21 August 2020
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Trility consortium contract for delivery of wastewater network services
Enquiry
Just a couple of holes I need to plug for my story coming out of my interview with Steve and Stavros re Trility (to run this weekend)
- The email Steve sent the Local Government Minister (and others) with the attachment - how long did that attachment take to compile and how much did it cost to create? That includes staff hours as well as any other costs - please specify if so.
- Has the Trility contract been signed since I sat down with Steve and Stavros? If not, has a date been set for its signing? If so, what date is that?
Response
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
Attacks on the integrity of Council decision-making demand a strong response and Cr Macpherson has misrepresented the facts and misinformed the Minister of Local Government and other members of parliament, as well as making accusations against Rotorua Lakes Council to the Overseas Investment Office.
We are currently in the toughest times many of us will ever experience and need to be focussed and united in dealing with COVID-19 and building our community back better.
It's obvious Cr Macpherson prefers attack politics to attempt to undermine and destroy confidence in this council, through lobbying and using both social and mainsteam media to mislead and misinform.
People tell me they're sick of it and the question for you to ask Cr Macpherson is what is he trying to achieve for our district with his conspiracy-fuelled approach?
This drives unbudgeted cost into the organisation. I would prefer staff and myself spend time on work that moves Rotorua forward rather than wasting resources having to respond to politically-driven conspiracy theories full of mistruths and wild rhetoric designed to inflame.
He claims, for example, the CE and I have visited China together - we have never visited China together and in fact, the CE has never visited China at all.
He asserts Council is handing over control of Rotorua's wastewater system which is incorrect. We are outsourcing service delivery aspects - control remains with Council.
He refers to a submission from Professor Brady but has added his own conclusions and he claims Council has already entered into a $1m contract with Trility to embed managers in our treatment plant, which is incorrect.
Re cost of compiling document: About 32 working hours in total. At $76 per hour, which is the rate Rotorua Lakes Council uses under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA), that totals $2432.
Re signing of contract: Contract documents are in the process of being signed and the contract will take effect in November.
