Stop the Stadium holds first public meeting • 07.20.08

Stop the Stadium, the campaign group and incorporated society working to stop the proposed public funding of the Awatea Street Stadium, is holding its first public meeting at Burns Hall, First Church, Dunedin on Tuesday 22 July at 7.30pm.

Stop the Stadium President Bev Butler says the group has experienced rapid growth in membership over the last two weeks with a positive reaction to the campaign around the greater Dunedin area.

“We feel we have tapped into a deep sense of disquiet and concern local citizens have about the use of public money and public debt to fund the Stadium.”

Ms Butler says the speakers at the public meeting give an indication of the broad nature of the opposition to public funding of the Stadium, which had brought together diverse people who shared common concerns.

Guest speakers at the public meeting will include Dr Rob Hamlin of the University of Otago, Otago Regional Councillor Gerry Eckhoff, with representatives of Stop the Stadium speaking being Bev Butler, Victor Billot, Peter Entwisle and Elizabeth Kerr.

Ms Butler says the key goal of the meeting will be to explain to people how they can get involved and make a difference.

“There is a false impression that the public money for the Stadium is a done deal, but the next month or two will be a critical period to get involved and stop the process in its tracks.”

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“Abuse of process” comments nonsense • 07.13.08

Stop the Stadium has hit back against comments from Carisbrook Stadium Trust Chair Malcolm Farry who has publicly stated people making submissions against a district plan change are hijacking and abusing the process.  

Stop the Stadium President Bev Butler says Dunedin people have the right to challenge changes to the district plan being pushed by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust, and was asking Mr Farry to explain in what way any process was being abused or hijacked.

“Such inflammatory language can’t cover the fact that the rational and sensible questions Stop the Stadium have put forward have been ignored, because they have no answers to us.” (more…)

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Council needs to get act together on independent review • 07.09.08

 

The Stop the Stadium campaign group is asking the Dunedin City Council to follow their own resolutions – and allow consultants to properly complete a review of the potential financial fallout for the Otago public from the proposed Awatea Street Stadium.
Stop The Stadium Inc President Bev Butler says the DCC committed to a peer review of cost estimates and technical reports at several meetings, but vital information was not provided by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust.
She says as a result, the public still have no credible independent assessment of the financial viability of the proposed stadium project.
Stop the Stadium has requested the Dunedin City Council engage international consultants Davis Langdon to complete their peer review in keeping with the DCC’s own resolutions (see full resolution below.)
“These reviews are the only means available for the public to have any confidence that current construction costings are accurate.” 
Davis Langdon was commissioned at extremely short notice to conduct a peer review,  and expressed concern at the ‘magnitude of the exclusions’ in the Carisbrook Stadium Trusts estimates, says Ms Butler. 
“The answers given by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust about this excluded material need to be provided to Davis Langdon so they can respond, and actually be allowed to do their job and complete a proper peer review.”
Ms Butler says the process has been rushed and poor quality for a project of such magnitude.
She says the citizens of Dunedin are “flying blind” until they are given the opportunity to see a comprehensive and complete peer review.
“There has already been a huge expenditure of ratepayers and citizens money by the Council on paperwork for the proposed stadium, so they should at least be able to ensure that an independent review is completed to a high standard.”
Stop The Stadium resolution
Motion: That the DCC engage Davis Langdon to complete their Peer Review in accordance with Resolution 8(f) (below) passed at the DCC meeting on 28 Feb, 1 March and 11 June 2007 and recorded in the Auditor General’s report dated 24 Sept 2007. 
Original DCC resolution:
Resolution 8(f): That before the Council makes a final commitment it will require as far as practicable: A peer review of the quantity surveyor’s estimates and other technical reports.

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