Christchurch rebuild, slants

Slow to roll….

nzplatts Published on May 7, 2014

Christchurch CBD Rebuild 2014
All music rights to Coldplay ‘Fix You’ – https://itunes.apple.com/nz/artist/coldplay/id471744

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Christchurch, rise….

DTPictures NZ Published on Jan 18, 2014

Christchurch – January 2014
The familiar sound of Christchurch’s trams are back in the CBD, it was a glorious day, and I wanted to test out my new GoPro! Cue time lapses, wide angles, and gratuitous slow motion shots…
Photography: Dan Heuston
Music: ‘Rise’ by Ultravox (Google Play • iTunes)

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### stuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00, January 10 2015
Tougher conditions expected
By Tim Fulton – The Press
CHRISTCHURCH—Commercial construction firms are waiting to see how busy they will be this year as big jobs come together. The city’s commercial construction will get tougher, as the “greater rebuild” starts to wind down, Anthony Leighs says. “I have a bit of a fear that some will just react a bit too slowly and that will be painful and financially costly,” Leighs, the managing director of Leighs Construction, says.
The key to doing well in the rebuild is growing strategically, he says. Some companies are already caught between “scale-up” mode and planning for the time when work falls away. “Anecdotally, I know there are construction organisations who are finding the going, pretty bloody tough. And from this point onwards it’s not going to get easier – it’s going to get harder.”
Large projects for Leighs in the next 24 months will include Burwood Hospital overhaul and the Westpac and ASB buildings.
Commercial builders are also developing Christchurch Public Hospital, the Convention Centre, the Justice Precinct and “supposedly the Metro Sports Centre”. It is adding to the national strain on labour and construction materials, Leighs says. “The demand on resourcing is already pretty acute and it’s going to become far more significant.”

Hawkins chief executive Jim Boult says subcontractors to Canterbury’s commercial rebuild may soon look to the residential sector to ease staff shortages.

Christchurch has “adequate work for all good commercial construction companies at the moment” but companies will have to be nimble, Boult says. Most commercial firms are waiting to see how busy they will be, if and when some large government and private sector jobs come together. “If they all come out one-after-another, no problem. But if they all come out at the same time, then that could cause some constraints,” Boult says.
Contractors will probably need more migrants and imported, pre-fabricated materials from overseas to get the work done. They will also need to be careful not to be too large once their workload falls away.
Read more

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58 comments….

### 3news.co.nz Wednesday 5 Nov 2014 11:27 a.m.
Rebuild companies breaching employment law – MBIE
Labour inspectors say they’re disappointed how many staff working on the Christchurch rebuild are not being treated fairly by their bosses. Sixteen labour hire and construction companies have been found to have breached employment laws following audits by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Labour Inspectorate. Inspectors audited 40 Canterbury companies in the last six months and of the 23 audits now complete, 16 have breached employment laws. Most of the breaches related to incomplete employment agreements, unlawful deductions from wages and insufficient records, Labour Inspectorate southern region manager Steve Watson says. NZN
Read more

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Back then (2012)….

### stuff.co.nz Last updated 19:46 30/07/2012
Rebuild plan for Christchurch unveiled
By Lois Cairns
As many as 840 properties will need to be purchased to turn the Government’s plans for rebuilding Christchurch’s city centre into reality. The 100-day blueprint released by the Christchurch Central Development Unit (CCDU) today outlines a bold plan to significantly shrink the size of the CBD by designating two strips of land – one in the east of the city and one in the south – as open spaces. These open spaces, along with the Avon River, which will be widened in stretches and developed into a riverside park, will serve to frame the new CBD, ensuring that all new development is concentrated within a tight geographic area.
Read more | Interpretive Location Map

AJ Funnell Published on Jul 7, 2014

Christchurch Flyover
Christchurch’s new look city… The video says up to 10,000 people could be working within 300 metres of the city centre. Animation Research Ltd (ARL).

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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

DCHL: Aurora upgrade implicates Delta

The upgrade would cost DCC, as Aurora’s annual dividend – passed on to the council and used to offset rates – dropped by $2 million a year, to $7.5 million, from 2015-16.

Delta had shed almost 150 workers and closed its entire civil construction arm since mid-2012.

### ODT Online Sat, 2 Aug 2014
Aurora plans $139.2m upgrade
By Chris Morris
Dunedin City Council-owned lines company Aurora Energy says a planned $139.2 million investment in its network will create about 20 jobs and help ensure the lights stay on as growth picks up in Central Otago. The company’s five-year spending plan would result in upgrades and replacement of key pieces of ageing infrastructure across the network, which supplied 83,000 customers in Dunedin and Central Otago. […] The work would also generate spin-off benefits for another council-owned entity, infrastructure company Delta, which already managed Aurora’s network and shared the same management and directors.
Read more

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Ah well.

### ODT Online Sat, 2 Aug 2014
Cameron nominated
By Chris Morris
Aurora Energy chief executive Grady Cameron hopes to have put the challenges of the past few years behind him.
Mr Cameron (39), also chief executive of Delta, has been named one of three finalists in the Young Executive of the Year category of the Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards. The winner will be announced in Auckland on August 13.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
5.7.124 DCC’s debt level — who do you believe?
2.6.14 QB 2014 gongs of ill-repute #Hudson COI = MNZM
17.4.14 Aussie wine – NO parallels at DCC/DCHL/DVML/DVL/Delta/ORFU
31.3.14 Audit services to (paying) local bodies #FAIL ● AuditNZ ● OAG…
25.3.14 Delta blues . . . and Easy Rider
20.3.14 Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General
14.3.14 Delta: Mayor ignores Cr Vandervis’ official complaint
8.11.13 DCHL, long wait for review (Larsen sighs)
15.7.13 Delta, Carisbrook, Fubar Stadium —Councillors “weak”, or worse
12.7.13 Delta Utility Services Ltd, missing column…
9.7.13 Delta Utility Services Ltd, full investigation needed
12.11.12 Delta purchases | Vandervis OAG complaint accepted
26.10.12 DCHL: New directors for Aurora, Delta, City Forests

For more, enter the terms *aurora*, *delta*, *dchl*, *dcc*, *auditnz* or *oag* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Images: Grady Cameron and salary by whatifdunedin; auroraenergy.co.nz – Aurora by Joshua Strang (2006); St Clair by Sean Waller (2009); thinkdelta.co.nz – graphic reworked by whatifdunedin

DCC Transport Strategy and Riccarton Road

### ODT Online Tue, 3 Jun 2014
Opinion
Transport strategy must respect personal needs
By Phil Cole
Dunedin has its own unique geographic, demographic and historical features that make any transportation planning in the city reliant on forward-thinking, rather than academic theoretical practices. The historical past of Dunedin’s transportation, however, should only be ignored at its peril. It is vitally important for Dunedin’s direction that any long-term transport planning is determined not by short-term populist ideas but by long-term growth, based on economic conditions, city development and people’s habits. It is equally important council land-use planning is closely aligned to, but does not determine, how the city can be rejuvenated.
Read more

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Riccarton Rd resident Brian Miller said the council was not trying to reach a fair and reasonable settlement and valuations were being forced on landowners.

### ODT Online Wed, 4 Jun 2014
Offers prepared for land
By Shawn McAvinue
The land needed to widen Riccarton Rd will be obtained by statutory authority if a mutual agreement can not be met, Dunedin City Council roading projects engineer Evan Matheson says. […] Some landowners were hesitant to make land available, he said.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Delta blues . . . and Easy Rider

ONE News: Victim’s relative feels ‘sorry’ for Easy Rider widow
Published: 9:17AM Wednesday March 19, 2014
A relative of one of the people who lost their lives in the Easy Rider sinking in 2012 says he feels sorry for the woman charged over the tragedy. Judge John Strettell released his judgement today, finding Gloria Davis and her company AZ1 Enterprises guilty of three charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act and the Maritime Transport Act in relation to the tragedy. She originally faced five charges but two were dropped. Ms Davis is the sole director of the company that operated the fishing boat which capsized in Foveaux Strait on March 15, 2012, claiming eight lives, including Ms Davis’s husband, Rewai Karetai, who was skipper of the vessel. Link to Video/Article

Stuart McLauchlan

From the video:
The New Zealand Institute of Directors agrees the judgement serves as a warning. “When you take on a role as a director you cannot sit there passively,” says NZID’s Stuart McLauchlan. “You’ve got to understand what the risks are, you’ve got to understand the operations of the business, and ultimately you’re responsible.”

The same applies in the failed Delta land deals at Luggate and Jacks Point. Board directors for Delta Utility Services Ltd, Delta Investments Ltd (previously, Newtons Coachways (1993) Ltd), and Dunedin City Council’s holding company (DCHL) are ultimately responsible to Dunedin ratepayers for the multimillion-dollar loss.

Note: Stuart McLauchlan has been a director for Delta Utility Services Ltd since 01 Jun 2007; Delta Investments since 16 Jul 2009; and Dunedin City Holdings Ltd from 01 Jun 2007 to 31 Oct 2011. Altogether, this represents a “perceived conflict of interest” and more.

█ Inquiry into property investments by Delta Utility Services Limited at Luggate and Jacks Point. The Auditor-General’s Overview and Full Report are available at http://www.oag.govt.nz/reports/2014/delta.

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Related Post and Comments:
20.3.14 Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: tvnz.co.nz – video still re-imaged by whatifdunedin

Delta: Report from Office of the Auditor-General

Inquiry into property investments by Delta Utility Services Limited at Luggate and Jacks Point.

The report on the OAG probe was tabled at Parliament at 2pm today.

█ AUDITOR-GENERAL’S OVERVIEW and FULL REPORT available at http://www.oag.govt.nz/reports/2014/delta

“My staff found no evidence of impropriety or of poorly managed conflicts of interest in relation to either investment [Luggate and Jacks Point]. However, they did identify some breaches of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Companies Act 1993 and instances of Delta using artificial business structures to avoid public accountability.” –Lyn Provost, Controller and Auditor-General

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█ Inquiry into decisions by Delta Utility Services Limited to invest in residential development at Luggate, near Wanaka, and at Jacks Point, Queenstown. 14 November 2012. Link

What was the probe about?
The OAG probe was to cover all aspects of the council-owned company’s decision to spend $14.12 million on property at Jacks Point, in Queenstown, and Luggate, near Wanaka, in 2008 and 2009. That included how and why the purchases were made, consideration of risks, compliance with legislation, and the identification and management of any conflicts of interest, the OAG said at the time. The OAG would also consider to what extent the Dunedin City Council – as the shareholder of Delta’s parent company, Dunedin City Holdings Ltd – was involved, and any other matters considered ”desirable” to report on. (ODT article 14.3.14)

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████ Updated 21.3.14 – essential listening ████

### radionz.co.nz Friday 21 March 2014
Morning Report with Geoff Robinson & Simon Mercep
Delta complainants not satisfied with critical report
Reporting by Ian Telfer
08:41 People who made complaints about failed property deals from a Dunedin council subsidiary say it is unacceptable no-one is being held to account.
Audio | Downloads: Ogg   MP3 ( 3′ 38″ )

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Related Post and Comments:
14.3.14 Delta: Mayor ignores Cr Vandervis’ official complaint

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Delta: Mayor ignores Cr Vandervis’ official complaint

### ODT Online Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Land purchases report imminent
By Chris Morris
The findings of a major investigation into Delta’s multimillion-dollar land acquisitions at Jacks Point and Luggate are expected to be released next week.
However, exactly what the Office of the Auditor-general has found after more than a year investigating the purchases remained a closely-guarded secret yesterday. The report was due to be officially published by Parliament’s speaker – who would table the report at 2pm on Thursday – and it would appear on the Auditor-general’s website minutes later, OAG staff confirmed.
Read more

The OAG probe was to cover all aspects of the council-owned company’s decision to spend $14.12 million on property at Jacks Point, in Queenstown, and Luggate, near Wanaka, in 2008 and 2009. That included how and why the purchases were made, consideration of risks, compliance with legislation, and the identification and management of any conflicts of interest, the OAG said at the time. The OAG would also consider to what extent the Dunedin City Council – as the shareholder of Delta’s parent company, Dunedin City Holdings Ltd – was involved, and any other matters considered ”desirable” to report on. (via ODT)

Delta Utility Services Ltd: Directors past and present (go to Show History)
Delta Investments Ltd: Directors past and present (go to Show History)

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Related Posts and Comments:
25.1.14 Stadium: Some helped it along, or themselves!
15.7.13 Delta, Carisbrook, Fubar Stadium —Councillors “weak”, or worse
12.7.13 Delta Utility Services Ltd, missing column…
9.7.13 Delta Utility Services Ltd, full investigation needed
18.12.12 Delta hasn’t fixed Union St West after EIGHT WHOLE MONTHS
█ 12.11.12 Delta purchases | Vandervis OAG complaint accepted
26.10.12 DCHL: New directors for Aurora, Delta, City Forests
11.9.12 Delta Utility Services Ltd
30.8.12 DCC seen by Fairfax Business Bureau deputy editor Tim Hunter
20.12.11 Delta and the GOBs #DCHL #DCC
18.11.11 Delta rebrand
26.8.09 DScene: Delta, STS, DCC larks
9.7.09 Delta dawn what’s that flower…

█ ODT 20.6.13 Lee Vandervis (opinion): Council firms must get back to basics
█ ODT 30.10.12 Mayor sees red over Vandervis questions

█ Fairfax | DScene publishes Cr Vandervis’ questions (page 3):
[click to enlarge]

For more, enter *dchl* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC: Growth v development contributions

Worth a read —Whaleoil link received from Anonymous
Tuesday, 11 February 2014 8:11 p.m.

### whaleoil.co.nz February 10, 2014
Why do Property Developers hate development contributions?
By Cameron Slater
A property developer writes:
“Lately Developers and Councils have been busy preparing submissions on the proposed changes to the Local Government Act relating to development contributions. There are many issues. Firstly, the issue with charging developers for improvements that have nothing to do with growth.
(1) Hiding the real cost apportionment and charging developers for improvements that [have] nothing to do with new development growth:
When developing up capital works and budgeting the Annual Plan councils develop formula and apportion some of the costs to ‘growth’ – which is then charged to developers. Councils argue that as cities grow and intensify – the costs of that growth include replacing or improving infrastructure. Hence they want new developments to pay for it.
Developers take issue however with the amount of money required from them to pay for the infrastructure improvements not that they have to pay for their share of growth. As such the argument is about whether the right pro-rata apportionment is applied.
Obfuscating the debate is that all Councils must replace infrastructure as it ages and is due for replacement. Additionally, most Councils are in recent times adopting new development standards that increase the capacity of assets and they improve assets as technology advances.
Replacing assets is supposed to occur from a built sinking fund that is generated over the life span of an infrastructure asset. Council receive money over the lifespan in cash as depreciation as part of rates. Over time, and subject to annual revaluation each asset builds up a depreciation sinking fund that should be sufficient to replace it. Developers are concerned that Councils spend that money through internal loans to OPEX and other creative accounting and then hope to use ‘growth’ as a mechanism for replacing the assets. A psuedo ponzi scheme with ratepayers the duped investors.”
Read more

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DCC: Development Contributions Policy
Development contributions are charges paid by property developers to meet the increased demand for infrastructure resulting from growth.
The Council is proposing some significant changes to its Development Contributions Policy.
In April 2011, the Council released a Statement of Proposal to adopt a Draft Revised Development Contributions Policy (the Draft Policy). The proposal included a schedule of charges which could apply if the Draft Policy was adopted. Submissions on the Draft Policy closed in July 2011 and were followed by hearings in November 2011. After beginning its deliberations the Hearings Committee decided that more information was required from Council staff before the Draft Policy could be considered further. Deliberations started again in December 2012 with Council staff reporting back to the Committee on the information it requested. The Committee has yet to conclude its deliberations.
As a final decision on the Draft Policy is yet to be made, the Council’s existing Development Contributions Policy applies until further notice. Read more

DCC: Spatial Plan for Dunedin
‘Dunedin Towards 2050′ (The Spatial Plan), sets the strategic direction for Dunedin’s growth and development for the next 30+ years. It outlines a broad set of principles, strategic directions, policies, and actions and visually illustrates how the city may develop in the future. It will be used to guide land-use planning in the city as well as influencing how future infrastructure and services may be provided or limited. The Spatial Plan is primarily, but not solely, concerned with Dunedin’s urban form and design. Urban form and design refer to the spatial arrangement of a city, in other words, the shape of a city as seen from the air including the overall pattern of development, activities, and infrastructure as well as the design or ‘look and feel’ of the city and how it functions. Urban form and design have a significant impact on the sustainability, liveability and economic performance of cities.

DCC: Second Generation Plan for Dunedin
The Dunedin City District Plan controls what people can do on their land and how it can be developed. While there have been some changes and new zones added (eg the Stadium, Airport and Harbourside zones), most of the current Plan has not been reviewed since 2006 and a lot of it dates back to the 1990s. The council is reviewing the Plan as a whole to fix the parts that are not clear or working properly, to recognise the changes to land use and development within Dunedin, to discourage poor development and to align with changes in national policy guidance. The review will produce a second generation plan (2GP), which is the second plan prepared under the Resource Management Act 1991. This is a long process with a lot of research and analysis, and input from stakeholders and the community.

DCC: Strategic Directions
The Strategic Directions of the second generation plan will establish the overall management approach for the 2GP, stating the important outcomes for the city:
● Dunedin is Environmentally Sustainable and Resilient
● Dunedin is Economically Prosperous
● Dunedin is a Memorable and Distinctive City with a Strong Built and Natural Character
● Dunedin has Strong Social and Cultural Capital
● Dunedin has an Attractive and Enjoyable Built Environment
● Dunedin has Affordable and Efficient Public Infrastructure
● Dunedin has Quality and Affordable Housing
● Dunedin is a Compact City with Resilient Townships

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On the local . . .
Meanwhile, developers across the Taieri are champing at the bit to re-create ‘Wanaka sprawl’ on the flood plain with little regard for the protection of high class soils —despite the objectives of the spatial plan that places wise emphasis on the rural area becoming the city’s food basket (resilience).

### ODT Online Wed, 12 Feb 2014
Benefits seen for Taieri area
By Rosie Manins
Mosgiel, Middlemarch and the wider Taieri area will benefit from a new marketing approach by the Dunedin City Council, chief executive Sue Bidrose says. The establishment of an in-house marketing agency at the council, replacing Tourism Dunedin, would offer ”more bang for buck”, she said. The agency would use existing council staff, such as those in human resources and finance, and run alongside the council’s economic development unit.
Read more

New chief executive Sue Bidrose says the council will review performance of the in-house marketing agency after 18 months, with a view to assessing if in the longer term the agency should become a council-owned company. (via ODT)

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Other ODT stories:
● Riccarton Rd widening set to begin Asked if the upgrade was designed to accommodate more heavy vehicle traffic, Mr Matheson played down those concerns. [Evan Matheson hasn’t referenced the revising ‘district plans’ then]
● Trail trust awaits talks outcome The group behind a project aiming to provide a cycle link between Mosgiel and Dunedin is awaiting the result of crucial land negotiations.
● Crematorium not yet begun Hope and Sons is yet to begin construction of its new Mosgiel crematorium, but hopes to have it operating this year. Managing director Michael Hope said it was still working on gaining building consent.
● Police presence of concern
● Town’s population to disappear Mosgiel’s Pearl of the Plain sign in Quarry Rd is to lose its population figure and receive a general spruce-up. [spot feathery bill]
● Hope signal problems fixed

Syd Brown, Taieri property developer and ex city councillor/FSD chairman

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Related Posts and Comments:
10.2.14 University of Otago major sponsor for Highlanders [rugby, a pool]
5.2.14 Mosgiel pool sluts get their tops off for ex ORFU guy
4.2.14 DCC: Mosgiel Pool, closed-door parallels with stadium project . . .
30.1.14 DCC broke → More PPPs to line private pockets and stuff ratepayers
20.1.14 DCC Draft Annual Plan 2014/15 [see comment & ff]
18.11.13 DCC: New chief executive
16.11.13 Community board (Mosgiel-Taieri) clandestine meetings
7.10.13 DCC councillors, no idea annual cost of owning, operating FB Stadium
23.6.13 DCC Community Boards
21.4.13 Councils “in stchook” —finance & policy analyst Larry.N.Mitchell
6.12.12 Local Government Act Amendment Bill
6.12.12 DCC debt —Cr Vandervis
6.9.12 DCC pays out $millions to cover loss making stadium and rugby…
30.11.11 amalgamation, Anyone?
8.11.11 Development contributions
9.8.11 CRITICAL Dunedin City Council meeting
25.7.11 DCC Finance, Strategy and Development Committee – meeting postponed
16.7.11 Major Dunedin City Council infrastructure assets NOT INSURED
7.7.11 More than $1 billion of infrastructure assets NOT insured
23.3.11 Dunedin City Council’s rock and its hard place

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Doh, low growth for Dunedin

North Dunedin [flickriver.com] re-imaged by whatifdunedin

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### ODT Online Sun, 20 Oct 2013
Census data tests planning assumptions
By Chris Morris
The Dunedin City Council will review some of the assumptions underpinning its planning efforts, after census data revealed slower-than-expected growth in the city. Council city development manager Dr Anna Johnson yesterday told the Otago Daily Times the city’s growth rate was lower than council planning had anticipated. The city’s resident population had increased from 118,683 in 2006 to 120,246 this year, which equated to annual growth of just 0.19%, she said. That was below 2006 expectations, which had anticipated annual growth of 0.4%, she said. ”The growth is slower than was expected or planned for, and it is lower than the estimates that we have been working with.” There was nothing in the data as yet to suggest the council should change urban development policies included in its spatial plan, which anticipated demand for an extra 7600 residential units in the city by 2031, Dr Johnson said.
Read more

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Related Posts and Comments:
18.8.13 South Dunedin and other low lying areas
12.6.13 Dunedin housing: building up or Brown-like sprawl…
2.4.13 Dunedin: Developers stoop to resource consents instead of…
18.9.12 DCC ‘vision’ (spatial plan chess)
14.4.12 How perverse is the New Zealand housing market?
8.2.12 Dunedin City district plan review
8.12.11 interest.co heats NZ housing debate – listen up
7.12.11 Spatial Plan consultation #Dunedin
1.12.11 Spatial plan “rainbows” – Dunedin
28.10.11 Dunedin’s DRAFT Spatial Plan

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Delta Utility Services Ltd, missing column . . .

Received from Hype O’Thermia
Friday, 12 July 2013 10:37 a.m.

What we earned, what we made, what we own.
Where’s the What we owe column?

Delta webpage as at 12.7.13 (detail)

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Related Post and Comments:
9.7.12 Delta Utility Services Ltd, full investigation needed

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Delta Utility Services Ltd, full investigation needed

At Otago Daily Times today:

Responsibility of care (editorial)

Cull, Acklin at odds over Delta

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Comment at ODT Online:

Time for accountability
Submitted by russandbev on Tue, 09/07/2013 – 10:28am.
Cr Acklin protesteth too much. He was a councillor when it was determined by Council to insist upon dividends that were being produced by borrowing, he has consistently voted for large scale Council projects including the stadium to be financed through debt, he has been in an informed position when presented with DCHL and Delta accounts and forecasts, but perhaps most importantly, he simply doesn’t understand that a Council cannot subsidise a commercial organisation by the degree that is needed to win contracts.
Delta’s overheads are way way too high and Cr Acklin has been in a position to assist in ensuring that Delta was not involved in land speculation, poor business decisions, commercial sponsorship of professional rugby and the like.
Mayor Cull is right in his position regarding Delta, but surely now is the time to bring all those for this sorry mess to account – including Cr Acklin, [Abridged]
ODT Link

In a longer opinion piece, Russell Garbutt outlines the ”sorry” tale of Dunedin City Council-owned company Delta as he sees it.

### ODT Online Tue, 9 Jul 2013
Delta heading for drawn-out death
By Russell Garbutt
OPINION The sorry and inevitable story of Delta continues to what union spokesmen have described as a ”long, drawn-out death”, with owners of the company, governance of the company and management of the company all disclaiming any responsibility or accountability for the loss of business and consequent loss of jobs. But it isn’t as though this position has not been able to be foretold with some accuracy by interested observers.
The basic concept of a business activity supplying professional services to the wider community and supplying profits from that business operation to its overall owner – in this case, the Dunedin City Council – is sound. But it requires strong and wise governance to strike the right balance between risky entrepreneurial activities and conservative growth. Most importantly, the governance of such an activity requires some basic business sense.
Many would say, including those recently advised of the loss of their jobs, that for many years this basic governance requirement has been sorely lacking.
Read more

● Russell Garbutt is a long-time critic of the city council and council funding of Forsyth Barr Stadium.

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Related Posts and Comments:
28.5.13 Carisbrook: Auditor-General #fails Dunedin residents and ratepayers
18.12.12 Delta hasn’t fixed Union St West after EIGHT WHOLE MONTHS
22.11.12 Cull COVERS UP COUNCIL #massage
12.11.12 Delta purchases | Vandervis OAG complaint accepted
30.10.12 DCHL ‘run by a bunch of fools’ -agreed
29.10.12 DCC consolidated debt substantially more than $616m…
26.10.12 DCHL borrowed $23 million to bail DCC
26.10.12 DCHL: New directors for Aurora, Delta, City Forests
17.10.12 The only thing up…. (for sale)
17.10.12 DCC on DCHL, subsidiaries and DCTL
12.10.12 DCHL, subsidiaries and DCTL
11.9.12 (updated) Delta Utility Services Ltd
30.8.12 DCC seen by Fairfax Business Bureau deputy editor Tim Hunter
20.12.11 Delta and the GOBs #DCHL #DCC
18.11.11 Delta rebrand
29.7.11 WE ALL SAID IT #DunedinCityCouncil #SHAME
9.2.11 DCC and DCHL, was there ever any doubt?
13.3.10 Dunedin City Holdings Ltd
26.8.09 DScene: Delta, STS, DCC larks
9.7.09 Delta dawn what’s that flower…

For more, enter *dchl* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Photo: odt.co.nz – grady cameron (re-imaged by whatifdunedin)

Local Government Act Amendment Bill

Federated Farmers
Media Release

Local Government Bill passes, but funding must be next

30/11/2012 4:10:00 p.m.

Federated Farmers welcomes the passage of the Local Government Act Amendment Bill, but more must be done to contain and reduce the rates burden.

“The passage of the Bill is good news for ratepayers. Since 2002 rates have increased an average of 7 percent per year,” Ms Milne says.

“This growth is unsustainable and to rein it in councils and communities need better guidance and clarity on local government spending priorities.

“The Bill does this by changing the purpose of local government away from its activist, open-ended job description towards something more like what most people think local government should focus on: local infrastructure, local public services and local regulation.

“However, the Bill really just tinkers at the margin and will only go part of the way to containing and reducing the rates burden.

“What‘s needed now is funding reform, which so far has been the missing element of the Government’s work.

“It is well known that rates fall heavily and inequitably, with farmers being particularly hard hit. Far too many farmers pay more than $20,000 per year in general rates to fund activities they barely use or benefit from.

“What is perhaps less well understood is that funding policy also affects councils’ regulatory performance, especially when central government makes laws for councils to enforce, but does not provide any resources. The incentives are all wrong.

“We also think limited funding options are a factor in housing affordability, for example when councils impose high development contributions that push up the costs of sections.

“The burden of funding local government must be spread more equitably and that means moving away from the over-reliance on a 17th century system of property value rates and finding new and better tools for councils operating in the 21st century.

“Federated Farmers has always been up for this debate. With growing concern about housing affordability we sense the time is right to make some progress,” Ms Milne says.

For further information contact:

Katie Milne, Federated Farmers rural security spokesperson, 0274 244 546, 03 738 0189

Link to article

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Related Post:
24.9.12 DCC against imposition of local government reforms

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Oram on Auckland Spatial Plan, and more

### nzstuff.co.nz Last updated 05:00 21/03/2011
Auckland at the crossroads
By Rod Oram – Sunday Star Times
OPINION: The Auckland Plan is a moment of opportunity for the super city.

On Wednesday, a great fight for the heart, soul and wellbeing of Aucklanders begins. But don’t worry. It’s not all about Auckland. If the region gets this right, the rest of the country will benefit strongly from more effective approaches to development. In one corner stands the Auckland Council led by mayor Len Brown. It will present its view of the city’s future when it delivers that day a discussion document on the Auckland Plan. The paper will look at the region in a new way. For the first time, it will bring together data, analysis and insights on the human, economic, environmental, social, cultural and other factors that make Auckland what it is today. Crucially, though, it will use this new analysis to show us options for the region’s future. It’s up to Aucklanders to consider, debate, agree and act with the new powers the region gained through the creation of the super city.

In the other corner stands the Key government, led on these Auckland issues by Rodney Hide, minister of local government. Last week, the cabinet released a set of eight papers giving its very entrenched positions on Auckland’s future. What a miserable view it was. When Hide and his ministerial colleagues think of Auckland they imagine only more of the same, warts and all. In their view, Auckland has to ooze out across the landscape in low-value, low-growth ways.
Read more

aucklandtransportblog critiques Oram on Spatial Plan (21 Mar 2011)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

“We all know that growth brings prosperity. Except, apparently, when it doesn’t.”

### citiwire.net For Release Sunday, January 30, 2011
Oops! Fast City Growth May = Lower Incomes
By Mary Newsom / Jan 28 2011
Optimists prefer to look forward, not back. But especially during a month named for the two-headed Roman god Janus — a month when state legislatures are convening only to face mammoth budget shortfalls — maybe we all need a clear-eyed look backward as well as ahead.
A look back at the past decade from an Oregon consulting company, Fodor & Associates, ought to get plenty of people thinking about whether some assumptions of the past need re-examining. The report looked at growth rates and prosperity in the 100 largest U.S. metro areas. Its findings may challenge a bedrock assumption for many local and state government leaders, that “growth” in and of itself automatically brings jobs and more wealth.
Read more

-Mary Newsom is an associate editor and opinion writer at the Charlotte Observer.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Baltimore: proposal for single downtown zoning designation

### http://www.baltimoresun.com January 8, 2010
New zoning would protect views of iconic buildings
No new parking lots under proposed plan
By Lorraine Mirabella
Baltimore’s downtown would include designated districts that are defined by unique building structures, and regulations would prohibit blocking views of the city’s iconic structures under a proposed vision for future development.

Protecting distinctive views of buildings [is] “politically charged, but a very brave thing to do. It’s our only chance to have cohesion in downtown.”
-Gary Bowden, Urban Development and Architecture Review Panel

City planners offered preliminary ideas on Thursday for new rules and guidelines to replace downtown’s zoning regulations, which haven’t been updated in nearly 40 years. The new zoning also would prohibit any new surface parking lots. The proposals will be incorporated into a new zoning code for the entire city through the Transform Baltimore initiative.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity…to not be bound by the current rules and to improve urban design quality of the region.”
-Thomas J. Stosur, city planning director

Read more

Post by Elizabeth Kerr