Dear Ms Buckingham,

 

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request
dated 8 April 2024 asking for information relating to various Long Term
Plan matters.

 

We received your request on 8 April 2024.  We will endeavour to respond to
your request as soon as possible, noting you have requested the
information in relation to making a submission to the Long Term Plan, and
in any event no later than 7 May 2024, being 20 working days after the day
your request was received. 

 

If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of
an extension of that timeframe.

 

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me on (06) 349 0001
or by return email.  If any additional factors come to light which are
relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact me so that
these can be taken into account.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

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Dear Ms Buckingham,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 8 April 2024 requesting
information on various matters relating to the LTP.

 

The information you have requested is as follows.

 

1.            Any list that identifies potential assets to be sold with
regards to the consultation question "Sell $16 million worth of assets to
repay debt" and details of any consideration of obligation to iwi and
Whanganui Land settlement requirements if considering the sale of council
land or reserves.

 

Councillors were provided with an exploratory list of sellable assets.
Providing this list to Councillors was a part of the ‘early stage’ advice
regarding what sellable assets Council hold. (The list is attached.)

 

No discussion has been had, or assessment made to identify which assets
Council would potentially sell. This is largely due to Council’s iwi
consultation obligations. The LTP public consultation is to gauge whether
or not there is community appetite for asset sales. Should this option be
in favour, the consultation document states the next step would be to
consult further on specific sites.

 

The names of two individuals have been withheld in accordance with section
7(2)(a) which provides that withholding is necessary to ‘protect the
privacy of natural persons’. We have considered the public interest
element when making this decision.

 

2.            How much the original feasibility study into attracting a
hotel provider in Whanganui by Whanganui & Partners cost (this was during
the time W&P finances were managed by Council so should be easily
available) and any correspondence to why this is being asked to be
superseded by another business case costing up to 1 million in 24/25.

 

In August 2021 a Hotel Market Demand and Supply Report was prepared for
Whanganui and Partners – the economic development unit of Council. The
cost to Whanganui and Partners was $35,000. The work that is being
undertaken now is a full and detailed business case. Accordingly, there is
no correspondence relating to one study being superseded by another, we
are therefore refusing your request under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA
because the requested information does not exist.

 

3.            The details and cost of any trips undertaken by any
councillors, council staff or the mayor to travel outside of Whanganui to
engage with hotel providers or attend conferences or other events about
attracting hotels in relation to council's question regarding them owning
and building a hotel. Please state if any of these trips have been funded
by other organisations or businesses.  Our decision in respect of this
request is that we will provide you with the information requested, staff
are still in the process of confirming any costs associated to travel
expenses (Taxi’s etc). In an effort to get this information to you as soon
as possible we are providing you with the following partial response.
Should staff confirm there were further costs associated to this trip,
that information will follow.

 

Mayor Andrew Tripe AHICE attended the Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference
and Exhibition – an opportunity to meet and chat with investors and
developers the following costs were incurred by Council ;

•  AHICE conference (Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition) –
an opportunity to meet and chat with investors and developers. 

•  Date – 10 & 11 October 2023

•  Location – Wellington

•  Costs – Ticket, travel and accommodation

•  Ticket cost – $472.62

•  Accommodation - $175.53

 

Chief Executive David Langford and Mayor Andrew Tripe travelled to
Auckland on 18 August 2023 to engage with hotel providers, the following
costs were incurred by Council.

·       Flights – $360.26 Andrew Tripe

         $400.60 David Langford

 

4.            Figures provided to Councillor Michael Law to support his
public claims that Aramoho Library costs the council $100,000 per year to
run and any agreement with the community for costs provided by council to
run the community library since its opening

 

The Mobile Library does a weekly book drop off/pick up as part of its
normal rounds. Pasifika Vision Forum Trust (who own the building the
library is in and operate it) are not funded by Council at all.

The internet connection that enables the check in-check out machine to
connect to the Library Management System is paid for by Council and it
costs $120 per month. The total cost to council for Aramoho Library is
$1,440 per annum.

 

5.            Any advice council received with regards to considering
alterations to a building scheduled for heritage significance on the
district plan, we understand you are referring to the Repertory Theatre..

Council hold no information that falls within the scope of your request,
we are therefore refusing your request under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA
because the requested information does not exist.

 

 

…and if any resource consent or other council requirements have been
included in calculating the cost to demolish the repertory theatre no,
professional services fees and costs associated to regulatory consent are
not included in the Option 1 costs. Detailed business cases will be
undertaken based on the option which is approved.

 

6.            Provide a copy of the external report into the Whanganui
East Pool - I believe this report was with regards to the work needed to
get the pool ready to be reopened after a long closure after COVID19 and
other capital work that needed to be done (such as showers, boiler repairs
etc) and it was dated within the last 3 years Please see attached reports
dated September 2022 and July 2022.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
me on 06 349 0001 or by return email.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Hayley Fitzgerald

 

On behalf of

Rob Goldsbury

General Counsel

 

 

 

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Buckingham,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 8 April 2024 and our
partial response below.

 

In respect of question 3 staff have confirmed the additional expenses
incurred during by Chief Executive David Langford and Mayor Andrew Tripe
during a trip to Auckland on 18 August 2023.

 

·         Taxi expenses $356.69

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
me on 06 349 0001 or by return email.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Hayley Fitzgerald

 

On behalf of

Rob Goldsbury

General Counsel

 

From: WDC Information Request
Sent: Sunday, 28 April 2024 5:24 pm
To: [2][FOI #26355 email]
Subject: Decision on your official Information request - Long term plan
2024

 

Dear Ms Buckingham,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 8 April 2024 requesting
information on various matters relating to the LTP.

 

The information you have requested is as follows.

 

1.            Any list that identifies potential assets to be sold with
regards to the consultation question "Sell $16 million worth of assets to
repay debt" and details of any consideration of obligation to iwi and
Whanganui Land settlement requirements if considering the sale of council
land or reserves.

 

Councillors were provided with an exploratory list of sellable assets.
Providing this list to Councillors was a part of the ‘early stage’ advice
regarding what sellable assets Council hold. (The list is attached.)

 

No discussion has been had, or assessment made to identify which assets
Council would potentially sell. This is largely due to Council’s iwi
consultation obligations. The LTP public consultation is to gauge whether
or not there is community appetite for asset sales. Should this option be
in favour, the consultation document states the next step would be to
consult further on specific sites.

 

The names of two individuals have been withheld in accordance with section
7(2)(a) which provides that withholding is necessary to ‘protect the
privacy of natural persons’. We have considered the public interest
element when making this decision.

 

2.            How much the original feasibility study into attracting a
hotel provider in Whanganui by Whanganui & Partners cost (this was during
the time W&P finances were managed by Council so should be easily
available) and any correspondence to why this is being asked to be
superseded by another business case costing up to 1 million in 24/25.

 

In August 2021 a Hotel Market Demand and Supply Report was prepared for
Whanganui and Partners – the economic development unit of Council. The
cost to Whanganui and Partners was $35,000. The work that is being
undertaken now is a full and detailed business case. Accordingly, there is
no correspondence relating to one study being superseded by another, we
are therefore refusing your request under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA
because the requested information does not exist.

 

3.            The details and cost of any trips undertaken by any
councillors, council staff or the mayor to travel outside of Whanganui to
engage with hotel providers or attend conferences or other events about
attracting hotels in relation to council's question regarding them owning
and building a hotel. Please state if any of these trips have been funded
by other organisations or businesses.  Our decision in respect of this
request is that we will provide you with the information requested, staff
are still in the process of confirming any costs associated to travel
expenses (Taxi’s etc). In an effort to get this information to you as soon
as possible we are providing you with the following partial response.
Should staff confirm there were further costs associated to this trip,
that information will follow.

 

Mayor Andrew Tripe AHICE attended the Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference
and Exhibition – an opportunity to meet and chat with investors and
developers the following costs were incurred by Council ;

•  AHICE conference (Aotearoa Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition) –
an opportunity to meet and chat with investors and developers. 

•  Date – 10 & 11 October 2023

•  Location – Wellington

•  Costs – Ticket, travel and accommodation

•  Ticket cost – $472.62

•  Accommodation - $175.53

 

Chief Executive David Langford and Mayor Andrew Tripe travelled to
Auckland on 18 August 2023 to engage with hotel providers, the following
costs were incurred by Council.

·         Flights – $360.26 Andrew Tripe

         $400.60 David Langford

 

4.            Figures provided to Councillor Michael Law to support his
public claims that Aramoho Library costs the council $100,000 per year to
run and any agreement with the community for costs provided by council to
run the community library since its opening

 

The Mobile Library does a weekly book drop off/pick up as part of its
normal rounds. Pasifika Vision Forum Trust (who own the building the
library is in and operate it) are not funded by Council at all.

The internet connection that enables the check in-check out machine to
connect to the Library Management System is paid for by Council and it
costs $120 per month. The total cost to council for Aramoho Library is
$1,440 per annum.

 

5.            Any advice council received with regards to considering
alterations to a building scheduled for heritage significance on the
district plan, we understand you are referring to the Repertory Theatre..

Council hold no information that falls within the scope of your request,
we are therefore refusing your request under section 17(e) of the LGOIMA
because the requested information does not exist.

 

 

…and if any resource consent or other council requirements have been
included in calculating the cost to demolish the repertory theatre no,
professional services fees and costs associated to regulatory consent are
not included in the Option 1 costs. Detailed business cases will be
undertaken based on the option which is approved.

 

6.            Provide a copy of the external report into the Whanganui
East Pool - I believe this report was with regards to the work needed to
get the pool ready to be reopened after a long closure after COVID19 and
other capital work that needed to be done (such as showers, boiler repairs
etc) and it was dated within the last 3 years Please see attached reports
dated September 2022 and July 2022.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[3]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
me on 06 349 0001 or by return email.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Hayley Fitzgerald

 

On behalf of

Rob Goldsbury

General Counsel

 

 

 

show quoted sections