7 April 2025
Adam Irish
[email address]
Dear Adam
Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA) 1987 Request:
Roxburgh Movie Theater.
Thank you for your LGOIMA request dated 31 March 2025. Please find the CODC response
to the request below:
1. Timeline for construction: Please provide a detailed timeline outlining the expected
start and completion dates for the rebuilding of the Roxburgh Movie Theater. This
should include key milestones in the construction process.
No detailed timeline for construction has been formatted as yet. We are proposing a 12
month design period followed by a 12 month construction period.
2. Processes to Ensure Funds are Spent in Roxburgh: As the asset belonged to the
community, having been built prior to 1989 when the town was part of the Roxburgh
Borough Council, its assets are intended for the public benefit of the people of Roxburgh
– not for the use of local government official as a personal fund for other purposes in the
district. Please outline the steps being taken to ensure that all funds allocated for the
project are spent within the Roxburgh community. This includes information on how
contracts will be awarded and how the local economy will benefit from the project.
All funds for this project are allocated specifically to the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre
activity by way of a general ledger coding.
Council will follow the Procurement Policy to engage all contractors for the rebuilding
project.
3. Insurance Payouts: Please provide details of when the insurance payout was received
for the movie theatre’s loss and how these funds are being allocated towards the
rebuilding.
Insurance funds have not been released to the Council as of the date of this letter.
These funds are coded specifically to the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre activity.
4. Bank Account Holding the Funds: Identify the type of account holding the funds for
the rebuilding project. Are the funds set aside in a dedicated account held in trust?
Council does not hold multiple bank accounts for specific activities. The funds are
managed through the activity general ledger coding as per above. These funds are not
held in a Trust.
5. Interest Earned on Funds Please provide details of the interest rate and the current
balance in the account holding the funds. Additionally, explain how the interest earned is
being managed or allocated for the benefit of the rebuilding project.
Interest earned will be allocated to the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre activity until it
has been drawn down on.
6. Controls to Prevent Erosion of Funds: Describe the processes in place to ensure that
there is no excessive or unnecessary consultation that erodes the available funds for
construction. It is common for local government officials to have incentives that do not
align with the rebuild, instead holding numerous public consultation to generate fees for
connected individuals or for personal political gain. Additionally, please outline how
consultants and contractors are selected, and how their fees are managed to avoid
personal gain that does not directly contribute to the completion of the movie theater.
Public consultation is a tool used in alignment with the Local Government Act 2002 to
ensure communities are appropriately engaged in matters that are of significance.
CODC’s Significance and Engagement Policy guides our decision-making process in
relation to the engagement approaches available.
Consultants and contractors are selected in accordance with CODC’s Procurement
Policy.
7. Audit Firm Engaged: Provide the name of the audit firm responsible for overseeing the
financial management of the project. Please include details regarding the scope and
frequency of the audits, including how transparency will be ensured throughout the
process.
No audit firm will be engaged specifically to oversee the financial management of the
project. The Council is audited on an annual basis by Audit New Zealand. The results of
this are available as part of the Council’s Annual Report.
8. Timeframes to Prevent Rising Construction Costs: What timeframes are in place to
ensure that construction delays to not result in increased costs or a reduction in the
overall quality of the rebuilt? Please outline how cost escalation is being managed,
including any penalties for delays or failure to meet deadlines.
As no procurement process has been undertaken at this stage, there are no contracts in
place and therefore no defined mechanisms for managing cost escalations. This will be
an element of contract negotiation with the successful supplier/s for the design and
construction of the new building.
9. Community Impact and Accountability: Finally, how is the community being kept
informed of progress on the project? What mechanisms are in place to ensure
transparency, accountability, and that the funds will be used effectively for the benefit of
the Roxburgh community?
The Teviot Valley Community Board will be updated every six weeks at their regular
meetings on progress of the project. This will include timelines on progress, budget
tracking, next steps and any challenges or concerns along the way. These meetings are
open to the public to attend, they are recorded and available on the Council website. Open
public meetings will be held during the concept phase and stakeholder groups consulted
regularly.
I trust the information provided is sufficient.
Yours sincerely
David Scoones
Group Manager – Community Experience
Should you disagree with this outcome 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
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602
