Mr Cull to Cr Vandervis: “You, sir, are a liar. Now leave.” [screenshot]
—
Texts received from Lee Vandervis
Tue, 15 Dec 2015 at 7:48 a.m.
█ Message: Feel free to publicly contrast what I said to ODT reporter Chris Morris with what he said I said on today’s front page.
Lee, just checking – you planning on take big any action over the mayors comments today? Chris @ ODT
Not planning any action over Mayoral comments today because action over Mayor Cull previously defaming me as shonky’ finally got an unreserved apology from him but cost a lot of time and ratepayers money as did the farcical Code of Conduct sideshow. Shame that after all the evidence that I have provided especially what has been confirmed regarding my 2011 Citifleet allegations, that our new Procurement Policy still has not resulted in an independent Procurement manager position to oversee all individual managers’ contracting behaviour . Unfortunately my email programme died last Thursday and is still inoperative. Cheers Lee
—
REAL TIME
Otago Daily Times Published on Dec 14, 2015
Councillor Lee Vandervis asked to leave a DCC meeting
—
Exchange erupts on discussion of DCC’s new procurement policy and ‘historical’ kickbacks.
### ODT Online Tue, 15 Dec 2015 Cull, Vandervis cross swords at council meeting (+ video)
By Chris Morris
A furious bust-up saw Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull call Cr Lee Vandervis a liar and order him to leave yesterday’s Dunedin City Council meeting. The extraordinary scene saw both men on their feet, their voices raised as they roared over the top of each other, before Cr Vandervis packed up in silence and left with a parting shot. Read more
O me miserum, O Christmas Tree, WHYYYYY (Santa will look after us, won’t he)
THERE IS NO BULLYING, NOPE
—
The survey showed staff were particularly unhappy about the council’s executive team of five directors and Mr Bodeker.
### ODT Online Mon, 14 Dec 2015 Unhappy at ORC, staff say
By Vaughan Elder
Otago Regional Council’s chief executive has denied there is a “culture of fear” in the organisation after top management were singled out for criticism in a staff survey. Peter Bodeker, who was appointed chief executive in 2012, made the comments after the “2015 Employee Survey”, which was answered by 123 staff (95%), was leaked to the Otago Daily Times. Read more
—
Proposal in response to failed attempts at super councils in the North Island.
### ODT Online Fri, 11 Dec 2015 Councils may share services
By David Loughrey
A proposal to amalgamate some services of the six Otago councils is not a move to a super council, mayors say. […] Under the proposed system, local representation would stay as it is, but areas from payroll to IT, legal services, water, wastewater and roading services could be shared.
—
Steady stream of resignations and redundancies taking its toll.
### ODT Online Thu, 3 Dec 2015 ‘Culture of fear’ at DCC
By Chris Morris
Morale within the Dunedin City Council is taking a hammering as criticism and upheaval fuel a “culture of fear”, staff say. The concerns come from past and present staff, who have told the Otago Daily Times about the impact of constant restructuring, stretched budgets and redundancies. Read more
Following Tony Avery’s departure, a “Ruthless” ‘direct, no-nonsense approach to changeover issues’. Sue Bidrose ‘appeared to lack leadership experience, which she said was “possibly” true’.
### ODT Online Thu, 3 Dec 2015 ‘Culture of fear’ at DCC
By Chris Morris
Morale within the Dunedin City Council is taking a hammering as criticism and upheaval fuel a “culture of fear”, staff say. The concerns come from past and present staff, who have told the Otago Daily Times about the impact of constant restructuring, stretched budgets and redundancies. Read more
So. Staff are at the mercy of the D’urbavilles. There’s a new CEO waiting in the wings if anybody wants to sign out.
### ODT Online Thu, 12 Mar 2015 Polytech Efts continue to rise
By Timothy Brown
Otago Polytechnic believes student numbers will continue to climb for the fourth year. The polytechnic has budgeted for 4561 equivalent full-time students (Efts) this year, almost 7% up from last year’s final tally of 4269 Efts. […] The ongoing period of student number growth at the polytechnic comes as numbers are dropping at the University of Otago. Read more
—
Positive messaging! Community Learning! Industry responsive!
Otago Polytechnic Published on May 12, 2014 Study in Dunedin, New Zealand | Otago Polytechnic
█ For more information about studying at Otago Polytechnic’s Dunedin Campus visit http://www.op.ac.nz/dunedin
Updated post Thu, 23 Jan 2014 at 5:28 p.m.
Public Memorial Service (1 February) details below.
—
█ Sir Ian Charles Athfield KNZM (15 July 1940 – 16 January 2015) was a New Zealand architect. He was born in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Auckland in 1963 with a Diploma of Architecture. That same year he joined Structon Group Architects, and he became a partner in 1965. In 1968 he was a principal partner in setting up Athfield Architects with Ian Dickson and Graeme John Boucher (Manson). Link to profile
Sir Ian had recently been made a knight companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to architecture. Photo: NZ Herald
### stuff.co.nz Last updated 17:51, January 16 2015
The Dominion Post Renowned architect Sir Ian Athfield dies, aged 74
By Simon Bradwell and Tom Hunt
Renowned Wellington-based architect Sir Ian Athfield has died. He was 74.
Athfield Architects associate Rachel Griffiths said Sir Ian died in Wellington Hospital early this morning surrounded by family. His death was the result of “unexpected complications” during a procedure to treat his colon cancer.
“Ath had been dealing with cancer for some time with his usual stoicism and inappropriate humour,” Griffiths said. “There is … no-one else like Ath and we are devastated by his passing.” The Athfield family had asked for time to deal with their grief, she said. No date had been set for the funeral or memorial service at this stage.
A statement released this morning by the New Zealand Institute of Architects announced his death. “It is with great sadness that we inform Members that Sir Ian Athfield, one of New Zealand’s finest architects, has passed away in Wellington,” it said. “Our deepest condolences go out to Ath’s family, friends and colleagues. There are few details to share at this stage, but we will notify members of any funeral or memorial service arrangements as soon as they arise.”
Athfield, who was knighted in the most recent New Year Honours for his work in architecture, won more than 60 awards for his work. In a professional career spanning half a century, his stamp was imprinted across Wellington, and with Roger Walker, he was probably New Zealand’s leading exponent of modernist architecture. His most well-known works included the City Library and its nikau palm columns, built as part of the Civic Square redevelopment in the 1980s, and his own sprawling Khandallah house. He also designed Jade Stadium in Christchurch, which was damaged in the February 2011 earthquake.
Walker said he was “still in shock” on getting the news of Athfield’s death. Read more
Sir Ian Athfield – Public Memorial Service
The New Zealand Institute of Architects (NZIA) have organised a public memorial service to celebrate the life and work of Sir Ian Athfield, to be held at 3pm, Sunday 1 February, in Civic Square, Wellington.
Details of the service are yet to be finalised, but it is envisaged that it will include eulogies from people who knew Ath well. The service will very much be a memorial to Ath the Architect, and many Members will wish to attend. https://www.nzia.co.nz/
—
archivesnz Published on May 5, 2013
Architect Athfield (1979)
New Zealand National Film Unit presents Architect Athfield (1979)
‘Architect Athfield’ examines the frustrations and achievements of one of New Zealand’s most lively and innovative architects. In 1975 Ian Athfield won an international competition directed towards providing housing for 140,000 squatters from the Tondo area in Manila. Ironically, Athfield had jumped to international prominence before any wide-ranging acceptance in his own country. This film examines Athfield’s practical philosophy of architecture, and culminates in his trip to the Philippines, where he hopes to make his prize-winning design a reality.
—
wclchannel Uploaded on Nov 30, 2011 Ian Athfield – Central Library architect
### rnz.co.nz Sunday 11 August 2013
Arts on Sunday
1:43 New Arts Icon Ian Athfield
Ian Athfield on his new honour and he talks about this weekend’s forum on how architects and designers can help out following natural disasters. AudioOggMP3 (6′59″)
****
### ODT Online Sat, 27 Apr 2013 ‘Look at heritage differently,’ Athfield says
By John Gibb
Leading New Zealand architect Ian Athfield yesterday praised Dunedin’s wealth of heritage buildings but urged a rethink of aspects of the city’s one-way-street system. Mr Athfield, of Wellington, was in the city yesterday to give the annual New Zealand Historic Places Trust R.A. Lawson Lecture, as part of the Dunedin Heritage Festival. Addressing about 200 people at the University of Otago’s St David lecture theatre, he said “we have to look at heritage differently”. One-way street systems, in Dunedin and elsewhere, could sometimes separate important heritage buildings from their communities, and could make it difficult for people to approach such buildings on foot because of traffic volumes. Mr Athfield […] urged people to take a more flexible and holistic approach to heritage, treasuring the wider context of historic buildings, including their landscape settings, rather than seeing them only in isolation. Read more
****
Photo: City Gallery Wellington
Aalto Books profiles Portrait of a House by Simon Devitt
Published by Balasoglou Books May 2013
Only 1,000 copies printed with 100 special edition copies that include one of five photographic prints. At 140 pages, a true collector’s item for those interested in New Zealand history, architecture, design and photography. Portrait of a House is a photo book by photographer Simon Devitt in collaboration with graphic designer Arch MacDonnell (Inhouse Design). This is Devitt’s first foray in the photo book genre. His book explores the Athfield House – the ‘village on the hill’ – an architectural experiment that Ian Athfield started in 1965 on the Khandallah hillside in Wellington, and which he is still altering and extending today.
The house is renowned in bohemian and academic circles for its many colourful dinner parties and occasions, and is infamous with neighbours past and present for the antics of its free-range livestock and frequent run-ins with Council. Roosters have been shot, construction shut down and architectural pilgrimages made.
This is an extraordinary story told through Devitt’s sensitive eye, blended with historic photographs, paintings and drawings from the Athfield archive. Clare Athfield’s contribution of her own recipes (dating from the 1960s until now) complements a selection of personal letters by family, friends, colleagues and clients which are insightful and often very funny – memories that make Simon’s photographs all the more potent in their beauty and silence.
The idea for the book came from Devitt’s admiration of Robin Morrison’s work and in particular Morrison’s 1978 photo book Images of a House about a William Gummer-designed house built in 1916. “A house is a pretty refined subject to make a book about,” explains Devitt. “It is not market driven, it is content driven and born out of passion. Life has happened there like in no other house, and the ‘living’ leaves its evidence, time has played out on its surface. There is a lot to be said about sitting still and how that looks. The Athfield house is a wonderful example of this. An accessible counterpoint to a largely asset based living that pervades New Zealand.”
****
### radionz.co.nz 3 March 2013
Radio New Zealand National
Sunday Morning with Chris Laidlaw
Listen on 101 FM or online at radionz.co.nz
10:06 Ideas: Re-imagining the Urban House
Arguments for intensifying the density of housing tend to fall into two categories: Affordability and putting a halt to urban sprawl.
Ideas talks to two architects who advocate higher density housing not just for those reasons but because they believe, if done right, it will result in more liveable houses and communities.
Robert Dalziel, the co-author of A House in the City: Home Truths in Urban Architecture, has travelled the world looking at traditional models of high density housing and come to some interesting conclusions; and Ian Athfield, one of New Zealand’s most celebrated architects, talks about the lessons he’s learnt from building his own house which now combines living quarters for 25 people with office space for another 40. AudioOgg VorbisMP3 (49′59″)
“Get rid of those traffic engineers, which is another bloody thing, y’know, they’re singularly minded, quite stupid, y’know, they don’t think of anything else other than how long it takes to move a car from one space to another – that can’t happen in our cities in future.”
“The word “urban design” is now an abused profession – just like planning was in the sixties, y’know, and I said in the sixties if we knew as much about planning as we thought we knew about apartheid, we’d be demonstrating against planning, before we demonstrated against apartheid, because it is really really important. We had zoning at the time, absolutely ridiculous…”
Athfield House, Wellington. Photo: Grant Sheehan
****
### stuff.co.nz Last updated 07:46 23/03/2011 Architect Athfield not softening
Source: The Press
Architect Ian Athfield is refusing to back down from his ultimatum about Christchurch’s development. Today he defended his comments, saying it was “absolutely the best time ever” to have the debate about how the city would look in the future. He was backed by former Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore who said the city now had a “clean slate” that presented opportunities like never before. NZPA Read more + Comments
****
### radionz.co.nz Monday, 07 March 2011 at 8:22
Morning Report with Geoff Robinson & Simon Mercep Architectural ambassador joins rebuild debate
The rebuilding of Christchurch is clearly an emotive issue. Wellington architect Ian Athfield and Christchurch planning and resource management consultant Dean Crystal join us to discuss the rebuild debate. AudioOgg VorbisMP3 (6′22″)
Received from Jeff Dickie
Sat, 7 Jun 2014 at 3:41 pm
You could be forgiven for thinking Cull, Bidrose, the Finance Committee, and the majority of compliant councillors don’t have a vision for Dunedin’s future. That to believe that, not hearing bad news, smiling and riding a bike, will make the financial mire we are now in go away. That to continue to spend huge amounts on yet more foolish projects will somehow fix things. That to embrace a culture of no accountability will magically preclude the idiots who have cocked up so many DCC things in the recent past, doing EXACTLY the same thing again.
Just look at how many of the idiots who have foisted this debt and the numerous foolish failed projects are still on council. These people do have a vision, and here it is!
Hopefully the cycle trail will lead there.
Jeff Dickie
Woodhaugh
****
An opinion piece from 28.9.12, written by Calvin Oaten, continues to have currency.
The End of The Golden Weather?
Are we coming to the end of the ‘Golden Weather’? I say this, not in the meteorological sense, but rather in the sense that perhaps our society and its economic construct might be on the verge of a catastrophic change. Why? Well it seems that many signposts are pointing to an approaching collapse of the present model of the economy as constructed. This requires constant growth in order to sustain an ever increasing social budget. Read more
—– Original Message —– From: Jeff Dickie To: Elizabeth Kerr Sent: Thursday, November 14, 2013 1:24 PM Subject: Fw: Paul Orders thank you for trying
—
—– Forwarded Message —– From: Jeff Dickie To: editor@odt.co.nz Sent: Tuesday, 5 November 2013 6:55 PM Subject: Paul Orders thank you for trying
I for one, feel very sad at the impending departure of CEO Paul Orders. His policy of openness and being willing to meet citizens has been in marked contrast to the Bejing style of the Chin/Harland Dynasty. Added to this is the impending day of reckoning for Dunedin’s debt crisis, which worryingly our current mayor seems to think he’s sorted! It would have been helpful to have had someone of Orders’ calibre at the top in city hall.
I have met with Mr Orders on more than one occasion and have had ongoing communications regarding DCC spending, with particular regard to the logic of council owning investment property, and to providing ratepayers with an honest assessment of stadium costs. Partly as a result of these communications, an extra $42 M has been identified, with the official total now a massive $266 M and rising. Also the bogus $66 per annum based figure has now been removed from our rates bills. That was nothing short of dishonest misrepresentation and the DCC could be sued for this.
The latest official tally makes a nonsense of the DCC funded audit that had $224 M as the stadium cost. The audit was a complete waste of further ratepayers’ money. During this period Mr Orders had used his best endeavours to come up with an honest assessment. It is quite apparent to me his voice has been almost alone in council. It is hard to know whether the lack of transparency is deliberate or just incompetence!
Like many others, I wish to thank Paul Orders for his efforts in attempting to reform a feral rogue council that has continued to embrace numerous expensive and foolish projects. I am sure when he applied for the CEO’s position, he had no idea of the mess he would face in Dunedin. It was a “tall order”, trying to run a city with a group that would struggle to run a hotdog stand in the Octagon! The talent has been pretty thin around the DCC table and we can’t blame him for leaving. The recent election results confirms the adage, “voters get the politicians they deserve”. Thank you for trying Mr Orders.
[Mayor Cull] also noted the “mental sclerosis and settled habits that so often accompany age”.
F***erama! The Old Fool Codpiece spins towards his grave, with the Jinty espied as Angel.
Ageist: A person who discriminates based on age…usually an old dude or a dumb blonde [Urban Dictionary]
—
### ODT Online Mon, 19 Aug 2013 Graduates urged to take place as leaders
By John Gibb
Planet Earth and its inhabitants are facing a “perfect storm” of extreme climatic and environmental challenges and the future will have “no precedent in the past”, Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull has warned. The pace of change was now so great that University of Otago graduates should not wait to become what was “sometimes patronisingly” termed “the leaders of tomorrow”, but should start leading now. That was Mr Cull’s message in an address to about 350 graduates, in a wide range of disciplines, during the university’s latest graduation ceremony, at the Dunedin Town Hall at 3pm on Saturday.
Mr Cull said that over the past few years he had “learned more from younger people than older”. And, including while hearing submissions on various plans and strategies, he had been ”incredibly impressed by the commitment, intelligence, passion and values of so many of the young people”, particularly those in the city’s tertiary education sector. “That’s not undervaluing the wisdom of age, just appreciating the vibrant pertinence of so many younger voices and minds.” And he also noted the “mental sclerosis and settled habits that so often accompany age”. Read more
● Ageism, or age discrimination is stereotyping and discriminating against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination. This may be casual or systematic.
—
Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
*Image: Photomerge by Whatifdunedin – Mayor Cull explains the loss-making sale of Carisbrook to Calder Stewart (stills from Channel 39 footage)
The Dunedin City Council faces a financial meltdown of unprecedented proportion; a squalid bankruptcy of governance the cause. No-one knows the true dollar scale of the problem and many of the accounts are closed to public scrutiny.
In the absence of a fully developed all-encompassing strategy to bring order to the books, the implication is the Council will leave it to generations of ratepayers to foot the bills. The cost will be to every citizen. In effect, that’s what the Forsyth Barr Stadium Debt Servicing Plan report to this week’s Finance Strategy and Development Committee says. The dangers of isolationist hands-off thinking.
—
Warren Larsen Report
Governance review of all companies in which Dunedin City Council and/or Dunedin City Holdings Limited has an equity interest of 50% or more.
From the time Larsen’s recommendations were adopted (Stuff 12.8.11), how long for the Council to ring changes? 6 months, a year? Longer, after the councillors are voted out or forcibly removed?
The lack of outward communication appears contrary to the imperative of Larsen’s report. By now, surely Council has an indicative critical path for release to the concerned public.
—
What are some ‘unearthing’ options for information?
Pin Mayor Dave Cull for the timeline to effect Larsen recommendations.
Forensic audit.
Statutory management.
Commissioner / Panel.
Legal action.
Independent senior business commentators to talk through details of logistical steps Council must take (in response to Larsen) to get its books in order – to avoid and retire cumulative debt, at the same time manage/streamline all Council business.
It’s all about a local authority corporate re-structure, involving large sums of borrowed money to clear. It includes identifying elements of usury, mis-spending, laundering, corporate fraud, deceit, ignorance, and incompetence; and, above all, hammering with all firepower what continues as Council’s unethical immoral avoidance of the fiduciary duty of care to Community.
A clear interpretation of what is now, what has been, and what lies ahead will be difficult if not impossible to achieve while obfuscation continues at DCC, DCHL, DVML, DVL, CST, and related entities.
The job did open him up to the sort of aspects of New Zealand life that could restore faith in human nature.
### ODT Online Sat, 30 Apr 2011 Seeing his way clear
By David Loughrey
If a week is a long time in politics, six months may seem like an eternity to the five Otago mayors who ended up in charge after last October’s local government elections. That anniversary passed this month, and the Otago Daily Times asked our leaders for their thoughts on their term so far, and the highlights and low points of running a city or district.
“One of the things I find really challenging, given the number and range of important things in front of us, is council finding the time to get together and consider them properly and chew them over, progress them.”
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull rode into power on a wave of displeasure with the previous administration, gaining the leadership with promises of a more open and transparent council that would be more frugal than the last version. Read more
### D Scene 19-8-09 (page 1)
Will Peter Chin be seeking re-election as Dunedin’s mayor? What does he think of the council’s critics? He responds to these and other questions from D Scene. See page 7
Cartoon by Pat McCarty. Peter Chin starring as Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’.
Mayor speaks (page 3)
By Dave Wood, Acting Editor
Mayor Chin answers our questions, and his responses give a frank perspective of where he sees the council at…but his answers are also equivocal, curious and condescending.
{continues}
Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin Talks to D Scene: My job is like a swan (page 7)
The questions:
What’s your leadership style?
In view of the criticism you’re coming under, do you cringe when you pick up the ODT each day?
What in your mind have been the council’s biggest achievements?
What in your mind have been the council’s biggest mistakes?*
How’s your blood pressure?
What are the good news council stories you think residents should know about?
What is your view of the increasing council debt as outlined by Calvin Oaten in last week’s D Scene?
Why do you think various anti-council residents’ groups are mobilising?
Why do you believe it’s the council’s role to help stimulate economic activity with its own projects?
What do you think about the Government’s investigations of the Delta land purchases?
It’s been said your leadership is undemocratic because you’ve always not involved councillors in decision-making, for example, your letter to the Government offering a social housing deal. Your comments?
How do mayoral pressures impact on your personal life?
What are your thoughts on seeking another term as Dunedin mayor?
Read D Scene for disheartening answers…
*Note to Mayor Chin: There is no group called “Save Harrop Street”. You listened to the (gutsy and polite) incorporated society Hands off Harrop, as well as other stakeholders and council personnel.
We hope that’s not “Swann” you mean, given your confusion with names.
****
Other stories:
Stadium fight hits court by Michelle Sutton (page 6) ‘Brook price confirmed by Michelle Sutton (page 6)
Councillors become rubber-stampers (page 13)
Dunedin people need to complain loudly about city council decisions, says former councillor and 2007 defeated mayoral candidate Lee Vandervis.
This week D Scene usefully gets stuck into Otago Museum’s management culture again, and devotes half a page to letters about stadium issues…
### D Scene 29-7-09 (page 11)
Your say Great stadium leaders by Joe Jones, Waikouaiti What’s money? by G R MacDonald, St Kilda Stadium tenant by Calvin Oaten, Pine Hill Stadium name by Simon Sutherland, Dunedin
Seldom has the Dunedin City Council been under such sustained opprobrium as at present. Every move seems to bring a torrent of criticism. While the fiercest and most bitter attacks have come through opposition to the Forsyth Barr Stadium, a series of other matters have also raised ire, protest or disquiet. Read more
Mr Cull to Cr Vandervis: “You, sir, are a liar. Now leave.” [screenshot]![xmas - charlie_brown_christmas [westword.com] 1](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/xmas-charlie_brown_christmas-westword-com-1.jpg)
![sue bidrose [whatifdunedin]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/sue-bidrose-whatifdunedin-e1449099268211.jpg)
![Ian Athfield [nzherald.co.nz]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/ian-athfield-nzherald-co-nz.jpg)
![Athfield house [citygallery.org.nz - wellington]](https://dunedinstadium.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/athfield-house-citygallery-org-nz-wellington.jpg)
What if? Dunedin... 