Downtown bypass fiasco on the council table
Queenstown councillors will meet today for the last time this year, ready to tackle a jam-packed agenda.
Items on the council table include the independent review into the controversial Queenstown Arterial Road Project, which has seen a budget blow out by $38m of ratepayers' money to a whopping $128 million.
Reviewer Dave Brash says the Whakatipu Transport Programme Alliance - a partnership between Queenstown Lakes District Council and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Beca, WSP, Downer New Zealand and Fulton Hogan - was created in the fire of the Covid19 crisis and any review in the cold light of day is likely to find problems.
"Blaming and re-litigation of previous decisions in this context can be meaningless," he says, explaining why the 107-page report focuses on what can be done better in the future.
"Broadly, this Review has found that the decisions to enter into the funding agreements and form an Alliance were reasonable in the context of the time. However, given the large size and high risks associated with the programme more oversight at councillor level, better reporting systems and more oversight by senior management would have avoided being “surprised” by cost increases.
"In particular, earlier heads-up would have given the Council a better opportunity to either descope elements or continue with a better understanding of the cost drivers and be confident that the benefits still outweighed the costs.
"Nevertheless, the overall outcome is still good value for money."
Also on the council table are the 2023-24 Annual Report, the Capital Works December 2024 Reforecast, the Local Government Funding Agency 350% Debt Ratio, Transport Funding Options - response to the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.
The Full Council Meeting for the year will be held today, Thursday, 12 December, at the Council Chambers on Gorge Road from 1pm. A livestream will be made available on the council's YouTube channel, with a recording available afterwards.
A full agenda can be found here.
