SEP 27: The Carisbrook Stadium Trust is forging ahead with its plans to build a multimillion-dollar stadium in Dunedin, undeterred by recent criticism.
Chairman Malcolm Farry said last night he and people working for the trust "have not faltered for a moment" in working to put together a plan for a new stadium. That was despite some "unfortunate statements" made during a Dunedin City Council meeting on Monday.
Mr Farry said last night he was happy for the Dunedin community to decide, when the project plans were finalised next year, whether the new stadium should take priority over other projects.
If it did not, trust members would "go back to our day jobs".
The trust had no intention of asking for funding that would add to already committed expenditure, Mr Farry said.
The request would be for a "reprioritisation" of expenditure, if the community and the council agreed Carisbrook should have priority.
"That [decision is] not our responsibility. It's the responsibility for the community and the council to make a decision."
If the community said "thanks, but no thanks", it would not be a problem for the trust.
Mr Farry also hit back at comments made by city councillor Leah McBey, who said yesterday the trust should report regularly to the finance and strategy committee she chairs.
"Seeing as we have not asked for any funding, it's not appropriate for us to go reporting like a little schoolboy at her whim," he said.
"If Leah McBey wants to bad-mouth me and my trust, why doesn't she have the courage to front up and have a discussion with us rather than through the newspaper?"
Dunedin City Council chief executive Jim Harland on Monday released "hypothetical" figures which showed the full cost to each ratepayer to fund a $180 million new stadium near Logan Park could be as much as $1818 over 20 years.
There was also criticism from some councillors about the level of communication from the trust.
Cr McBey said yesterday communication had been "abysmal". Comments by Mr Farry the trust had given the council a seminar on the project, and councillors could have contacted him directly with concerns, were "not a fair response".
"The information [on the trust's activities] should be available for all.
"It's not accountability, protocol or responsibility - it's poor communication." The council moved on Monday that Mayor Peter Chin work with Mr Farry to "establish appropriate information-sharing protocols for the council".
But Mr Farry said he did not need a motion to do that, as communication with the council was already happening, through Mr Harland and Mr Chin.
He said it was important to remember the council had asked him to take on the project.
The trust was not doing the council's work - instead, he had been asked to set up an independent trust, in part to "take the heat away from the council".
Mr Chin said yesterday he had no difficulty with his communication with the trust.