DScene: Dunedin needs “decisive leadership”

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### DScene 28 Nov 2012
Editorial
DCC needs to shape up (page 7)
By Mike Houlahan
Land transactions under investigation, illegal road building, a debt mountain, monumental building projects, possible credit downgrades. No, not some obscure Balkan country or African military dictatorship, but our home town. There is a vociferous body of opinion that Dunedin is going to hell in a hand cart and events of recent weeks have done nothing to persuade them otherwise.

Delta’s land transactions coming under Audit Office investigation, and a damning court verdict – which has seen Dunedin City Council cop a six-figure court costs order over the State Highway 88 realignment – follow an auditor’s report trying to establish the final cost of building the Forsyth Barr Stadium, and a controversial bailout of the Otago Rugby Union.

A “we will fight them on the beaches” opinion piece from Mayor Dave Cull last week sounded desperate. The announcement soon after from Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services that it had revised its outlook of Dunedin City Council from stable to negative made it look desperate, too. A negative outlook means a one-in-three chance of a credit downgrade in the next two years – unwelcome news for a city well in hock before it borrowed millions more to build the stadium.

The agency does offer a ray of hope – if the DCC’s budgets strengthen, as forecast, its rating could revert to stable. But having just stated doubts the DCC could achieve the financial targets in its long-term plan, Standard and Poor’s are going to take a lot of convincing all is well.

In response, Cull – sounding like a rugby captain before a test – said Dunedin “was up to the challenge of continued financial belt-tightening.” Sadly, in this comparison Dunedin is probably Scotland rather than the All Blacks. Quiet reassurance is no longer enough. If ratepayers are to have faith in the DCC as chamberlains of their assets, they will want to see decisive leadership.
#bookmark

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

SH88 realignment – information

Comment received from daseditor
Submitted on 2012/05/26 at 8:18 pm

[24.5.12] Edmund Anscombe and the Anzac Avenue Trees

With your discussion of the alignment I hope you’ll also take the time to read the article above on the Anzac Avenue trees. The alignment construction looks as though it has severely affected a critical area of the city’s landscape heritage which is linked to the work of prominent architect Edmund Anscombe.

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Images supplied by Anonymous*

The image dates relate to Google Earth snapshots: 2005 January, 2006 March, 2009 July, 2011 January, and 2011 September. 2004 is available but heavy cloud cover obscures the view.

SH88 – Google Earth images including the quarry and Logan Park sports field.

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SH88 – The same images cropped to SH88 entry and exit points.

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SH88 – The Google Maps image which marks the road.

*Several contributors at this website use the title Anonymous.

Related Post with Links:
25.5.12 SH88 realignment costs (injunction)

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Stadium project tangles

### ODT Online Tue, 23 Aug 2011
Injunction snuffs out stadium traffic lights
By Matthew Haggart
A High Court injunction obtained by an Anzac Ave landowner will not allow the Dunedin City Council to operate traffic lights at the Frederick St intersection with State Highway 88 near Forsyth Barr Stadium.

The directors of two companies, which are listed as ratepayers on Anzac Ave, sharing an access opposite the Frederick St intersection, Hall Bros Transport and A.J. Allen Ltd, declined to comment about the traffic lights. Council transportation operations programme engineer Mike Harrison said the lights were unlikely to be operational until after the four Rugby World Cup games at the stadium.

Read more

Related posts:
27.8.09 $294.8m investment for Otago region
2.9.09 SH88 realignment past stadium
20.11.09 Interesting. SH88 realignment.
24.2.10 SH88 realignment: Are ratepayers buying the land twice?
31.3.2010 SH88 realignment
21.4.2010 SH88 realignment – update
29.5.10 Stadium site purchases
7.7.10 Goodbye to great store buildings in Parry St
21.7.10 SH88 realignment – update

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

SH88 realignment – update

### ODT Online Wed, 21 Jul 2010
Negotiations on land near realignment
By David Loughrey
A piece of land near the State Highway 88 realignment in Dunedin is holding up completion of land negotiations in the area, and the release of details. But the issue would not stop construction of the road, Dunedin City Council property manager Robert Clark said yesterday.

“There is nothing holding up the building of the road, but there is some adjacent land we are looking at, which we may do something with.”
–Robert Clark

Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

SH88 realignment – update

### ODT Online Wed, 21 Apr 2010
Stadium property issues near resolution
By Mark Price
One of the last outstanding property issues concerned with the Forsyth Barr Stadium is expected to be resolved within the next few days. The Dunedin City Council needs a piece of land owned by USC Investments Ltd, of Christchurch, to complete its 1.1km, $10 million realignment of State Highway 88, on the eastern side of the stadium. USC is owned by Earl and Keith Hagaman.
Read more

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Related Posts:
31.3.10 SH88 realignment
24.2.10 SH88 realignment project: Are ratepayers buying the land twice?

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

SH88 realignment: Are ratepayers buying the land twice?

The Dunedin City Council is still waiting to confirm land purchases. Carisbrook Stadium Trust has been buying up some of the ‘necessary’ land – oh, and there is an agreement in place “for the trust to sell it to the council at the price at which it was purchased”. So wait a minute, DCC funds CST to buy the land, then has to buy it back from CST?

Surely, I have made a mistake? Although, I’m not the kind of person who would ever understand high finance. Small question: WHO is clipping the ticket here, and for what profits? The ‘good’ burghers of Dunedin – the very tight few – have some extraordinary explaining to do. That rhymes.

The ‘few’ names are apparent via the New Zealand Companies Office register.

### ODT Online Wed, 24 Feb 2010
Construction due to start on bridge
By Mark Price
Construction work is ready to begin in the next few days on the new bridge over the Water of Leith that will carry State Highway 88 past the new Forsyth Barr Stadium. Dunedin City Council general manager city environment Tony Avery said yesterday the first step would be to drive piles for the bridge.
Read more

Post by Elizabeth Kerr