Harbourside refuses Deloitte talks

WDC chief executive Mark Simpson

The team behind the Harbourside proposal for Whangarei's Town Basin isn't engaging with a team of Deloitte consultants, who have been tasked by Whangarei District Council (WDC) to compare two of the proposals for the former Harbour Board building.

Councillors voted yesterday to start a referendum process on March 10 and conclude on June 5, using the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system. The binding referendum will determine whether the Harbourside or Hundertwasser and Wairau Maori Art Centre (HWMAC) proposals are chosen for the old Harbour Board building at the Town Basin, or if the building will be demolished.

Yesterday Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai asked councillors to decide only on the "mechanics" of the referendum during the meeting and not focus on the merits of the three proposals.

However, Cr Susy Bretherton said she was aware that "one group did not want to sit down to talk to Deloitte" as "they wanted a non-conflicted company" to carry out the research, given the amount of work Deloitte had completed around the previous Hundertwasser Art Centre proposal.

WDC chief executive Mark Simpson said council would have to pay $100,000 for a new company to undertake fresh research, and council would not be exploring that option. WDC had arranged for a new Deloitte team to take over the study of operational costs, construction costs and expected visitor numbers, which would be peer reviewed by Nexus Planning and Research before the findings were published ahead of the referendum.

Prosper Northland's Ian Reeves confirmed to the Advocate that his group, which is behind HWMAC, had already given the new Deloitte team its information. Neither Mr Wally Yovich or Future Whangarei's solicitor John Gilding were available for comment yesterday on Harbourside's refusal to engage with Deloitte. It is not mandatory for Future Whangarei or Prosper Northland to participate in any Deloitte research, however, the consultants would have to estimate its findings around the Harbourside proposal in the absence of participation from the group.

Mr Simpson reassured councillors that WDC was obliged to provide voters with "balanced, unbiased and neutral" information on the projects.

Cr Shelly Deeming's call for an amendment to delay the referendum until the full consequences, including legal implications, of all projects was not allowed to be put to vote as she failed to issue her request in writing ahead of the meeting, as per council standing orders.

If either the Harbourside or Hundertwasser Wairau Maori Art Centre are successful, the preferred option's team must have secured the remaining capital funding by June 30, 2017 to enable the project to proceed.