Delta/Aurora spend-up at Stadium —Degraded electricity network, Us ? (said the GOBs) #LGOIMA #Rugby

Received.

From: Bev Butler
Sent: Tuesday, 22 November 2016 7:40 p.m.
To: Sue Bidrose [DCC]; Sandy Graham [DCC]; Lee Vandervis; Elizabeth Kerr
Cc: Vaughan Elder [ODT]
Subject: Re: Urgent LGOIMA Request: Delta/Aurora dangerous power poles – reason for financial restraints/clarification/invoices

Dear Sue, Sandy, Lee and Elizabeth
I have just received the attached table and invoices for Delta’s spending at the stadium. They not only have a $45,000pa corporate suite contracted for 10 years, they also have used ratepayers’ money to purchase Gold tickets to concerts, they have spent thousands of dollars on expensive booze/wines and meals, stadium platters etc whilst watching rugby and concerts at the stadium. All this whilst neglecting the maintenance of basic infrastructure.
I am especially disgusted that this is continuing after the excessive abusive spending by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust which you are all aware of. Disappointingly nothing has changed. My opinion is that’s because no one has ever been held to account for the corrupt behaviour that ensued relentlessly throughout the stadium swindle. Please note that these invoices have been signed off by Grady Cameron and Gary Johnson. You may recall Gary Johnson was Farry’s CST public relations boy who worked for Farry part time on a full time salary – all documented in the CST invoices.
Elizabeth, feel free to post on What if as I am at the airport waiting for a flight to go overseas and will be out of range in two hours time.
Sincerely
Bev

On 22 Nov. 2016 2:05 pm, Glenda McGowan [Delta] wrote:

Dear Bev
I refer to your official information request of 12 November 2016 for a copy of all the invoices in relation to the entry in the table under the sub-heading “Other payments, including Forsyth Barr Stadium corporate suite costs (D)” in our response to you of 11 November 2016. The information you have requested is provided in the attached document.

Regards

GLENDA MCGOWAN
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO CEO

WEB THINKDELTA.CO.NZ

█ Attachment: invoices_0001

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From: Bev Butler
Sent: Saturday, 12 November 2016 10:46 AM
To: Glenda McGowan [Delta]
Subject: Re: Urgent LGOIMA Request: Delta/Aurora dangerous power poles – reason for financial restraints/clarification/invoices

Dear Glenda

Further to my email below requesting clarification for the other payments included in with the corporate suite costs in row D, would you please send me a copy of all the invoices in relation to the entry in the table below under the sub-heading “Other payments, including Forsyth Barr Stadium corporate suite costs (D)”.

Please send me electronic copies.

Thank you.

Sincerely

Bev Butler

********************************

From: Bev Butler
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2016 3:50 p.m.
To: Glenda McGowan [Delta]
Subject: Re: Urgent LGOIMA Request: Delta/Aurora dangerous power poles – reason for financial restraints/clarification

Thanks, Glenda.
Would you please clarify/list what the other payments were for which have been included in with the corporate suite costs in row D.
Thank you.
Sincerely
Bev

On 11 Nov. 2016 3:02 pm, Glenda McGowan [Delta] wrote:

Dear Bev

I refer to your official information request of 26 October 2016 for information regarding Aurora and Delta dividends and WorkSafe. The information you have requested is provided below.

1. The total yearly amount Aurora and/or Delta have paid to DCC/DVML/DVL for the stadium, including grants, subsidies, subvention payments or other, since 2007.

The total of subvention payments, tax offsets and other payments including Forsyth Barr Stadium corporate suite costs paid by Aurora Energy Limited and Delta Utility Services Limited to Dunedin Venues Management Limited or Dunedin Venues Limited by financial year ending 30 June are set out in the table below.

[click to enlarge]

Aurora Energy Limited and Delta Utility Services Limited pay dividends to their shareholder, Dunedin City Holdings Limited. We have not included dividend payments to Dunedin City Holdings Limited in the figures above on the basis that these are not stadium-related payments. Dividend payments are disclosed in our publicly available annual reports at www.auroraenergy.co.nz for Aurora Energy and www.thinkdelta.co.nz for Delta.

Delta | Home
http://www.thinkdelta.co.nz
Delta is the infrastructure specialist. We invest in, design, construct, manage and maintain energy and environmental infrastructure.

Home » Aurora Energy
http://www.auroraenergy.co.nz
New Zealand’s sixth-largest electricity distributor delivering electricity supply to homes and businesses throughout the Dunedin and Central Otago community.

2. Please also send me the name and contact email address of the Worksafe Investigation team leader as I want to ensure that the Worksafe Investigation team receive this relevant information.

The contact details are:
Roy Butler
Technical Officer
Energy Safety
Level 9, 280 Queen Street, Auckland Central, Auckland 1010
P +64 9 928 2912
E roy.butler @worksafe.govt.nz
W http://www.worksafe.govt.nz
W http://www.energysafety.govt.nz

Regards,

GLENDA MCGOWAN
PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO CEO

WEB THINKDELTA.CO.NZ

********************************

From: Bev Butler
Sent: Wednesday, 26 October 2016 2:21 PM
To: Grady Cameron [Delta]
Cc: Sandy Graham [DCC] ; Elizabeth Kerr
Subject: Urgent LGOIMA Request: Delta/Aurora dangerous power poles – reason for financial restraints
Importance: High

Wednesday 26 November 2016

Dear Mr Cameron

As you are aware Aurora pay a subsidy of approximately $7.2 million per annum to subsidise the stadium.

At $5000 per power pole this is equivalent to 1440 power poles per year.

I read in the ODT that Aurora’s excuse for not dealing with the backlog of dangerously compromised power poles was that there were financial constraints but nowhere did it mention the reason for these constraints. It is patently clear that Delta/Aurora/DCHL’s priority over the last few years has been to support a rugby stadium at the expense of public safety by way of subsidies/subvention payments.

It is in the pubic interest that Delta/Aurora are transparent especially now that this has become a public safety issue.

I, therefore, urgently request the following:

The total yearly amount Aurora and/or Delta have paid to DCC/DVML/DVL for the stadium, including grants, subsidies, subvention payments or other, since 2007.

Given the total amount is in the vicinity of approximately $40 million, then it is incumbent on you as CEO of both Aurora and Delta to inform the Worksafe Investigation team that Delta/Aurora/DCHL made stadium payments a priority over replacing dangerous power poles.

Please also send me the name and contact email address of the Worksafe Investigation team leader as I want to ensure that the Worksafe Investigation team receive this relevant information.

Yours sincerely

Bev Butler

[ends]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

Vandervis identifies mayoral JUNKETS #China —with gloss from Aussie friends

█ Spent jet fuel makes the girlfriend cry.

—

“I really do wonder what the value is of all these trips overseas, especially when we have so many issues that need dealing with here at home.”
–Cr Lee Vandervis

### ODT Online Tue, 28 Jul 2015
Mayor’s China trip spurs clash
By Chris Morris
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull is heading back to China later this year, but the trip has already sparked a fresh clash with one of his outspoken councillors. Mr Cull has been invited to attend the inaugural New Zealand China Mayoral Forum 2015 in Xiamen city, China, in September, at a cost to the council of about $8000.
Read more

█ Report – Council – 27/07/2015 (PDF, 111.2 KB)
New Zealand/China Mayoral Forum 2015

$8000? Don’t forget the mayor’s entourage, MikeStk….
[buzzz! Cling-on ALERT]

—

Meanwhile, Mayor Cull reflect…. with light shed on conduct across the Tassie.
Weddings, parties, opera, airfares, helicopters and limousines on the taxpayers later….

Link received from Australian Tie
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 at 10:44 a.m.

### canberratimes.com.au July 24, 2015
Bronwyn Bishop claimed Sophie Mirabella wedding trip as official business
By James Robertson
It was the scandal that quickly swept through a new government.
Soon after the Coalition was elected in 2013, Senator George Brandis became the first Abbott government minister forced to repay the public almost $1700 in expenses claimed to attend the wedding of shock jock Michael Smith. High-profile ministers Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce soon had to follow suit, repaying taxpayer money they claimed for travel to weddings. Prime Minister Tony Abbott himself repaid $1600 worth of airfares, car transport and allowances claimed for attending the weddings of two Liberal colleagues, Peter Slipper and Sophie Mirabella. “To avoid doubt, I paid the relevant money back,” he said in a warning to his colleagues. “That’s what people should do.”
One MP ignored the Prime Minister’s instruction, weeks of media coverage and public outrage at MPs’ habit of billing the taxpayer for trips to friends’ weddings. Embattled Speaker Bronwyn Bishop claimed $600 for return flights from Sydney to Albury for Mrs Mirabella’s wedding in 2006 – and she has never repaid the money, Fairfax Media has confirmed. Previously unreported documents released under freedom of information laws show Mrs Bishop told bureaucrats that the trip constituted government business.
█ [It gets worse. The Video is a must see.]
Read more + Video spoof

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[screenshot] – credit: Canberra Times

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22.9.14 Daaave Dodo Cull —highly evolved from turkey
14.8.14 Mayor Cull’s reflections on Edinburgh #SisterCity #Junkets
23.7.14 Eddie Cull suffering lead singer’s disease?
21.4.14 Dunedin economic development strategy — low flying Year 1

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Design alternatives to (pre-selected) bridge not canvassed by DCC

GOODBYE to Rattray St VIEW Shaft from Queens Gardens to the waterside.

HELLO to other serious impediments to unique and very significant harbourside cultural heritage and landscape values at the planned city.

Here is another DCC-inspired critically dead PLONK OBJECT.
An overhead rail bridge. Who gains.

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DCC files: Harbourside connector Rattray Fryatt Streets [click to enlarge]

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It looks innocuous, nothing to scare the horses. A simple sling over the tracks at an estimated a cost of “about $3 million”.

What’s the fuss? Ahhh well.
The history of political deception through use of loose architectural sketches is tied (here as anywhere) to DCC departmental reports and estimates that hardly ever approximate REAL cost. Multiply by two.

Then the idea that the “hotel” is back on the drawing boards, if not a screw-us invitation to Asian investment for the south side.

By all means let’s escalate this (an idea) – the tame little cheapie bridge (pictured above, significantly downplayed structurally as a pencil mark) is another potential rort in the grand family of Council rorts that includes the Stadium*, Centre for High Performance Sport*, Carisbrook*, Dunedin Town Hall Redevelopment*, Citifleet*, City Forests*, Delta investments (severally)*, Cycle Network et al, and very probably the proposed Mosgiel pool if it gains traction for Taieri property speculators. For each, an independent forensic audit isn’t out of the question – for ratepayer ‘information’ that could depose the Council in favour of a Commissioner, presupposing later redress at Court. Visit resort to the *Crimes Act. Now, there’s a ‘visitor strategy’ for Dunedin !!

Meekly, more circumspectly (after all, it was just an idea, a stretch), those of us trained in architectural rendering and graphics as well as contemporary design philosophy of the marketplace know the tricks intimately; we’re not above exploiting them for a quick buck and a further string of new jobs by secret handshake.

Lucky for some, each deal at Dunedin (with links to Queenstown and Auckland if via Christchurch lawyers and accountants) can be sown up by a very small number of predatory boys. The same list we’ve had on our backburner books tracing the Stadium debacle —beginning to rise apparent at the ODT front page of Friday, 22 May 2015. An intriguing warning shot.

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But is this right ? Has Dunedin City Council been wowed by just one bridge proposal ? Has DCC in the first place only ever been looking for a bridge —not seeking opportunities for alternatives, such as a designer underpass or an immediately legible automatically controlled crossing at grade, for light vehicle transit as well (shared roads) ?

It’s pretty poor and conflicting if Dunedin City councillors and senior council management have indeed sold out (under a red-carpeted table) to a lone solicited vision of an overhead bridge UNTESTED BY PROFESSIONAL COMPETITION – another signature WHITE model, to augment those other visions in WHITE for ORC sites at the Steamer Basin —nicely, satisfyingly calculated by that little list of club players.

It’s not hard to imagine that this mere slip of a concrete and steel flyover, is an “enlightenment” carrying the City re-brand. A cause célèbre for ego-fired DCC infidels and speculator man-pals. The very people who can’t bear to endure sage, conservative, long-term economic modelling for Dunedin, taking the city and region through 10 to 50 years of solid management to ensure business diversity and job creation. No, they prefer ad hoc spurts and short-term squander plans (how manly, even when couched as the soft-illustrated 2011 Central City Plan FFS).

Where, for this crossing, is the city council’s reasonably time-lined, broadly advertised, professional design competition with clearly expressed intent to utilise open tendering methods for architectural design, engineering and construction ??

TO SAVE US FROM COI’S AND RORTS.

****

The Otago Daily Times has learned the bridge is among only a few New Zealand projects vying for the next allocation from the Urban Cycleway Fund.

### ODT Online Thu, 28 May 2015
Bridge on funding short list
By Chris Morris
A multimillion-dollar bridge linking Dunedin’s inner city and waterfront has been short-listed for Government funds. […] An announcement is expected next month, and, if successful, the bridge could be considered for construction over the next three years.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Cr Lee Vandervis: Why I continue to vote. #email

Received.

From: Lee Vandervis
Sent: ‎Monday‎, ‎4‎ ‎May‎ ‎2015 ‎3‎:‎59‎ ‎p.m.
To: Chris Morris, Elizabeth Kerr, 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, Sue Bidrose, Sandy Graham, News [Ch39]
Subject: Why I continue to vote.

Dear Mr Morris,

Mayor Cull’s ambushed change to the Council Code of Conduct resolution item claims that my apology on which my responsibility for being able to vote apparently hangs “is to be judged by the CEO or her delegate.”

Standing Orders J4.2 clearly says that Council may take Code of Conduct action against a member by means of a three-fourths majority of those present, and the action taken was to demand a genuine apology which I have provided.
I can only genuinely apologise as far as the evidence I am allowed to see permits.
Standing Orders does not empower a CEO’s delegate to rule on the appropriateness of my apology which ruling has the effect of denying my responsibility to vote on behalf of the thousands of Dunedin people that voted for me. That is for Councillors to decide and they have not been given that opportunity.
My legal advice is that there is no legal basis for the Code of Conduct censure being delegated to the DCC chief accountant.
Councillors must vote for such a Code of Conduct action and I believe that Mayor Cull knows he does not have the Councillor numbers to vote for such an action.

Consequently I will continue to vote as before, and it is up to staff whether my votes are properly recorded.
All of this is on the back of a constantly corrupted Code of Conduct process where I have not been allowed to see the evidential statements made against me from Councillors or from CEO Bidrose, and have therefore been unable to defend myself against those evidential statements.
I have obtained consistent legal advice from two different sources in addition to ex-lawyer Cr. Calvert’s opinion printed in the ODT, and these sources do not want the DCC to know who they are as they believe that may prejudice their opportunities for other work in Dunedin. I do not intend to sue Mayor Cull or Council at this stage as I am still hopeful of getting the Deloitte’s information that would be pivotal in any Citifleet fraud cases brought.
I am still not permitted to see the Deloitte Citifleet fraud investigation evidence which would allow me to establish whether Police have in fact, recently investigated appropriately or not.
Time will tell who has been misleading who regarding the Citifleet frauds issue of substance.

Regards,
Cr. Vandervis

█ For more, enter the terms *vandervis*, *cull*, *bidrose*, *citifleet* or *deloitte* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Hmmmmmm #DCC

Received from TQoFE
Mon, 4 May 2015 at 2:49 p.m.

█ Message: Sorry Dr Bidrose, but that Big Question still remains to be answered…

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Cr Vandervis unlikely to quit several missions #coverup #naturaljustice

From ‘City’ colleague with an eye for the law, Wikipedia definition
Fri, 1 May 2015 at 11:00 a.m.

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### ODT Online Fri, 1 May 2015
Apology lacking; voting rights go
By Chris Morris
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis has been stripped of his voting rights after failing to apologise before a 24-hour deadline. […] In a statement last night, council group chief financial officer Grant McKenzie said Cr Vandervis was suspended from all council committees from today until July 1.
Read more

****

[Cr Hilary Calvert] questioned the council’s right to delegate to council staff any final judgement on whether Cr Vandervis’ apology was appropriate, arguing that was a call for councillors to make.

“The process was open and fair, and, as far as I’m concerned, completely in accordance with proper meeting procedure. I question the motivation in quibbling about it now.” –Mayor Dave Cull

### ODT Online Fri, 1 May 2015
Mayor dismisses legality questions
By Chris Morris
Mayor Dave Cull has a one-word response to questions about the legality of stripping Cr Lee Vandervis of voting rights: “Whatever.” Mr Cull’s abrupt response came in an email to Cr Hilary Calvert yesterday, as she questioned whether the council had followed proper process when considering its punishment of Cr Vandervis.
Read more

█ For more, enter the terms *vandervis*, *cull*, *bidrose*, *citifleet* or *deloitte* in the search box at right.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

*Image: Cover-up image by whatifdunedin with acknowledgement to Wikipedia

Burn Robbie Burn!

Received from TQoFE
Thu, 30 Apr 2015 at 12.40 p.m.

Calvin Oaten
Submitted on 2015/04/30 at 9:38 am

That guy sitting on his pedestal in the upper Octagon (you know, him wearing all that seagull crap) must be quietly wondering what is going on in this Edinburgh of the south.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

The ol’ BP Gag treatment revisited….

Received from TQoFE
Wed, 29 Apr 2015 at 1:24 p.m.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr