Otago Daily Times, 9 Oct 2008

Two University of Otago academics putting together a new survey to gauge public support - or lack of it - for the Awatea St stadium hope to have it sent to homes by the end of the year.

Department of Marketing lecturers Dr John Williams and Ben Wooliscroft began the project after heeding a call for a new survey from Stop the Stadium president Bev Butler, offering their time free of charge.

They have completed a draft copy, and are now waiting for information from the Dunedin City and Otago Regional councils and the Carisbrook Stadium Trust.

They also need $7000 to fund the survey.

Asked what was the point of another survey on the stadium, Dr Williams said yesterday he wanted to create a survey that had credibility with the majority of people.

A subsidiary goal was to give a voice to the “silent majority” - a group regularly referred to in the debate….

Dr Williams said while the councils, the stadium trust, the Stop the Stadium group and the Dunedin Householders and Ratepayers Association had agreed to be involved, and agreed in principle to fund it, there was as yet no commitment to funding, and that was essential for it to go ahead.

» Read more…

Otago Daily Times, Thu, 18 Sep 2008, p. 7.

By David Loughrey and Rebecca Fox

The veracity of claims the Awatea St stadium would be a multipurpose facility, and the level of detail in reports on the project was questioned this week, as the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Regional Council took in the latest information on the stadium.

The report, the first from the stadium stakeholders group, covered each of the conditions the city council set for the trust in a March meeting, where it was agreed to keep funding the project.

At a city council finance and strategy meeting this week, the multipurpose aspect of the stadium was queried when the report was discussed….

The east stand of the stadium was “effectively a flat slab” enclosed with metal cladding, with the ability to be divided from the rest of the stadium.

There was no longer a folding wall, as the cost was found to be prohibitive….

Asked by Cr Colin Weatherall whether the east stand would be “bare open space”, Mr Soper said it would be when seating was removed….

Cr Bryan Scott said while the council had imposed a February 3 deadline on the trust, independent professional assessment of information on the level of private funding and building costs was needed….

Stadium report points:

• Grass being grown in the test rig had recently been tested by Otago rugby players, and had stood up to ‘quite a severe test’.
• The University of Otago continued to support the development of a public plaza, and a development agreement was being drawn up.
• The design team believed a guaranteed maximum price within the $165.4 million budget could be achieved. The risk associated with rising steel prices and further price volatility for another 18 months had been taken into account in that assessment.
• There had been no additional work on operational projections since March.
• The trust had engaged catering consultants to provide advice for the detailed design phase. Consultants Horwath HTL believed revenues available to caterers were sufficient to cover contributions to the cost of equipment. For the main kitchen, the only equipment not provided was catering equipment. Ceiling, wall and floor finishes, lighting, extraction and service connections for power, gas, water and waste had been allowed for. The situation for other catering areas was the same.
• Media facilities remained similar to feasibility report. A television suite would be fitted out in a simple way to enable broadcaster to dress as appropriate. Cameras, lighting etc would be provided by the broadcaster. A patch panel system would be provided, and there would be two outside broadcast areas. Print media would have “a simply fitted out suite” with a good field of vision, and there would be a photographers’ room, media lounge and interview/conference room.

» Read more…

Otago Saily Times, 13 September 2008

The Carisbrook Stadium Trust has taken on criticism of aspects of its Awatea St stadium proposal, arguing the stadium will be fitted out to an acceptable level, and that the risk of cost overruns can be adequately managed.

Chairman Malcolm Farry rejected allegations the stadium would not have the facilities it needed.

“It’s nonsensical to suggest we’re sitting around as a board, designing something that will not be fit for purpose.

“It will be fit for sport, for conferences, small meetings, large meetings . . .”

The issues, and many others, have been raised by opposition group Stop the Stadium in an opinion piece in the Otago Daily Times by Greater Dunedin councillors Kate Wilson, Chris Staynes and Dave Cull, and in numerous letters to the editor of the newspaper, as reasons the stadium should not be built.

» Read more…

The Press, 25 June 2008

The Otago Regional Council has confirmed its crucial $37.5 million contribution to a new $188m stadium in Dunedin, despite a last-ditch attempt to delay the decision.

At a full council meeting today, councillors voted nine to one to confirm stadium funding in its long term community plan and include conditions recommended by the Finance and Corporate Committee on June 11.

Bryan Scott was the lone opposing voice.

Earlier Michael Deaker moved an amendment attempting to delay the decision, sending the matter back to the committee for further analysis – sparking an animated 50-minute debate.

Deaker said significant issues had been raised since the committee meeting, including a $10m jump in the private sector funding target to $55.5m and an apparent initial failure by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust to find a naming rights sponsor.

He did not believe investment in the stadium was the prudent management of funds council was obligated to undertake, as set out in the Local Government Act.

» Read more…

Letter to the editor of the Sunday Star Times from Gavin MacDonald, Dunedin, - A11, 17.8.08

Dunedin’s stadium

Dunedin sits on the cusp of a first-rate local body scandal. This much is evident from Karen Arnold’s revelation (August 10) that the auditor-general and the ombudsman’s office could be roped in to investigate the lack of information on the costings of the city’s proposed new stadium. A move that comes as no surprise to anti-stadium people long denied clarification on these and associated matters.

Theirs have been rare voices in a city that has more than its fair share of the seriously bewildered; a condition that has allowed both the Dunedin City Council and the Otago Regional Council to play with the ratepayer dollar without let or hindrance. The light of truth probing dark corners will be welcome.

Gavin MacDonald
Dunedin

Stop the Stadium media release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday 8 August 2008

Stop the Stadium says that Otago Regional Councillors did not receive vital information about the proposed Awatea Street Stadium before voting $37.5 million of public money towards the project.

Stop the Stadium President Bev Butler says Otago Regional Councillors did not receive or directly consider the peer reviews which contained vital information about the stadium project.

The peer reviews, originally prepared for the Dunedin City Council, are independent, professional reports on the new stadium proposal, and the only means available to the public to have confidence that current costings are accurate.

Consultants Davis Langdon, one of the main peer reviewers, noted that much of the requested documentation from the Carisbrook Stadium Trust had not been received, and expressed concern at the “magnitude of the exclusions” in the CST cost estimates.

Ms Butler says after repeated attempts to get information from the Otago Regional Council, she approached the Omsbudsmen’s Office, whose investigations confirmed that no information on peer reviews was given to ORC councillors.

Ms Butler says when making a major decision to spend enormous amounts of public money, it is essential decision makers receive crucial information, and Stop the Stadium were very concerned that this had not happened in this case.

Stop the Stadium is a Dunedin-based campaign group to stop the proposed public funding of the Awatea Street Stadium, Dunedin, New Zealand

ENDS

For more information, or to receive copies of documentation, contact Stop the Stadium President Bev Butler on (03) 4776861 or email president@stopthestadium.org.nz

From ODT online forum, June 08, after the ORC voted to support the stadium, subject to certain conditions. The conditions are listed. Let’s keep an eye on these.

Jeers fail to deter stadium ‘yes’ vote

• The Otago Regional Council supports the Awatea St stadium on the basis of these terms and conditions -The Carisbrook Stadium Trust must provide by February 2, 2009 evidence of a viable construction tender for the stadium for a price not exceeding $165.4 million.

• The final design remains at least the same as that detailed in the March 17, 2008 progress report from the Carisbrook Stadium Trust.

• The Dunedin City Council will:i) confirm it will be the ultimate owner of the stadium;ii) provide independent assurance of project management and cost control;iii) confirm it will manage ratepayer (including Otago Regional Council ratepayer) financial input to the project and provide appropriate audit and financial controls.

• The stadium must have a roof.

• The council contribution will be capped at $37.5 million and the Dunedin City Council will be responsible for $85 million.

• There be certainty of funding from Dunedin City Council, Community Trust of Otago and University of Otago in terms of the amounts and support infrastructure originally requested by the Carisbrook Stadium Trust.

• The council is confident fund-raising and private-sector funding is on track to meet commitments.

• Council contributions for the stadium will not start before:i) the site is cleared for construction;ii) site establishment works for construction have been completed;iii) permanent on-site construction has commenced;iv) the funding is to be advanced and targeted generally to the timing of the costs of the roof construction.

• Any external funding that would reduce ratepayer contributions that becomes available from sources other than the above identified sources and levels of funding will be discussed and sharing agreed with the council and the Dunedin City Council.