TOMMYROT from ‘academic’ local authorities…. #SouthDunedin it’s PUNCH BACK TIME

At Facebook:

More in tomorrow’s newspaper.

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Chairman of the Otago chapter of the Property Council New Zealand Geoff Thomas says policymakers need to be careful not to damage property development opportunities in South Dunedin.

### ODT Online Wed, 10 May 2017
Policy could hold back South Dunedin
By Margot Taylor
Residential property development in South Dunedin could be “squashed” by the Dunedin City Council’s overly cautious natural hazards policies, the Otago branch president of the Property Council New Zealand warns.
Geoff Thomas said a proposal under the proposed second generation Dunedin city district plan (2GP), to require all residential properties in the area to be movable, could stymie the replacement of housing stock. The proposed policy ignored costs associated with residential development, including land, compliance costs and construction materials. “Making residential housing relocatable doesn’t make sense. I, personally, have sold a 1980s house with aluminium joinery for $1 to be moved.” If approved, the proposal would result in either more substandard houses, or houses that would be “very expensive” to build, he said. The natural hazards policies did not adequately consider current and potential technologies to manage sea-level rise and floods. “I think South Dunedin is full of opportunity. A lot of the housing stock is from a day gone by. It is an opportunity to do something with the area and our concern is we don’t want to end up with a caravan park out there.” Water drainage was a clear issue. A more reasonable approach to protect the economic viability of the area could be taken to address it.
Read more

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

This post is offered in the public interest.

POLITICS of Place —New Year glums (read glue and screws)

IS DUNEDIN weighed down by local body politics?

How do citizens separate governance from management?

How do ratepayers and residents separate truth from something else, from someone else?

Finding value in plain speaking, will the place be any better? Will the same players get knuckled, while others with over generous salaries and stipends commit more strongly to the unrelenting string of make-work schemes.

As they ignore basic infrastructure.
For a heightened slavishness to global politics.

Then, early this morning Diane said: “When will you drag us all back to politics, Elizabeth?”

Good question. Thinking about the HOWS and WHYS.
And the WHAT WOULD HAPPENS.

We will get there.
[a construct] Octagon picnic table

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With others, I received an email from an esteemed and powerful colleague in the United States. It focused my mind. The afternoon email was one of a series of calls and messages proceeding across the holiday break (as committed Canterbury people fortify, lobby and fundraise – lawyers and QCs amongst them) within the all-out campaign to fully restore Christchurch Cathedral.

The man-writer was responding to letters to The Press published today (28 December), each decrying any moves to restore the Cathedral but meanwhile expressing strong desire to resuscitate the heart of the City.

It’s understood the Press editor has been hard to win over on restoration for some years although chinks in that armour did appear after cathedral campaigners BOUGHT space to balance and convey the other side of the Anglican hierarchy’s argument to demolish Serious cultural heritage.

Right now, Christchurch is my favourite POLITICAL City in New Zealand. There is a force for intelligence, compassion, honest endeavour without fear, free speech (multiple voices joined in hardship), and far more than simple zeal for Justice there is public and private leadership in a Place recovering from the political aftermath of a damnable naturally occurring tragedy. Throughout, Christchurch people have got ‘more like themselves’ to cope, to battle —to try for the Egalitarian in the face of disgusting bureaucracies and god-awful top down disparages.

Dunedin faces something else – THAT (nameless but real) is the reason for the What if? Dunedin website. Letting it out, spilling, building confidence to challenge what is handed down as fact.

For the strong and interested, there is no acceptance of stray conduct at PUBLIC MEETINGS caught by privately-owned television for the PUBLIC RECORD. There will be no silencing of what is in PUBLIC DOMAIN. Information existing in PUBLIC DOMAIN, put there by local bodies as their official reports and media releases should not be stopped. Information requested by the public and released by local bodies under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) should be freely disseminated. No picnic.

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And now, the substance of that email:

All;

It is with profound regret that I note the United States does not have a monopoly on short-sighted, narrow minded, culturally blind idiots. We have so many of them it’s easy to assume we have them all. I guess there are Rednecks and Bogans everywhere.

Fear not…neither does the US have a monopoly on brave, stalwart, far-sighted stewards of our common Heritage who are willing and able to stand strong and see this important work through to completion. You are an inspiration to me and people around the world.

Have faith…stand strong and fear not.

Christchurch Cathedral [tfttphotography.wordpress.com]

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Related Posts and Comments:
23.12.15 Christ Church Cathedral: practical news from govt mediator Miriam Dean QC [read report via link provided]
14.7.12 Rival newspaper on historic heritage #cathedral
2.3.12 Christ Church, Cathedral Square

*Images: (from top) gemplers.com – octagon-shaped stop; signaturedoor.com – venting octagon animation; pagetutor.com – octagon layout calculator; weiduoliyaylc.net – octagon picnic table woodworking plans step-01; ana-white.com – octagon picnic table

DCC Representation: LEGAL to remove ELECTED Councillor voting rights ??

Comments received today:

Anonymous
Submitted on 2015/05/02 at 2:07 pm

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Anonymous
Submitted on 2015/05/02 at 8:11 p.m.

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Dunedin City Council
Councillor Lee Vandervis has had his voting rights removed for two months:

Meeting of the Dunedin City Council on Tuesday, 28 April 2015 at 1:00 PM, Council Chamber, Municipal Chambers

█ Agenda – Council – 28/04/2015 (PDF, 96.6 KB)

█ Report – Council – 28/04/2015 (PDF, 172.7 KB)
Conduct Committee Report to Council

█ Download: Conduct Committee Resolution 28 April 2015

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

Commissar Obamanation

Maurice Prendergast says:

I would like to share this very ‘solemn summary’ of the modus operandi of a charlatan and the curiously common characteristics to those exhibited by Farry and his fellow travellers.
This reminds me of the sales pitch used to hypnotise the people into believing that a ratepayer funded stadium would deliver salvation to the all. There are some real parallels – Barack Obama and Malcolm Farry seem to sing from the same song sheet.

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Email received.

Subject: This belongs in the EMAIL HALL OF FAME
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2012 23:56:44 -0400

How’s this for apocalyptic literature. This was written by a pastor’s wife in biblical prose as a commentary of current events. It is brilliant.

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And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land Called America, Having lost their morals, their initiative, and their Will to defend their liberties,
Chose as their Supreme Leader that Person known as “The One.”

He emerged from the vapours with a message that had no meaning;
But He Hypnotised the people telling them, “I am sent to save you.”
My lack of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego,
And my Association with evil doers are of no consequence.
I shall save you with hope and Change.
Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the Land that he who preceded me
Is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he has built must be destroyed.
And the people rejoiced, For even though they knew not what “The One” would do, he had promised that it was good; and they believed.
And “The One” said “We live in The greatest country in the world.
Help me change everything about it!”
And the people said, “Hallelujah! Change is good!”
Then He said, “We are going to tax the rich fat-cats.”
And the People said “Sock it to them!”
“And redistribute their wealth.”
And the people said, “Show us the money!”
And then he said, “Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody..”

And Joe the plumber asked, “Are you kidding me?
You’re going to Steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??”
And “The One” Ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe’s personal
Records were hacked and publicised.
One lone reporter asked, “Isn’t that Marxist policy?”
And she was banished from the kingdom.

Then a citizen asked, “With no foreign relations experience and having
Zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with Radical terrorists?”
And “The One” said, “Simple. I shall sit with them and talk with them and show them
How nice we really are; and they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!”
And the people said, “Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons
Into free cars for the people!”

Then “The One” said “I shall give 95% of you lower taxes.”
And one, Lone voice said, “But 40% of us don’t pay ANY taxes.
“So “The One” Said, “Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!”
And the people said, “Hallelujah! Show us the money!”
Then “The One” said, “I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!”
And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed.
And He said. “I shall mandate employer-funded health care for every worker
And raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every Person unlimited healthcare
And medicine and transportation to the Clinics.”
(And no Muslim shall pay for their share of healthcare.)
And the people said, “Give me some of that!”
Then he said, “I shall penalise employers who ship jobs overseas.”
And the people said, “Where’s my rebate cheque?”

Then “The One” said, “I shall bankrupt the coal industry and
Electricity rates will skyrocket!”
And the people said, “Coal is Dirty, coal is evil, no more coal!
But we don’t care for that part about higher electric rates.”
So “The One” said, Not to worry. If Your rebate isn’t enough to cover
your expenses, we shall bail you out.
Just sign up with the ACORN and your troubles are over!”
Then He said, “Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted.
Let’s Grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches,
Free medical care, bilingual signs and guaranteed housing…”
And The people said, “Hallelujah!” and they made him king!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and Ever-higher taxes,
raised their prices and laid off workers. Others Simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like unto a rock dropped from a cliff.
The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a Crawl.
And more of the people were without a means of support.

Then “The One” said, “I am the “the One”- The Messiah – and I’m here To save you!
We shall just print more money so everyone will have enough!”
But our foreign trading partners said unto Him. “Wait a Minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more…
And “The One” said, “Wait a minute. That is unfair!!”
And the world said, “Neither are these other idiotic programs you have embraced.
Lo, you have become a Socialist state and a second-rate power.
Now you shall play by our rules!”

And the people cried out, “Alas, alas!! What have we done?”
But yea, verily, it was too late.
The people set upon The One and spat upon him and stoned him,
and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no more;
and the once proud people were without sustenance or shelter or hope.
And the Change “The One” had given them was as like unto a poison
that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish,
“Give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!”
But it was too late, and their homeland was no more.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr

HELP, if the elected Council was bright

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.

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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.

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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.

It’s a chill air at Dunedin.

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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr