Mudtopia for award
The request for information under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act on Mudtopia keeps revealing more about the event: Who "visioned" and designed the project, who invested, who profited, and who got ripped off - the ratepayers.
In my view, it set a fresh benchmark of incompetence in financial governance and project management.
Recall, the mayor and some councillors regularly extolled it as one of their finest projects.
Up there with Crankworx, and the Night and Farmers' Markets.
The officials' reports rated Mudtopia on every point between exemplary entrepreneurialism through to becoming a dead dog in a ditch. Like Terax.
Such rich data should not be wasted. Let's submit Mudtopia for a Local Government New Zealand Excellence Award.
They don't give applications a reality check. We can spin this as a "New Zealand First" project that matches the 2018 Conference theme: "We are firmly focused on the Future: Future-proofing for a prosperous and vibrant New Zealand".
The 600-odd delegates, including mayors, chairs, chief executives, councillors and senior management from New Zealand's councils, along with key players from the private sector, business, government and non government agencies, could be terribly impressed by having Mudtopia presented as a showcase project.
Seriously, it could win all categories; best practice in governance, leadership and strategy, service delivery and asset management, community engagement, local economic development, environmental impact, best creative place, outstanding contribution to local government, and take out first in the Martin Jenkins' choice award for performance excellence and community outcomes.
Better not mention the mud.
(Abridged)
Reynold Macpherson
Rotorua
