1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:00,920 Speaker 1: Hey, good afternoon. 2 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 2: It sounds increasingly like the government is planning to intervene 3 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 2: in Wellington City Council after the council's failure to pass 4 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 2: the long term plan. Now, a series of government ministers 5 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 2: have been pretty clear on what a mess they think 6 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 2: the place is. 7 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 3: Well, it's the shambles. 8 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 2: We're pretty concerned about it. If I'm honest, it doesn't 9 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 2: look great. Their long term plan looks at risk. 10 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 3: Will continue to monitor it and if we have to 11 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,279 Speaker 3: make an intervention we will. Well, I think shamozzle is 12 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 3: the best description of it, and I think well and tiny. 13 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 3: It's a pretty concerned about it. 14 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 2: Well, I think the first step is the government can 15 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 2: put an observer on there. That would be a good start. 16 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 2: Toriy Fano didn't want to talk about this today. She 17 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 2: dodged our questions in a statement saying she's focused on 18 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 2: delivering a long term plan and we'll be meeting with 19 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 2: counselors this week to work on it. Wellington City councilor 20 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: Tim Brown is with us, Hey, Tim, good after. 21 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: What do you reckon? Sounds like they're going to intervene, No. 22 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 3: It doesn't. It sounds like they go to observe what's 23 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,279 Speaker 3: going on, and they go to see whether we could 24 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 3: fix it the problems. 25 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: Ourselves with a crown observer. 26 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:57,640 Speaker 3: Without a crown observer, a crown observer is just a 27 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 3: gallery that some of the politicians around our sol table 28 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 3: will play to. So a crowd observer would be a 29 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 3: major disruption. It would not have any way help the 30 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 3: councilors solve the problem. The councilors need to sit down 31 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 3: and arrive at a majority vote for a district plan 32 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 3: and then remember that that of course be sorry long 33 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 3: term plan. Remember that we actually did get the vote. 34 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 3: We're back in May. We all voted and we passed 35 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: a long term plan. And unfortunately last week that our 36 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 3: long term plan was unsettled by the decision about the 37 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 3: airport shares. But what's Tory and is going to have 38 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 3: to try and do is actually get a majority of 39 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 3: counselors to agree on the cuts necessary to effectively balance 40 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 3: the budget. 41 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: So you think you don't think they're going to put 42 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: a Crown observer and observer. 43 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 3: I would say, listening to what those comments which you 44 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 3: just heard, would indicate to me that the Council's future 45 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 3: is in its own hands. If the council laws can 46 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 3: solve the problem and can actually arrive at the numbers 47 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 3: fifty one percent of the voted. Other words, to actually 48 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: get a new long term plan through, then the government 49 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 3: will sit back and let us do it ourselves. 50 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 1: What are you basing on? Is this just a vibe 51 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:11,239 Speaker 1: if you talk to someone. 52 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 3: I haven't spoken to anyone, but. 53 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:19,679 Speaker 1: Because it looks like they're gonna intervene. 54 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 3: Him, Okay, Well, I mean you know, I of course 55 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 3: don't won't have anybody if they're intervene because if they 56 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 3: fire us, all I won't be paid. I'll definitely look, 57 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,880 Speaker 3: I mean I would have to say that I would 58 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 3: definitely better bear on them not intervening, and and but 59 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 3: but that depends on us being able to sort out 60 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 3: the problem ourselves. If we can sort out the problem, 61 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:44,639 Speaker 3: why would they intervene. 62 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: Well, this is a good point, although I wonder if 63 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 2: it's a bigger problem than just the long term plan, 64 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:54,120 Speaker 2: and it's the ongoing dysfunction I suspect is the problem. 65 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 3: But it's not. No, no, no, there is no long 66 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 3: term There is no ongoing dysfunction. I mean that's just 67 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,359 Speaker 3: political state three are looking about. 68 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 2: Look at the situation with the reading cinemas where you 69 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 2: had the council basically trying to stop counselors allegedly leaking 70 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 2: the information, trying to hold meetings behind the scenes away 71 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: from the public's prett dysfunctional. 72 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: Mate. 73 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 3: Look, you've got a small group of counselors who have 74 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 3: behaved extremely badly throughout the entire two years of this 75 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 3: council and and you know, full power them. They regard 76 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 3: that as their political mandate to actually sort of try 77 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 3: to break the rules and generally sort of vot all 78 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:29,800 Speaker 3: over blaming them. 79 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 2: And I understand that you might be upset at their behavior, 80 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 2: but that would suggest that you're totally comfortable then with 81 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: the shenanigans that was going on with Reading Cinema. 82 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 3: So what shedeigans? They're leaking information that was that was 83 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 3: expressly provided on a confidential basis. 84 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 2: Okay, sheneigans like like like wanting to give this money 85 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 2: to a Nasdaq listed company to be able to renovate 86 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 2: its building. 87 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 4: That's bullshit, that's bullshit, as you are. No, No, No, 88 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 4: that's not shedanigans. Are you serious that that was never 89 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 4: the deal? The deal there was that Wellington City Council 90 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 4: would effectively provide a subsidy if Reading could actually get 91 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 4: the could produce one hundred million dollars to actually redevelop 92 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 4: that complex. It was a very cheap way for the 93 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 4: Wellington City to actually vitalize in order to find which Yeah, 94 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 4: so we were selling one ground lease that we're. 95 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 3: Buying another ground. 96 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 1: Your rate going to fund it. 97 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 3: Do you know how much mooty we put into the St. 98 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 3: James Theater which is across the road. I don't sixty 99 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 3: where the Washington City Council. The Wellington City Council put 100 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 3: sixty million dollars into the Saint James Theatre so that opera, 101 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: lovers and the light can actually go along in the 102 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 3: lovely theater. We were going to put a total the 103 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 3: present value of the subsidy that we were going to 104 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 3: put in Reading was about seven million, and so a 105 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 3: completely different demographic would be able to actually enjoy that entertainment. 106 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 2: But even if you could, even if you think that's 107 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,479 Speaker 2: a good decision, that decision was going to be kept 108 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 2: from the public. It was going to. 109 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 3: Be It was never going to be kept from the public. 110 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 3: It was the process, the process of agreeing to provide 111 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 3: council offices with a mandate to be able to actually 112 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 3: go ahead and negotiate. The final decision was going to 113 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 3: be completely public. Everything was going to be on the table. 114 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 3: And how are you. 115 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 2: Okay with this? 116 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: Mate? 117 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 2: You are a businessman and you're saying it's okay that 118 00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 2: rate payers only find. 119 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 3: Out when it's a fad, a complete No, it was 120 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 3: not going to be fat a cop. Well yeah it 121 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 3: wasn't it might have been, It might have been. 122 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 2: But I mean, but okay, you're making a case for 123 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 2: having observer coming this This place sounds. 124 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: Like no, no, no, no, you're going Look, I mean 125 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 3: this is like you go through you go through the 126 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 3: rubbish bent and you're finding something that last year it's 127 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 3: fish and chip paper. I mean, talk about what's in 128 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,520 Speaker 3: front of us now, and justifying government at the veating 129 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 3: and disregarding the democratic rights of Wellingtonians to actually have 130 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 3: been a bitterly a bunch of clowns around the Nelson. 131 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,560 Speaker 2: It is rich how from you that you are saying 132 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: anything about democratic rights when you people are prepared to 133 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:07,039 Speaker 2: hide your decisions until the decision is made. 134 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 3: There was a look about it. Can you find something 135 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 3: new to complain complain about? 136 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,799 Speaker 2: You want something else here? What about this which council 137 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:20,080 Speaker 2: in the Wellington region is putting less money into fixing 138 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 2: the pipes than Wellington City Council. 139 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 3: Let me just point out that I am the Wellington people. Okay, okay, 140 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 3: which Wellington City, which Wellington Regional Council has provided, is 141 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 3: fully funded Wellington Water limited to actually correct its leaks. 142 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 3: Wellington City Council. If you happen to look at the 143 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 3: most recent report which they provided us, we are one 144 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 3: of only two councils who is fully funded their requests 145 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 3: and respective leg reduction. Let me finish, and we have 146 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 3: the lowest level of leaks on our network of any 147 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,280 Speaker 3: other city in the Wellington region. We have the lowest 148 00:06:57,360 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 3: level of leaks. We have fully funded. 149 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: Our telling me, are you telling me. 150 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:03,799 Speaker 3: I've got to did their report? 151 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 2: I've got to do Therefore, because because you're here and 152 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 2: I can ask you, are you telling me that you 153 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 2: have fewer leaks in Wellington than carpety. 154 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 3: As we have. We have lower hands, we leak less water, 155 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: We leak less water, a lot less water than the 156 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 3: other councils. We have the lot we are also in 157 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 3: terms of our reductions, we have a target. Wellington City 158 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 3: has a target of reducing our water consumption by seven 159 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 3: million leaders a day. We are on target to achieve 160 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 3: that outcome. We are the only city in the Wellington 161 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 3: region on target to achieve its water reduction goals. 162 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 2: Tim, thank you for talking to me and and you 163 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 2: better start put your money aside for that beer, because 164 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 2: you're going to have. 165 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: To buy me one. 166 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 3: You're gonna have to buy me one. 167 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 2: Thank you to appreciated Tim Brown, Wellington City Councilor for 168 00:07:57,640 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 2: more from Hither Duplessy Allen drive Let's and live to 169 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 2: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 170 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,560 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.