Auckland Council reins in runaway IT system

Chief operating officer Dean Kimpton.

A Super City IT project that soared in cost from $71 million to $157 million is back on track, say council officials, but some councillors still have concerns.

Chief operating officer Dean Kimpton yesterday said the "NewCore" programme was on the new budget and schedule but acknowledged it remained a tough programme.

Last November, the Herald revealed that the NewCore programme, designed to consolidate the computer systems of the eight councils that merged in 2010 to become the Auckland Council, faced a budget blowout.

The following day, the council revised the original budget of $71 million to $157 million and pushed back the 2016 start date to 2017.

The council intends to absorb the extra cost within a $500 million IT budget over 10 years.

Yesterday, Mr Kimpton, council IT manager Mike Foley and NewCore programme director Paul Tombleson gave the council finance committee the first update on the programme since November.

Mr Kimpton said spending was within budget and the programme was 32 per cent complete, ahead of the 29 per cent target for December.

The council had spent $51.3 million on NewCore to December and there was "no overspend forecast" to the $77.7 million budget by the end of the financial year in June.

Councillor Cathy Casey said she had a big "fear factor" and the programme reminded her of the failed police INCIS IT project and problems with the Novopay system for paying teachers.

Councillor Chris Darby asked if NewCore would be applied across the council "family" to Auckland Transport and Watercare and was told by Mr Foley that legislation prevented it being shared.

Councillor Mike Lee said Auckland Transport took an IT system from one of the former councils and spent about $2 million improving it "and it works fine for them without being sucked down a fiscal drainhole".