Latest news with #AlexParmley
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Govt ‘double-counted' council spending figure
A rationalisation of Waitaki District Council teams and services, such as moving its service desk to the public library, has led to an 8.9% reduction in FTE staff, the largest drop in more than 20 years, chief executive Alex Parmley says. ALLIED MEDIA FILES The Waitaki District Council has largely welcomed a new government ranking system for council performance, but points out some "double counting" in the newly-released key metrics. "Key metrics published today show how much councils are spending and what they are spending it on, which has a direct impact on your rates," Local Government Minister Simon Watts said. "Some ratepayers are getting more and more fed up with rising rates hitting pockets harder than ever. This isn't fair during a cost-of-living crisis where many Kiwis are doing it tough. It is important that ratepayers can see how their council is performing and what it is delivering for their community. "That's why the government is putting clear facts and figures directly into the hands of ratepayers. When ratepayers know more about how their council is performing and where their money is going, they can engage more effectively and ask the tough questions." The government measurements rank Waitaki around the median score, when compared with similar smaller, rural councils on most metrics. However, WDC's annual operating expenditure of $84.78m is $30.25m more than the group median. It also employs more people, 207 fulltime equivalents (FTEs), compared with the median of 87. Personnel costs are also $10.63m higher than the median. WDC's forecast total capital expenditure for 2025 to 2027, $147.78m, is double that of the median. However, WDC chief executive Alex Parmley said that figure is wrong. "In 2025, council deferred around $20million of budgeted work to the following year. That has been double-counted by the government. Our budgeted capital expenditure over the period is around $128m "Waitaki District Council is currently undertaking three separate once-in-a-generation infrastructure projects. The Network Waitaki Events Centre, the Kakanui Bridge replacement and the Forrester Gallery extension. "These projects are all funded externally by the community, the NZTA and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, with the council's funding a minority of each. "We are also undertaking vital infrastructure upgrades for our waters network, as well as maintaining our roads, parks, reserves and property as a responsible council. "While figures are pegged to the median, Waitaki District has almost double the median population and double the land area of councils it is classed as similar to. "This has an impact on the requirement for capital investment, even without the major infrastructure projects at the Forrester Gallery, in Kakanui and at Centennial Park, Oamaru." Regarding personnel, Mr Parmley said a rationalisation of council teams and services, such as moving its service desk to the public library, has led to an 8.9% reduction in FTE staff, the largest drop in more than 20 years. "Our new approach is helping us to improve customer service access and levels whilst using resources more efficiently." Visit to view the performance tables on the DIA website.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Assessment of draft water plan not far off
PHOTO: ODT FILES A government assessment of a "rough working draft" of its water services delivery plan is expected soon, the Waitaki District Council says. At the latest weekly update on Tuesday, councillors and WDC staff provided further information on water service delivery plan requirements and the capital expenditure programme, needed to establish the planned ring-fenced, in-house water services unit as part of Local Water Done Well legislation. Last week the council submitted a draft plan to the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), and is awaiting feedback. "We're expecting to be able to share some feedback next week, but we do know that we've got more work to do on our water services delivery plan before it is ready to be submitted," council chief executive Alex Parmley said. Presentations at Tuesday's workshop were made by the Local Government Finance Association (the main lender to local councils), representatives from Morrison Low, and district council infrastructure manager Joshua Rendell, together with assets planning manager Paul Hayes. There was also information on the introduction of water metering for water users in the district. That would see users move to a volume-metric charging system, based on water usage. WDC staff pointed out water metering had been shown in other areas to result in lower bills for the majority of households, excepting those with very large families. It had also resulted in a reduction of water wastage. It was also recommended that metering should be free for at least one year to help establish usage behaviour and identify any water leaks. The council will continue to work on creating a financially sustainable water services delivery plan. The deadline for providing internal affairs with a final water services delivery plan is September 3. The presentation given at the workshop is available on the council's website together with the working draft water services delivery plan. The next public workshop is scheduled from 3.30pm to 4.30pm on Tuesday, August 12 at the Council Chambers in Thames St.
Otago Daily Times
02-08-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
New look links history, nature, community
Waitaki has a new logo, and so does the Waitaki District Council, after the council approved both for use on Tuesday. The new logos, (one for the WDC as an organisation and one as a district brand) are part of the new branding and strategy developed in-house by the council's communications and engagement team, with input from elected members and staff, and shaped by community feedback gathered through consultations, surveys and the Waitaki Story project. "One of our transformation ambitions is to communicate with and engage our community better in the work we do on their behalf. This is a strategy for all of us — council staff, elected members and our community," chief executive Alex Parmley said. "This is about more than a logo or a plan. It's about how we show up as a council delivering the best for our community — more open, more accessible and more connected to the people we serve. "Now is the right time for this shift. Our district is growing and changing, and so must the way we engage and communicate as a council. Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said he was proud of the "thoughtful and collaborative" approach taken to develop the strategy and logo. "The previous council brand has carried us through many significant chapters in our district's story. As Waitaki continues to grow and evolve, it's now time for a refreshed look that better reflects who we are today and where we're heading." The new WDC brand is a stylised version of the previous one, incorporating themes of Whitestone architecture, koru, the region's agricultural links and the deferent threads that "bind our community together", WDC statements say. The district logo is a stylised W. Last year, a proposed brand logo for the Waitaki district was dropped after its similarity to the logo of wool company Woolchemy was noticed. This week, the Oamaru Mail noticed the newly-adopted stylised W logo, had a striking similarity to another river-based entity, London Weekend Television, in particular its 1972 stylised logo (pictured). However, there is little chance of anyone from the UK objecting, LWT dissolved in 2002.
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Joining CCO ‘only viable option'
As unpopular as it is with the public, the Waitaki District Council joining a four-way, multi-district water company is the "only viable option" for the district, an initial assessment by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) says. The Waitaki District Council is on the verge of a major decision that will shape how water services are delivered and paid for across the region, as it prepares to vote next week on whether to join a four-council joint water entity, Southern Water Done Well (SWDW). The proposed partnership would unite the water services of the Waitaki, Clutha, Central Otago and Gore districts into a single regional organisation, with a shared cost of $13.8 million for establishment. The DIA's report, made public yesterday, firmly recommends the four councils adopt this model in order to meet the government's Local Water Done Well reforms and sustainability requirements. Speaking ahead of Tuesday's formal vote, Waitaki District Council chief executive Alex Parmley acknowledged the public resistance but emphasised the urgency and necessity of the decision. "DIA has done an initial assessment of the options we were looking at. So they're going to mark our homework at the end of this when we submit our water services delivery plan and their assessment, which is going to be contained in the report, is that the joint CCO is the only financially sustainable option for the four councils," The assessment, included in the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting, states "the establishment of a Southern Water Done Well water CCO comprising of the four councils' water services is likely the only viable option for delivering a water services delivery plan that meets the legislated financial sustainability requirements for both water services and councils while managing the affordability impact of required water services charges on household budgets". Public consultation across the four councils drew in over 1000 submissions, 57.5% favouring the in-house business unit model, the preferred option in Waitaki (54%) and Clutha, while only 26.7% supported the joint-CCO, most popular in Gore and Central Otago. In the Waitaki district, the stand-alone CCO option was favoured by 21% of submitters, while the council's preferred joint CCO (SWDW) option was favoured by just 15% of submitters. However, Mr Parmley said the recommendation was about long-term viability, not short-term popularity. "A regional water CCO will result in lower charges for communities than council in-house delivery," the DIA assessment stated. Waitaki ratepayers can expect a 51% increase in water charges under the joint CCO, less than the projected 62% rise under an in-house model. Regardless of the model chosen, households will face higher water costs, and a key change across all options will be the separation of water charges from general rates. "A lot of the detail around what does this look like and what will bills look like. That's the stuff that still needs to be developed, but we need to get a decision first. "Whatever route we go down, we're going to need to separate out the water bill from the rates bill. The government said that needs to be clearly shown differently now and be produced as a separate bill." If approved, the SWDW constitution would guarantee that each district's water charges reflected its own costs — with no cross-subsidisation. "Waitaki is not paying for Central Otago's water and vice versa," Mr Parmley said. Governance of the CCO would be via a shareholder group where each council got one vote, regardless of asset size. Although Waitaki has more assets and would hold a larger shareholding, it would still hold only one vote in decision-making. Directors would be appointed jointly by the councils. The new company's constitution and shareholder agreement are still under development, including details around voting thresholds for future changes. Mr Parmley said the councils did not want to tie the company up so it could not decide anything, but for the most important things, all shareholders would need to agree. "That's about establishing that link between ownership, so it's clearly shown that we still own those assets and, if the company was to be wound up for whatever reason, those assets would come back." The joint-CCO's initial $13.8m establishment cost would be loan-funded, with each council responsible for repayment. Waitaki's portion would be loaned to the CCO and repaid over time, without being directly passed on to ratepayers via water bills.
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
‘Only viable option' councils told
As publicly unpopular as it is, the option of Waitaki District Council joining a four-way, multidistrict water company is the "only viable option" for the district , an initial assessment of the Department Of Internal Affairs (DIA) says. A report has now been sent to the four district councils involved, Waitaki, Clutha, Central Otago and Gore, recommending councillors adopt the option of establishing a joint council-controlled organisation, Southern Water Done Well (SWDW), at a cost of $13.8million to manage water assets and delivery services. Speaking to the Oamaru Mail in the leadup to next week's decision on how the district will implement the government-mandated Local Water Done Well reforms, district council chief executive Alex Parmley said the DIA report would be made public today, ahead of Tuesday's council meeting to formally adopt a water option, following the conclusion of public consultation. "DIA have done an initial assessment of the options we were looking at. So, they're going to mark our homework at the end of this when we submit our water services delivery plan and their assessment, which is going to be contained in the report, is that the joint-CCO is the only financially sustainable option for the four councils," Mr Parmley said. The assessment, included in the agenda for next Tuesday's meeting, states, "the establishment of a Southern Water Done Well water CCO comprising of the four councils' water services is likely the only viable option for delivering a water services delivery plan that meets the legislated financial sustainability requirements for both water services and councils, while managing the affordability impact of required water services charges on household budgets". "A regional water CCO consisting of the four councils' water services will result in lower charges for communities than council in-house delivery of water services, or the establishment of individual council-owned water CCOs." SUBMITTERS' FIRST CHOICE In the Waitaki district, the in-house business unit option was the first choice of 54% of submitters. The stand-alone CCO option was favoured by 21% of submitters. The council's preferred joint-CCO (SWDW) option was favoured by 15% of submitters. Across the four councils combined (a total of 1072 submissions) 57.5% chose the in-house business unit option (overwhelmingly, the most popular choice in both Waitaki and Clutha) and 26.7% chose the joint-CCO option which was the most popular choice for Central Otago and Gore submitters. A chosen option must be presented to DIA by September for approval. However, details around the billing structure and how water will look is still uncertain with only some things already decided, no matter which option is finally chosen. "That isn't going to be decided until later on," Mr Parmley said. "In fact, that's probably going to be decided if we go down the CCO route by the CCO itself. "A lot of the detail around what does this look like and what will bills look like, that's the stuff that still needs to be developed, but we need to get a decision first. "Whatever route we go down, we're going to need to separate out the water bill from the rates bill. The government said that needs to be clearly shown differently now and be produced as a separate bill. "The government said that the idea of a water rate, which is related to the value of your property, goes [away] with the legislation that's being put in place." Mr Parmley said it was "baked-in" to the SWDW agreement that each area will have its own, separate charges. 'So, Waitaki is not paying for Central Otago's water and vice versa. The basis of what we've put in the consultation document analysis is a projection of what the average water charge will be for a domestic user," Mr Parmley said. That principle would also form part on the establishment constitution of the joint venture. "If they all agree to go down this route, the four councils will develop that constitution and shareholder agreement and that will need to go back through each of the councils for agreement. "So there'll be a shareholder group and what they've agreed so far is that it'll be one council, one vote on the shareholder group. Now, whether it's one or two representatives attending each meeting, that is to be decided, but it's one council, one vote on the shareholder group and they (the shareholder group) will jointly appoint the directors of the CCO." Waitaki had larger assets than Clutha and Gore, so it would have a larger shareholding, but with just one vote around the table, Mr Parmley said. "That's about establishing that link between ownership, so it's clearly shown that we still own those assets and, if the company was to be wound up for whatever reason, those assets would come back. "The Waitaki assets will come back to the Waitaki community." Detail on how the constitution might be amended in future years was also still under discussion, he said. "There'll be some things in there which will require everyone to vote in favour, to be able to amend, but there might be some things in there where it needs a majority or a qualified majority. So that detail hasn't been decided on which factors. That's all under discussion at the moment. "I think, bearing in mind we've only really been working on this since the beginning of this calendar year that is all detail to come. "We don't want to tie this company up so it can't decide anything, become like the United Nations Security Council, where one veto and that's it, nothing moves forward but for the most important things where all of the shareholders will need to agree for it to change and what are the things will have a bit more flexibility. "Those are things that are all going through the process at the moment." Establishment costs of the new CCO, should it be chosen, will be shared by participating councils. Mr Parmley said for Waitaki the establishment costs would be covered in the form of a loan taken out by the CCO and paid back to the council. It would be up to the CCO to decide on how long it would take for the CCO to pay the loan off but it would not be part of water charges, he said. Mr Parmley said to the end of May, Southern Water Done Well councils had spent $380,000 on the joint-CCO project. "This covers modelling, expert opinion, legal, project management and communications support. "The project has received $360,000 of grants funding from the government. "Individual councils also have access to their remaining 'Better Off' funding allocations to progress the work." No matter which option is chosen for the future, ratepayers will pay more than they do now. Water charges in Waitaki will rise by 51% under the joint-CCO, and by 62% under the in-house business unit.
