The Dunedin City Council is planning to sell up to $63 million of assets, but is refusing to say what those assets are.
The council indicated during draft 10-year plan discussions late last year it might sell assets to help pay for $854 million of spending over the next decade.That spending would include $60 million for a central-city upgrade, and $20 million for a new bridge for the Steamer Basin, as well as myriad other projects.
The councils’ assets include buildings such as the Dunedin Railway Station, Municipal Chambers and Dunedin Town Hall, down to smaller buildings such as bedsit flats offered as cheap social housing. In between are buildings such as the Wall Street mall, in George St, and the site of a Bunnings shop in Porirua.
The council owns retail property worth $29.9 million, parking-related property ($23.8 million), plus property in Christchurch ($7.4 million), Wellington $12.5 million), and Auckland ($6.9 million).
Despite being asked on several occasions exactly what buildings it owned, a council spokeswoman said the release of such details would "potentially limit council’s ability to get the best return from a sale of any of these properties".
The request was declined under sections of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act relating to the council’s ability "to carry out commercial activities and commercial negotiations without disadvantage".
The Otago Daily Times is referring the matter to the Office of Ombudsmen.
