Rachel Elder
OPINION As an employment consultant and someone who advocates for a wide range of jobs in Dunedin, I am keen for Dunedin to be advertised nationwide as a place that is great for manufacturing and production as this will supply jobs to our skilled workers. The fact is Cadbury is owned by a multinational that has caused its demise. Manufacturing can be done here well and efficiently.
Read more

Comment published at ODT Online:

ej kerr Wed, 15/03/2017 – 7:59pm #
As a city councillor Ms Elder should be overtly aware that the Dunedin City Council-owned power distribution company Aurora Energy Ltd does not and cannot offer a safe and secure electricity supply network for businesses, manufacturers and other large power users (this aside from the now obvious inability to offer safe supply to residential users). The mayor and councillors are not listening and not communicating clearly on the state of Aurora’s burnt asset. Thankfully, the Otago Daily Times has filled that void with strong news reporting. At a cost of one billion dollars to repair and upgrade the existing lines and facilities – not counting the cost of new development work required in Central Otago and Lakes District to meet growth and increasing infrastructural demand – there will shortly be a very heavy impost landing on all local businesses via rates increases. Such an unpopular debating topic at the head-in-the-sand Dunedin City Council.

****

Truly fine examples of the sort of thing your grandmother and mother will tell you about Dunedin that Mr Mayor can’t:
. . . .

McMeeking Manufacturing, 123 Maclaggan St

Jaytee Baking Cups have been a household name since the 1930s, when the company was founded by a printing engineer James Thomas Williamson, hence the name Jaytee. Since acquiring the company in 1979, McMeeking Manufacturing has been the largest supplier of Baking Cups in New Zealand with exports to Australia and the Pacific Islands. Due to the dramatic increase in bakeries, cafes etc, the range of products – all manufactured in the Dunedin factory – has grown to fulfil customers requirements and follow the latest trends. Read more at https://www.jaytee.co.nz/

. . . .

### ODT Online Wed, 15 Mar 2017
Machine tool smart, versatile
By Simon Hartley
Farra Engineering’s latest $1.3 million machining kit not only has the capacity to work 24/7, but can text its progress to operators day and night. The DMG Mori “multi-pallet (work bench) horizontal machining centre”, supplied by a German-Japanese merged company, has been running for about a fortnight, at Farra Engineering, Dunedin, chief executive John Whitaker said. The DMG Mori could work on castings weighing just a few grams, on pieces weighing up to three tonnes, and castings up to 1.4cu m in size. “Being so productive, we’re going to the marketplace to fill the spare capacity,” Mr Whitaker said.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: jaytee.co.nz – jaytee baking cups

Seeking the New Grady #Delta

(try to ignore that sick feeling)

● https://www.seek.co.nz/job/32939468

Advt also at Otago Daily Times, Saturday, 4 Feb 2017
(Employment, page 51)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Christchurch housing : ‘If you build the right thing, buyers will still come’

Will they ? How many, how far ?
(if there’s nothing more than service sector jobs available)….

Hmm. In their early contributions to What if? Dunedin, Lee Vandervis and Christchurch Driver [CD] each had the measure of the post-quake new build housing market in Christchurch. Cycling boom and bust, with odd and unexplained connections and financing.

—

Link received.
Sat, 4 Mar 2017 at 12:31 p.m.

T H E ● P R E S S

Christchurch’s rental market is oversupplied and freshly-built terraced houses are sitting empty and unsold in the suburbs. How did the city with the real estate market decimated by the earthquakes get here?

According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the average rent in Christchurch is falling for the first time since records started in 1993.

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 18:11, March 3 2017
Christchurch’s housing paradox – the downside of a building boom
By Michael Wright – The Press
Last month, Mike Blackburn bought a house. He and his wife looked at about 40 properties before settling on one. As they traipsed through the preceding 39, a pattern emerged. “Every second house we looked at was empty,” he said. “That’s just a telling figure. Where have all these people gone?” The significance of what he saw wasn’t lost: Christchurch, the city once desperately short of houses after thousands of them were wrecked by earthquakes, had a lot more accommodation than it used to.

Blackburn is a management consultant, specialising in construction clients. When small or medium-sized operators are struggling, they go to someone like him for advice on how to get through. As part of his work, he gets the raw consenting data from the Christchurch City Council each month – location, builder, value, type of consent (earthquake or business as usual), intended use – to build a picture of the marketplace. He saw a clear vision. “There was a major rush, mostly by the group home builders, to build a lot of houses really quickly,” he said. “What’s happened is now everyone who’s needed a house has pretty much got one and they’re still building them. They’re building them flat out . . . all these development companies are month after month submitting 20-30 consents each for essentially spec housing.” The numbers have tapered off of late. The council peaked in 2014 at more than 3200 consents issued – about 270 a month – before drifting back down to just over 2100 last year. 2017 is already tracking below that. As Blackburn sees it, though, the damage has already been done. “There will be a correction. The number of buildings and the total number of dwellings being built will fall off really rapidly. It’ll go below that business as usual level, because we’ve got a major oversupply at the moment. Potentially that effect could run on for the building sector in Canterbury for the next two, maybe three years.”

….Anecdotally, rental properties are in such abundance landlords are dropping prices and offering incentives to secure tenants. This week, Stuff reported on swathes of empty multi-unit houses languishing in suburban subdivisions. “[We] certainly won’t be building any more of those,” construction boss Mike Greer said at the time. Then there is the data. Compare Government valuer QV’s latest monthly average house values for each region against last February and Christchurch does not do well. QV measures the city in six disparate parts and they all appear in the bottom 11 spots for value increase [three of the other five are the Selwyn, Waimakariri and Ashburton districts]. Rises in the Christchurch zones range from 0.7 per cent [east] to 3.9 per cent [southwest], which barely registers against most of the rest of the country; basking in double-digit growth all the way up to an eye-watering 29.5 per cent jump in the Queenstown-Lakes district [average house value $1,039,434].

Market forces were …. promoting even more building. The Reserve Bank’s loan-to-value ratio (LVR) restrictions on banks lending to home buyers exempted new builds. A home buyer generally needed a 20 per cent deposit, but a home builder could get finance with much less. Christchurch, in the middle of an insurance-driven building bonanza, didn’t need that kind of encouragement.

“People have gone, in my mind, somewhat berserk in building new, to try and fill that [housing] void,” Canterbury Registered Master Builders president Ivan Stanicich said. “Some of the bigger building companies in Christchurch grew exponentially, hired more and more people and that was only ever going to be for about a three-year sweep. Now we’re seeing the reverse of that where building companies are actively downsizing. That’s well known in our industry. Nobody wants to shout that from the rooftops, because it’s not a positive business outlook, but it’s quite understandable. If you don’t, any gains you’ve made through the building boom, they’re just going to be lost in your overheads.”

Property manager Tony Brazier saw the problem coming. In October 2014 he penned a column in The Press warning of the dangers of over-building. “The housing rebuild must be carefully monitored so we do not end up over-supplied,” he wrote. “This phenomenal house building pace should alert us to the fact that, whereas in the past it takes only a few builders struggling to sell their new-builds to signal an end to the cycle, this time could be different. It may take large contractors not being able to sell whole subdivisions before the message gets through.”

….How did it come to this? The first answer is earthquake insurance money finally caught up with, and overtook, the market. As Stanicich said – builders going berserk trying to fill the housing void. In the meantime, claims were settled and damaged stock repaired. An unforeseen element of this was the brisk trade in as-is, where-is houses – earthquake casualties that were uninsurable but livable. Landlords snapped them up and, in a stressed rental market, had no problem finding tenants. The by-product was Christchurch’s housing stock ended up not quite as depleted as first thought.
Read more + Charts

Recent Press articles:
Christchurch’s terraced homes struggling to sell as housing market levels
Christchurch landlords lower rents due to ‘oversupply’ of properties
Cash and rent-free offers fail to lure tenants as Christchurch housing….
City’s rental crisis ‘at breaking point’

****

█ Thoughts immediately turn to Dunedin City Council and DCHL’s commitment as of 1 August 2016 to the new Delta ‘joint venture’ (including the Noble types) at Yaldhurst. After all the legal stoush, will properties sell ?

[Gurglars] Hoarding at Yaldhurst subdivision, 14 February 2017

[Christchurch Driver] Yaldhurst subdivision, 13 February 2016

[Christchurch Driver] Yaldhurst subdivision, 21 January 2016

[villagelife.co.nz]

[realestate.co.nz] Yaldhurst Village Mortgagee Tender, 15 December 2015

****

BACK WHEN (2014), Mike Greer Homes NZ ramped up production to rehouse people in post-quake Christchurch, it was a genuine and concerted effort:

Where there was bare land a year ago, a factory now stands ready to reshape the residential construction industry.

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00, November 22 2014
House factory ready to roll
By Alan Wood – The Press
As Mike Greer and Bill Gee watch the emergence of their “high volume” residential panels factory, they have no concern they will contribute to an oversupply of new homes. The $14 million industrial factory development includes $5m plus of specialist German machinery to be used to rapidly construct the panels for residential homes. Greer, “a chippie by trade”, is optimistic about the Rolleston-based factory’s place in a Canterbury and Auckland building boom. “This is fantastic for the residential construction industry. No-one in New Zealand has ever seen anything like this,” he says of the joint venture company Concision, which he and Gee own. Asked about any slowdown in the Canterbury rebuild and residential market, Greer says he has hundreds of pre-sold homes he is yet to make a start on.
Is there any danger of an overbuild by builders in the region?
“Well wouldn’t that be good. Everyone is complaining about housing affordability. The only way to fix that is supply,” Greer responds. He says there are signs interest rates have stabilised and may even come down. From April 1, a Government subsidy on first home buyers of new homes in Canterbury will be introduced. A buyer could get up to $20,000 towards a $450,000 home. “So that’s really going to stimulate things at that end of the market,” Greer says. The Reserve Bank was also signalling that eventually . . . it will remove loan to value ratio restrictions that have made it more difficult for first home buyers to get loans.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
● 17.2.17 Gurglars visits the Delta/Noble JV subdivision at Yaldhurst
● 11.3.16 Delta peripheral #EpicFail : Stonewood Homes and ancient Delta….
● 10.3.16 Noble Subdivision next on the shopping list !!! You couldn’t….
6.3.16 Delta #EpicFail —Noble Subdivision : Tea & Taxing Questions
6.3.16 Delta #EpicFail —Nobel Subdivision : A Neighbour responds
5.3.16 Delta #EpicFail —Noble Subdivision —Epic Fraud
4.3.16 Delta —Noble Subdivision #EpicStorm Heading OUR WAY
4.3.16 Delta #EpicFail Noble Subdivision : Councillors know NOTHING
2.3.16 Delta #EpicFail Noble Subdivision : A Dog, or a RAVING YAPPER?….
1.3.16 Delta #EpicFail… —The Little Finance Company that did (Delta).
29.2.16 Delta #EpicFail Noble Subdivision : NBR interested in bidders
28.2.16 Delta #EpicFail Noble… If I were a rich man / Delta Director
27.2.16 Delta #EpicFail Noble Subdivision Consent : Strictly Optional
27.2.16 Delta #NUCLEAR EpicFail —Noble Subdivision : Incompetent…
25.2.16 Delta #EpicFail: Mayor Cull —Forced Sale Fundamentals 101
24.2.16 Delta #EpicFail —Noble Subdivision : Cameron, Crombie & McKenzie
23.2.16 DCC: DCHL half year result to 31 December 2015
19.2.16 Delta: Update on Yaldhurst subdivision debt recovery
15.2.16 Delta / DCHL not broadcasting position on subdivision mortgagee tender
30.1.16 DCC Rates: LOCAL CONTEXT not Stats —Delta and Hippopotamuses
29.1.16 Delta #EpicFail —Yaldhurst Subdivision ● Some forensics
21.1.16 Delta #EpicFail —Yaldhurst Subdivision
21.1.16 DCC LTAP 2016/17 budget discussion #ultrahelpfulhints
19.1.15 Housing affordability in this country is “just hopeless” –Hugh Pavletich
10.1.16 Infrastructure ‘open to facile misinterpretation’…. or local ignore
15.12.15 Noble property subdivision aka Yaldhurst Village | Mortgagee Tender
21.9.15 DCC: Not shite (?) hitting the fan but DVL
20.7.15 Noble property subdivision —DELTA #LGOIMA
● 1.4.15 Christchurch subdivisions: Heat gone?
24.3.15 Noble property subdivision —DELTA
23.3.15 Noble property subdivision: “Denials suggest that we have not learned.”
17.3.15 DCC —Delta, Jacks Point Luggate II…. Noble property subdivision

● 14.5.14 (via DCC website) Larsen Report February 2012
A recent governance review of the Dunedin City Council companies was conducted by Warren Larsen.

● 20.3.14 Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General
Inquiry into property investments by Delta Utility Services Limited at Luggate and Jacks Point

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

OPINIONS : Otago Southland regional tourism

– Southland regional strategy pumps for another 10,000 residents
– Central Otago looking at healthy linkages – Chinese gold mining trail
– Queenstown Lakes means ‘business’, flourishing! [infrastructure demands]
– Quelle surprise, Dunedin City Council criticised on visitor strategy (what tourism plan ?)….

Broadcast from RNZ’s Dunedin studio
### radionz.co.nz 5 Jan 2017 at 5:12 pm
Outspoken: The Future of the Deep South Link
In this Outspoken, a panel chaired by RNZ’s Otago/Southland reporter, Ian Telfer, looks at the deep south of the country – what is the future for the country’s most southern region and how successful is the push to get more people to shift there?
Audio | Download: Ogg MP3 (27′22″)

● Virginia Nicholls, CEO, Otago Southland Employers Association
● Norcombe Barker, Director of Larnach Castle, tourism leader and board member of Dunedin Host
● Tim Cadogan, Mayor of Central Otago (speaking by phone)

****

Just a tiny amount of what we know, from the Interior, in no geographical order whatsoever…. click on photo for source or go to Comments for credits.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Baron de Gurgelaars on “Poles”

Delta needs more

—

Received.
Tue, 22 Nov 2016 at 7:56 p.m.

Winston said it best, without the poles we could not have won World War One.

He was right of course.

Poles allowed the allies to have rallying points around which the Anzacs could rally before running at the German machine guns with impunity.

Poles were helpful during World War II when they proffered their land to soak up the blitzkrieg, thus saving Russia and England who were then stuffed up by lend-lease so that all of their assets were owned by good old USA.

Poles have been helpful in Dunners as they kept the sand on the beach at St Clair until the DCC came up with an alternative to get Rid of the beach. After all, why should St Clair residents enjoy themselves at the beach whilst we are working diligently on Trade Me, stealing cars, conversion, contract fraud and obfuscation?

Our Poles are a critical element in our ambition to increase wages by 10%, increase staff numbers at the DCC by 10% and increase rates by over 10%. I mean you have all voted at the website supporting our plans to stuff Dunedin, you have all voted in the absolutely useless six existing councillors. And me! You’re going to get it-

More shops empty except in buildings owned by us.
No extra Hotel rooms unless they are based on less carparks for Dunedin ratepayers.
We will support Compass- After all how can we differentiate Compass Hospital food for the needy from perks for councillors?

Look we are here to help you.

To Help you to contribute more to rates, parking fees, and any other robbing scheme to boost our personal and collective DCC incomes at your (The ratepayers) expense.

The Baron de Gurgelaars

[ends]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

[you think this is a spoof ?]

*Image: newyorker.com – (civil) forfeiture

Baron de Gurgelaars on “Accountability” @ #DUD #Delta

Received.
Tue, 22 Nov 2016 at 7:34 p.m.

The Pimp from hell is back.

Le Baron de Gurgelaars on de French political system.

Le Interviewer: a qvestion

Le Cull de Mare- Cur, can you pls advise your council’s response to the suggestion that Delta is not involved in electricity generation.

Le Cull de Mare- Ve vill not find any vone guilty.

Le Interviewer- During 2016 your council has stuffed up on flooding, mud tank cleaning, paying Delta for a truck that did not exist in Dunedin, reducing the value of all houses in South Dunedin and not charging for water takeoff on the peninsula. What do you have to say about diese errors of judgement.

Le Cull de Mare- Ve vill not find any person guilty, particularly me.

During 2016, You personally blamed the flooding of South Dunedin on climate change. Do you believe that heavy rain did not fall on Dunedin prior to man’s intervention?

Le Cull de Mare- naturlich- Dunedin was a Desert.

During 2016- Fulton Hogan was exposed for not having any vehicle capable of cleaning the mud tanks and thus completing their mud tank contract. Did you consider a drawback of over $200,000 on their unperformed contract?

Le Cull de Mare- Nein, how can DCC staff get their Christmas bonuses without recourse to increase in rates unless they are allowed contractual licence (see poetic licence)

Le Interviewer- Today Cull de Mare, some properties in South Dunedin particularly Victoria street had reduced QV values. Whilst that will reduce their rates by 1%, their valuations can cause mortgagee sales by banks, increased weekly payments apart from divorces and suicides.

Le Cull de Mare- vot are you saying, you blame me for naming climate change for causing these personal catastrophes, you tink I am ze cause, vot u think I vant diese resulten?

Do u think I am Adolf Hitler?

De Interviewer-

Not Yet.

But power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

*Image: cartoonswallpapers.net – Futurama Bender the Pimp

COMPLETE Dis-satisfaction with DCC, DCHL, DVML, DVL, Delta….

Fake it til you make it, and hey, don’t lift the marigolds.

Sorry Daaave, looks like a D for your council’s governance. —Actually, for the avoidance of euphemism, make that D- and lower for DIRE Performance, accompanying Drivel, and Diabolical treatment of Residents and Ratepayers in the aftermath of emergency situations.

Listening to Yes People and your dwindling voter base isn’t your best hope to resolve ongoing multimillion-dollar losses being sustained by a couple of the council-owned companies, to the point where the holding company led by chairman Crombie, fronts with a “qualified audit” only on presentation of its annual report(?) to Council.

[In July 2015 Graham Crombie was appointed to the Commerce Commission as an Associate Commissioner for a five year term.]

Damages to employment, liveability and opportunity in a No-growth city keep stacking.

—

“It is also yet another example of good public service jobs being lost from our smaller towns and cities.” –PSA spokeswoman

### ODT Online Thu, 13 Oct 2016
ACC jobs to go in Dunedin
By Vaughan Elder
After consulting with staff since June, the decision had been made to relocate all the roles over the next 12 to 18 months to the larger Christchurch office and have “one centre for consistent customer and rehabilitation services across the Southern region”.
Read more

****

Asked about people who continued to be negative about the city, he said: “Negativity is an attitude, it’s not a fact.”

### ODT Online Thu, 13 Oct 2016
Survey ‘shows Dunedin on right track’
By Vaughan Elder
A survey showing Dunedin residents feel increasingly positive about their city shows the city is on the “right track”, Mayor Dave Cull says. […] the annual survey was not all good news. Last year’s June flood was picked as a reason for increasing dissatisfaction with the city’s stormwater system [down 13 points to 43%]. Satisfaction rates also fell when it came to public toilets, the suitability of the city’s roads for cycling and the availability of parks in the central city.
Read more

[Chief executive Sue Bidrose] said some of the areas where there had been negative results this year and in past surveys correlated to negative media coverage in the Otago Daily Times.

*1577 survey responses from 5400 residents randomly selected from the electoral roll,

The Talking Head (without helmet, unprepared)

█ Dunedin City Council (media release)
Residents’ Opinion Survey released 12 Oct 2016. Link

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: cdn.guardian.ng – marigold, tweaked by whatifdunedin

Bully Regime? Speak Out #health

“[There is] a sense of bullying from the highest level; that’s the executive leadership team and the group managers,” the source said. Dr Bidrose was “part of the problem”.

### ODT Online Tue, 14 Jun 2016
Claim no DCC bully culture
By Vaughan Elder
A senior Dunedin City Council manager has denied claims there is a culture of bullying at the highest levels of the organisation as details of restructuring emerge. […] This comes as a source, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Otago Daily Times morale remained poor at the council despite chief executive Sue Bidrose insisting otherwise at a staff meeting held at Dunedin City Library in recent weeks.
Read more

—

W O R K S A F E New Zealand
Bullying – Preventing and responding to workplace bullying
— filed under: Hazard – Psychosocial
This best practice guideline gives options and examples of how to prevent and respond to workplace bullying.

█ Bullying Guidelines Last updated 11 May 2016
Download: Bullying – Preventing and responding to workplace bullying
(PDF, 1.7 MB)

—

E M P L O Y M E N T New Zealand
Dealing with bullying
Bullying can mean many things. It can be offensive, intimidating, malicious, humiliating or insulting behaviour.
If you think you’re being bullied, keep a diary of the incidents of bullying behaviour and if it seems there is a pattern, let your employer know. It’s a good idea to follow up any discussion with a formal letter outlining what has been discussed and any proposed actions. This can provide you with valuable support if the problem continues.
Just because bullying doesn’t affect you directly, doesn’t mean that it’s ok. Be ready to help your workmates and encourage them to raise the issue with their employer. A little friendly support is often all that is needed to turn a situation around.

If you’re not comfortable approaching your employer, talk to either your Union or the health and safety officer where you work, and see if they can support you.

█ If you feel that discussions with your employer have failed, you can find out what you can do next by calling the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Contact Centre on 0800 20 90 20. This is a free service and is available to both employers and employees.

Visit the problems solving page for further information.
█ Read more at Employment NZ

—

SnowPatrolVEVO Uploaded on Dec 23, 2009
Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars (2007 version)
Music video by Snow Patrol performing Chasing Cars. (C)2006 Polydor Ltd (UK)

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: takepart.com – AntiBullyingSign

Fossil fuel divestment : Council fails to recognise opportunities

Election Year : This post is offered in the public interest. -Eds

Received from John Evans
Fri, 29 Apr 2016 at 7:54 p.m.

█ Subject: Why the Dunedin council’s decision on non investment and non support of oil investment is wrong

It is noticeable that the decision makers on the DCC who have made the decision on non oil investment are unaffected by their decision, because they and employees of the council are on fixed salaries, but the ratepayers, business men and women, and working persons in the city are severely compromised.

### theguardian.com Wed 18 June 2014 10.24 BST
Aberdeen, the oil city where boom and bust happen at the same time
By Peter Geoghegan – Aberdeen
OPINION The taxi driver swings his brand-new BMW out of Aberdeen train station. Behind him the sleek glass-fronted £250m Union Square shopping centre, with its Apple store and Hugo Boss shop, glistens in the afternoon sunshine. “Welcome to the oil capital of Europe,” he says with a smile. As we drive past Aberdeen harbour, crowded with cargo ships, he talks about his grandson. A multinational oil company is paying the 17-year-old £12,000 a year to study mechanical engineering at college. He will graduate into a guaranteed job. “He’ll be on £100,000 by the time he’s 25,” the cabbie says confidently. Such stories are common in oil-rich Aberdeen. The Granite City boasts the highest concentration of millionaires in the UK. Three-star hotel rooms can cost upwards of £370 a night. In a city of 220,000, unemployment is just 2% and average annual salaries more than £39,000, around £12,000 more than the UK average in 2013.
Read more

DUNEDIN The citizens should dump their elected body just for failing to recognise possible opportunities for their ratepayers.

This council would not have allowed gold mining had it been in charge in the 1860s.

[ends]

ABERDEEN : Granite City —the buildings sparkle after a rainfall.

Aberdeen City Garden
Revitalising the centre and reconnecting the city to its natural landscape. http://www.dsrny.com/projects/aberdeen

Diller Scofidio + Renfro selected to transform the centre of Aberdeen
archdaily.com Jan 2012
Aberdeen City Garden Trust has announced Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R) as winner of the international design competition. The New York City based firm will be working with the Scottish practice Keppie Design and Philadelphia landscape architects OLIN. The £140m City Garden Project will radically transform the center, raising the nineteenth-century Union Terrace Gardens and covering over the “unattractive” Denburn dual carriageway and railway line.

Evening Express Uploaded on Feb 15, 2012
Walkthrough of Aberdeen City Garden Project
http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/2642056
Residents are being given a bird’s-eye view of the planned Aberdeen City Gardens in a new video. Swooping around the pathways of Aberdeen’s Granite Web, the visitor is taken on a two-minute tour of the green spaces, flower beds and woodland.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Delta #EpicFail : Strategic Reasons & Outrageous Logic

Election Year : The following opinion is offered in the public interest. -Eds

Received from Christchurch Driver [CD]
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 at 10:48 p.m.

Readers, tonight’s exposition is to examine the Dunedin City Council (DCC) worldview that does not contemplate a sale of Delta at less than $45M. Your correspondent says that will never happen on any rational economic basis, so the next best thing is to pretend that it would not be in the ratepayers’ best interests to sell at all, seemingly at any price.

However, annoyingly, logic and reasons must intrude at some point, and in the recent report on DCHL asset values, the DCC have a crack at pushing the Delta water uphill.

█ Agenda – Council – 11/04/2016 (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Item 22 Dunedin City Council Investments and Returns (pp 109 – 123)

Tonight, readers, we shall dwell on and allow the TWO big “strategic reasons”, the DCC propose to retain Delta, to stand in splendid isolation, while readers allow the cool chill of logic to bring these clouds of hot air back to reality.

We shall also overlay some markers over Delta’s financial figures that give support to your correspondent’s contention that Delta is at risk. (careful words needed here, readers !)

Safely camouflaged at para 55 (page 117), deep in the DCC report, the following statements appear : “If Delta were to be sold by the DCC, one likely outcome…. [it could be] purchased by a competing company in the same field. One consideration…. is the potential ‘head office’ job loss to Dunedin if Delta were to be sold to an existing company which is not locally owned.”

Stop right there, readers. The DCC say the first, most important consideration in retaining Delta is to retain the Delta ‘head office jobs’ in Dunedin. At one level we can take this to mean that the DCC are very fearful that the current occupiers of the Delta head office jobs in question would not find similar work in Dunedin. Your correspondent thinks that is a very well-founded fear. But the DCC head of economic development tells us the city is growing and it is hard to attract executive staff to the city…. it is a taxing puzzle why the authors of the report ignore their own staff…. At the next level, your correspondent is vexed at the concern shown by the DCC for the six figure inhabitants of the Delta Head Office suite. (Note, there are 70 people earning in excess of $100,000 at Delta, your correspondent guesses that the Head Office inhabitants occupy the highest echelons of those salaries). This brings a whole new meaning to the (draft) Statement of Intent requirement to be a “socially responsible …. corporate citizen”. At a higher level again, the DCC appear to say that the welfare and future of the head office positions rank ahead of the core task of providing returns to the ratepayers.

Readers, remember that DCC provide these reasons as reasons not to sell Delta even if someone paid the massive premium of 300-400% over the $15.804M shareholders equity (which is about to suffer a severe Noble induced virus).

Your correspondent is very sure these revolutionary themes of Soviet Style central planning and corporate welfarism were not intended in the Delta ‘Statement of Intent’ which is meant regulate how the company is run.

Next up as the DCC apologia for retaining Delta is the statement, “the loss of Delta from the local contracting market, particularly if through acquisition from an existing contractor, would remove an element of competition from an already limited local market”.

This is illogical. Let us count the ways:

1. If competition is “limited” then margins will be high, and demand for skilled staff intense, so any logical purchaser would leave the Delta structure alone to continue its high margin work…. but of course, if there is limited competition and Delta are not making good profits, then there is a problem…. and Delta should be sold to an entity that can generate good profits in a limited market.

2. It can be safely assumed that Delta’s local competitors Fulton Hogan, Downer, SouthRoads, Whitestone, Asplundh, Waste Management, and any of the local power contracting companies are not stupid and they would have no interest in paying the DCC $45-60M for $15.804M of equity (on a good day). If Delta expired, the limited competition just got less, and paydays all round for all left standing. Your correspondent says then that any purchaser is likely to be someone who does not have a presence in the market, and sees potential for profit in this market, allegedly with limited competition. If that were true they would leave Delta as it was, maybe even with some of its precious head office jobs, to continue their (merry and profitable ?) way. (For the time being at least).

3. The bottom line is your correspondent posits that Delta will never be sold in its current form, because its competitors know, even if DCC Treasury does not, that Banks have certain standards for lending money to companies, and an important one is the debt to equity ratio. Delta has $26.9M of debt and $15.804M of equity. That is a debt : equity ratio of 183 % which this correspondent says is far too high for a contracting company. A debt : equity of 100 % or less is usual in this sector. Another is the Liquidity (Quick) Ratio which is Current Assets / Current Liabilities. Contractors should have a minimum of 1.35 and many accountants would say 2. (What would Mr McLauchlan say ….?). Delta has $17.5M of current liabilities and just $220,000 of cash in the bank. This is one seriously undercapitalised contracting company.

Delta will no doubt say their quick ratio is fine because the accounts show $25.244M in receivables, but this includes the very non-current and very illiquid Noble debt of $13.2M. They do have $2.84M of Work In Progress (WIP) which is included under inventories. They then have proper current assets of $0.22M cash, $2.84M WIP, and $12.2M Receivables, ($25.24-13.2M) for a total of $15.08M and a quick ratio of 0.88. The bottom line is : even putting aside the elephantine $26.9M in debt, Delta have serious cash flow issues with a quick ratio of less than 1, and if they have a further problem contract, or even just a delay of a month or two getting paid on a larger contract, they are not just on a cashflow knife edge, but in serious trouble. Delta has basically no cash reserves as at June 2015. Of course, Mr Cameron did not dwell on that factoid in his report….

Readers, the quality of the excuses made in support of retaining Delta are of the same quality as the prediction of its value at $45-60M.

[ends]

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

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: blog.smashwords.com – AuthorUphillBattle, tweaked by whatifdunedin

Epere on driving charges, now faces drugs charges after police raid

From: Hamish McNeilly [Fairfax Dunedin Bureau Chief]
Sent: Wednesday, 16 December 2015 6:16 p.m.
To: Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: So Albert Epere on drug raid. See my earlier links

—

Gang member loses gardening contract with Dunedin Council after arrested for speeding
By Hamish McNeilly Last updated 17:11, December 16 2015
A gang member has lost his contract to maintain Dunedin’s public gardens after he was arrested for racing on a state highway. In October, the Dunedin City Council awarded Mauri Kohatu Incorporated, a $52,000 trial contract to maintain some city greenspaces until June 30, 2016. […] In a statement issued late Wednesday, the council said it suspended its trial social procurement contract with Mauri Kohatu after becoming aware of Epere’s alleged offending on Monday.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75172101/gang-member-loses-gardening-contract-with-dunedin-council-after-arrested-for-speeding

Man arrested after police raid on Dunedin gang pad
By Hamish McNeilly Last updated 13:45, December 16 2015
Armed police took part in an early morning raid of a Dunedin gang house. Police raided a Pine Hill Rd property on Wednesday morning and arrested a 49-year-old man. The property was understood to be connected with Black Power.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/75154505/man-arrested-after-police-raid-on-dunedin-gang-pad

—

Related Posts and Comments:
14.12.15 Epere arrested
13.10.15 Stuff: DCC to pay Epere $37 an hour
12.10.15 alfred e cull
11.10.15 DCC: Numpty – Cull – Epere
6.10.15 DCC suckered by Black Power leader
9.3.15 DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

█ Embarrassing for Dave Cull, Sue Bidrose, Rebecca Williams and all the uninformed Do-gooder councillors and staff at Dunedin City Council who wanted to throw ratepayers’ money at criminal gangs.

Douglas Field 16 Dec 2015 [click to enlarge]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Epere arrested

Link received from Hamish McNeilly
14/12/2015 3:32 pm (GMT+12:00)

—

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:51 14/12/2015
Gang member on Dunedin City Council contract arrested for driving incident
By Hamish McNeilly
A gang member who secured a $52,000 contract with the Dunedin City Council has been arrested after an alleged driving incident. Police were called by concerned motorists following reports two southbound vehicles were passing on double yellow lines south of Palmerston, about 5pm on Sunday.
The vehicles – a 2008 black Holden Commodore Clubsport and a blue 2000 Holden Commodore Berlina, each containing two adults and three children – allegedly reached speeds up to 150kmh as they passed each other.
Officers pulled over the two vehicles near the Dunedin suburb of Pine Hill, and arrested the two male drivers, aged 49 and 50. […] One of the drivers involved was understood to be Albert Epere.
Read more

—

Related Posts and Comments:
13.10.15 Stuff: DCC to pay Epere $37 an hour
12.10.15 alfred e cull
11.10.15 DCC: Numpty – Cull – Epere
6.10.15 DCC suckered by Black Power leader
9.3.15 DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stuff: DCC to pay Epere $37 an hour

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 11:41, October 13 2015
Gang member’s council contract: $37 an hour and no patches allowed
By Hamish McNeilly
A gang member will be paid $37 an hour and forbidden to wear gang regalia as part of a Dunedin City Council weed control contract. […] Black Power member Albert Epere would control weeds, litter and maintain paths at six Dunedin sites until June 30, 2016. A copy reveals the $52,000 plus GST contract was based on a 30-hour working week with a fee schedule of $37 an hour.
Read more

—

Related Posts and Comments:
12.10.15 alfred e cull
11.10.15 DCC: Numpty – Cull – Epere
6.10.15 DCC suckered by Black Power leader
9.3.15 DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: lantapix via 123rf.com – man with lawn mower

DCC: Numpty – Cull – Epere

Received from Douglas Field
Sun, 11 Oct 2015 at 10:34 a.m.

Pip’s comment. The sock puppet, Dave, with ‘friends’.
[click to enlarge]

—

Related Posts and Comments:
6.10.15 DCC suckered by Black Power leader
9.3.15 DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC suckered by Black Power leader

Photo (detail) by Ross Setford via 3news.co.nz

—

Received from Gavin Bartle
Tue, 6 Oct 2015 at 10:51 a.m.

On 6/10/15 10:20 am, “Gavin Bartle” wrote:

Dear elected representatives, [DCC]

Today I read with horror an ODT article that DCC is channeling ratepayer funds to an active senior member of an organised criminal group.

I’m not sure what kind of game you all think your playing, but is an absolutely unacceptable use of rates money.

This man, Albert Epere, is a current and active member of a vile violent group of thugs that prey on honest Dunedin citizens, he is in no way reformed or renounced his criminal associations.

This funding must be stopped and the contract terminated, the staff who allowed this must be instructed not to be so foolish again.

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/358318/gangster-secures-52500-contract

Thanks
Gavin Bartle

From: Lee Vandervis
Date: 6 October 2015 at 10:44
Subject: Re: rates money funnelled to organised crime
To: Gavin Bartle

Hi Gavin.

That I agree with you, is suggested by my request for information today as below.

Kind regards,
Lee

—— Forwarded Message
From: Lee Vandervis
Date: Tue, 06 Oct 2015 09:29:43 +1300
To: Sue Bidrose, Sandy Graham, Andrew Noone, Andrew Whiley, Chris Staynes, Doug Hall, Hilary Calvert, John Bezett, Jinty MacTavish, Kate Wilson, Lee Vandervis, Mayor Cull, Mike Lord, Neville Peat, Richard Thomson, David Benson-Pope, Aaron Hawkins
Conversation: Gangster’s DCC Contract – LGOIMA requests for information
Subject: Gangster’s DCC Contract – LGOIMA requests for information

Dear Sue, Sandy, and Mayor Cull,

Who made the actual decision to award a $52,500 DCC Contract to a gang leader outside of the contractual requirements specified in our DCC Procurement documents?
Will the gang leader Mr Albert Epere be contracted to do the work personally himself, or is he contractually free to ‘arrange’ others to do the actual Contract work?
Why did Councillors not get the opportunity to debate and decide on this clearly political departure from DCC Procurement process?
Have the Audit and Risk Subcommittee given their stamp of approval to this risky departure from best Contracting practice?
Please forward a copy of the full original contract awarded to Mr Epere.

Regarding Mongrel Mob and Black Power access to DCC contracts Mayor Cull is quoted by TV3 as saying “The work is on a trial basis and the gangs would have to “satisfy” the chief executive and show they were up to the job before being awarded a contract, Mr Cull says.”

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/nznews/mongrel-mob-and-black-power-bid-for-council-lawn-contracts-2015030913#ixzz3nj6k6e77

What has Mr Epere, leader of Black Power, done to satisfy our CEO that he is up to the job under the terms of our Procurement and Audit and Risk procedures?

Regards,
Cr. Vandervis

—— End of Forwarded Message

—

█ 6.10.15 ODT: Gang boss secures council contract
A Black Power kingpin with multiple prison stints behind him has won a $52,500 Dunedin City Council contract to maintain several areas of the city’s public land. […] The contract was signed yesterday and covers land in Opoho, St Leonards, Abbotsford, Logan Park, Caversham Bypass and Bridge St.

Albert Epere, a patched Black Power leader has served prison terms for assault and grievous bodily harm.

Rebecca Williams [DCC] said she did not know “anything about becoming a Black Power member” and confirmed the council had not looked into what it took to become a patched gang member as part of its due diligence for the contract.

Rebecca and Mad Hatter Cull with Black Power member. Douglas Field (6.10.15)

—

█ 8.5.12 ODT: Five sentenced over Dunedin gang clash
With Epere, Ryan and Witehira, the judge acknowledged they had all been out of serious trouble since about 2003 and Epere and Witehira were now involved in organisations putting something back into the community. And Ryan had moved away from Dunedin and was taking steps to sort out his life.

—

Related Posts and Comments:
9.3.15 DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs
8.7.14 DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC | Emulate CCC ? #shredding

Link received.
Mon, 31 Aug 2015 at 2:51 p.m.

To: Dunedin ratepayers & residents —“The money or your life!?!” (who said that)

—

### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00, August 31 2015
The Press
Editorial: Proposals aim to make Christchurch council streamlined, efficient
OPINION The proposals announced by Christchurch City Council chief executive Karleen Edwards last week for far-reaching changes to the council’s administrative structure come as no surprise.
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) is beginning the process of winding down its functions. The council and many outside the council want it to be in best shape possible to stake a plausible claim for taking back all, or almost all, of the powers that have been wielded over the last four years by Cera. A fundamental reorganisation shows a seriousness of purpose that should improve that claim.

The proposals are far-reaching. They begin at the top, with seven executive leadership roles reduced to five. Overall, 175 administrative roles will be disestablished and 115 new ones created. The aim, according to Edwards, is to streamline the organisation to make it more dynamic and agile, as befits a city in the process of recreating itself.

Surveys, both of Christchurch citizens who the council is designed to serve, and of council staff themselves also show that, despite considerable efforts that have been made in the last couple of years, the council is still not functioning as smoothly and efficiently as it should be. One survey in particular in May, done after a reorganisation designed to focus the council’s operations on the rebuild, showed that many residents felt the council was operating below expectations. As Edwards said last week, the council had to respond to those concerns with significant changes in order to get it to where people expected it to be.
Read more

—

Related Post and Comments:
28.8.15 Joel Cayford: ‘Mangawhai Ratepayers at Court of Appeal’
19.8.15 Hotels ? Business ? [DCC lost +++152 fleet vehicles] —Cull in charge….
26.7.15 Leadership woes universal #Minions #DUD
17.6.15 Citifleet: ‘Checkpoint’ interviews Dave Cull
21.5.15 Tomorrow’s newspaper —Cull on CST

█ For more, enter the terms *cull*, *bidrose*, *dchl*, *stadium*, *orfu*, *delta*, *citifleet*, *cycleways*, *flood*, *pipe renewals*, *st clair*, *junkets* or *hotel* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: summation.typepad.com – untitled [tweaked by whatifdunedin]

Dunedin schools —population demographics

Mural at Macandrew Bay School (detail)

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Solutions proposed by school leaders so far include closing one or more secondary schools in the city, establishing enrolment zones or implementing roll caps.

### ODT Online Wed, 6 May 2015
Schools baulk at roll issue
By John Lewis
The Ministry of Education is being asked to step up and take responsibility for finding a solution to the city’s declining secondary school rolls, rather than asking the schools’ leaders to solve the problem. During the past eight months, secret meetings have been held between Dunedin’s secondary principals, board representatives and the ministry, to see if schools could agree on ways of making the city’s secondary school network more efficient, sustainable and equitable for pupils.
Read more

****

“We’re not just getting increases in the number of babies being born locally.” –Richard Newton, principal St Clair School

### ODT Online Thu, 7 May 2015
Migrants boost primary school rolls
By John Lewis
The latest Ministry of Education March roll figures show Dunedin’s primary and intermediate school rolls are the highest they have been in six years, despite the secondary rolls being the lowest in 15 years. The rise in overall rolls appears driven by primary rolls, which have been increasing for the past eight years and have reached their highest point since 2001. Intermediate rolls have been increasing for the past four years.
Read more

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC patched: How NZ Herald sells our “story” #gangs

NZ Herald Online 9.3.15 [screenshot detail]

█ Read more at this earlier post with comments — DCC: Mayor Cull and council staff consort with criminal gangs

█ ODT/DCC bilge direct Link
Comments disallowed at ODT Online.

—

Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Clarke and Dawe (palliative care after extraordinary meeting at #DUD)

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Nov 19, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – Growth first. Then these other things can be dealt with, whatever they are.
“Joe Hockey, Australian Treasurer” Originally aired on ABC TV: 20/11/2014

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Nov 12, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – A Busy Time at the Great Hall as We Prepare for Guests
“Tony Abbott. Prime Minister of Australia” Originally aired on ABC TV: 13/11/2014

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Nov 5, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – The G20 explained
“Godfrey Marketz, Economic strategist.” Originally aired on ABC TV: 06/11/2014

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Oct 15, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – International Diplomacy. A Users Guide.
“Rowan Machine, a resident of Albury.” Originally aired on ABC TV: 16/10/2014

ClarkeAndDawe Published on Sep 17, 2014
Clarke and Dawe – Des is Eliminated Here But at Least he Isn’t at Work.
“Mr Desmond Traction. Fear Maintenance Officer” Originally aired on ABC TV: 18/09/2014

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

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr