Waimea Weekly
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Wednesday 4 June 2014
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Shock as $18M blow-out found An expenditure blow-out of up to $18 million has forced “shell-shocked” councillors to put a hold on work to this year’s annual plan and it will likely mean even more increases to rates. The extra $18 million is carry over from capital projects that weren’t finished in the past financial year, but councillors didn’t know about it until it was presented by corporate services manager Mike Drummond at a full council meeting last Thursday. Typically, there is a carry over of around $9 million each year, but for it to be double
that amount is extremely significant. The news came months after work began on the council’s annual plan, which details where the council will spend its money and where that money will come from. Having to find room for an extra $18 million is a massive spanner in the works. Councillors decided to halt all work on the plan – which legally needs to be signed off by the end of June – until today, when council staff were to present more accurate figures around the blow-out. Richmond councillor Judene Edgar says
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andrew@nelsonweekly.co.nz she was shocked and “extremely disappointed”. “The councillors and the community need to have the utmost confidence in the financial management of the council, and this sort of error does not provide the surety that is needed. It is simply unacceptable.” The exact amount of the blow-out won’t
be known until today’s meeting, but some planned projects will likely be put on hold while the rest of the money will be added to the council’s massive debt burden, and targeted rates are also likely to increase. Mayor Richard Kempthorne says the announcement was a shock but there was no hint that the annual plan wouldn’t be finished on time. “It came as a surprise to everyone, I think. But the staff have seen this and made us aware of it earlier than usual to make sure there weren’t any surprises.”
Queen’s Service Medal ‘a surprise’
John Harwood received a Queen Service Medal for his work with the A&P Association over the past 25 years. Photo: Phillip Rollo.
John Harwood has spent a lot of his life volunteering and helping the community – in fact he calculates that it’s about 3000 hours a year. But even so, the Brightwater man says receiving a Queen’s Service Medal for his work in the community is “quite a surprise”. The 78 year old ex-farmer was one of eight honours recipients in the region. Others included former Network Tasman chairman Ian Kearney, who was named Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and members of the New Zealand Order of Merit; bowler Jo Edwards, Nelson Marlborough District Health Board chairwoman
Jenny Black, Waihaere Mason, who was acknowledged for his services to Maori, and former search and rescue coordinator Sherp Tucker. John, born in Havelock, spent the majority of his working life as a farmer, and has been heavily involved with sheep shearing. He has since judged in competitions around the world. He has an extensive list of organisations he has volunteered for, but it was his work with the A&P Association, whom he has been with for 25 years as treasurer and property manager, and as national president of the
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