Bernard Darton on Stadium

Ex-Dunedinite Bernard Darton writes on the Stadium.

When politicians suggest these grandiose schemes, I always think of Sapurmurat Niyazov, the recently dead president of Turkmenistan. He wrote his own sequel to the Koran, renamed months of the year after himself, and erected an enormous gold statue of himself in the centre of Ashgabat, the country’s capital. The statue slowly rotated during the day so that the sun always shone on his face. And it cost less than a new rugby stadium.

I hope that doesn't give Peter Chin, or Malcolm Farry, an idea.

Roger Kerr on Stadium

At last, the proposed new Dunedin Stadium is getting national attention.
This time it is Roger Kerr writing an article, suggesting that it should not be built without a referendum.
He may be a bit late: the Otago Regional Council today supported contributing to the Stadium, subject to the Government also chipping in.

Bernard Hickey Down On Stadium

Leading economist, Bernard Hickey, has a scathing article on the Stadium.

The Carisbrook Stadium Trust has failed in it's primary objectives:
To build the Stadium for $188 million, and to raise the required money.

But the Dunedin City Council is carrying on regardless. The $25 million deal with the Government looks as though it is on, to cover the $7 million increase in land cost, the $3 million missing from the Community Trust of Otago, and the $15 million shortfall in private funding. There will be no relief for Dunedin ratepayers.

I expect the Regional Council to rubber-stamp the deal tomorrow.

ODT slags "Blogosphere"

Today's editorial on the Stadium in the Otago Daily Times includes:

During the past two years, some of the letters received by this newspaper, many unsigned, some of the various diatribes published on the "blogosphere", again made with the protection of anonymity, and the utterings of some who have descended to schoolyard behaviour over personalities, have been nothing short of a disgrace.

I am not sure what they mean by the "blogosphere" because there is very little blogging in Dunedin. Perhaps they mean the "Stop The Stadium" web-site. In any case, anonymity in blogging, or issue, sites is unusual. Even if a pseudonym is used, the writer's real name is readily available.

The ODT continues:

We would argue such attacks have been, at least in part, fuelled by a vacuum of forthright leadership from various officials and representatives during the debate.

The accompanying lack of hard facts - even if that is only a perception - in the public arena has resulted in a cacaphony of emotional outbursts both for and against the stadium as predictable as they were, in many cases, objectionable.

Perhaps the ODT would have been fulfilling it's role better if it had done some analysis of the Stadium project rather than just reporting the spin from the Carisbrook Stadium Trust and the Council. Blogs have helped fill the vacuum. And it is notable that some of the best reporting on the Stadium issue has come from the national weekly, the National Business Review. To give the ODT credit, they have printed opinion pieces from writers such as Calvin Oaten and Peter Entwhistle.

Carisbrook Sale Bailout For Otago Rugby

The agreed purchase of Carisbrook by the Dunedin City Council is unnecessary for the new Stadium, but it does get the Otago Rugby Football Union out of a financial bind. Otago Rugby has made substantial losses over recent years and this will enable it to repay it's debts.

But how much will it cost the City Council to cover the loss in operating Carisbrook and renting it to Otago Rugby?

And will the sale go ahead even if the new Stadium is not built?

National Bloggers On ODHB Fraud

Accountability in the Otago District Health Board over the $17 fraud by the former CIO, Michael Swann, has attracted the attention of national bloggers:

Why the Otago District Health Board Chair and CEO should be sacked in Kiwiblog

Health board head expects minister to give him sack in Whale Oil Beef Hooked

Calvin Explains Stadium Funding

Calvin Oaten has done an excellent analysis of the Stadium funding.
Proponents claim that the Stadium will not cost more than $66 a year for the average household.
But Calvin shows that the Stadium will also reduce the income the City receives from Dunedin City Holdings by $11 million a year, which will have to be made up for from rates.
The effective cost to the average household is actually over $300 a year.