In the public forum of the Teviot Valley Community Board meeting earlier in the day the board and council were challenged over the lack of advertising of the workshop.
It did not appear in the meeting agenda, nor on the council’s meeting page on its website.
Council property and facilities manager Garreth Robinson said to date remediation of the site, including traffic control, removal of material and checking for asbestos had cost $221,113.95, about half what was expected.
Mr Robinson paid tribute to Lake Roxburgh Contracting for its work.
The building was insured for $6.4million with a clause in the policy requiring the building to be replaced "like for like", to be quantified in an independent quantity surveyor’s report. If the report came in with a price lower than the amount insured, the council would negotiate with the insurance company, Mr Robinson said.
Board chairman Norman Dalley, who was also on the Roxburgh entertainment centre committee, said the cinema group had its own insurance of about $450,000.
The workshop agreed to hold a community meeting to share the information and form a stakeholders’ committee.
Council group manager community vision Dylan Rushbrook said the stakeholders’ group membership would be up to the community with guidance from council staff. One recommendation would be not to have too many stakeholders, he said.
Mr Robinson showed examples of community-driven and funded centres — the Manuherikia community hub, at Omakau, which would begin construction by the end of the year, and the Luggate Hall, which was a passive build.
It was the largest passive community building in the southern hemisphere. While it cost more to build, the design meant operating and future maintenance costs would not climb like traditional buildings.
Luggate Hall cost about $5m and was about half the size of the Roxburgh one.
It would also be wise to utilise existing information such as the design and engineering plans from the cinema in the Cromwell hall, which was under construction, Mr Robinson said.
Mr Dally said constraints on a new building would come from the insurance payout, not the community board or council.
A date and time for the community meeting would be advertised widely, Mr Dally said.
To see the slide presentation go to: Roxburgh Entertainment Centre — Workshop Slides https://www.codc.govt.nz/your-council/meetings/workshops
To watch the meeting and workshop go to: Meeting and Workshop Recordings — Central Otago District Council
Board slammed for ‘information vacuum’
The Teviot Community Board was lambasted for an "information vacuum" around the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre reconstruction during the public forum at last week’s meeting.
Resident Janet McDonald said the workshop after the board meeting — to discuss the entertainment centre replacement after fire destroyed it on Waitangi Day — was poorly advertised and few people knew it was on.
"People are upset there has been very little information on the future of it. A meaningful and transparent process is needed."
A lot of the fear and concerns in the community would be alleviated with more information, she said.
"The council is creating an information vacuum."
The lack of consultation on the retention of the iconic facade was another sticking point.
Council chief executive Peter Kelly had said retaining it would have taken a lot of the $6.5m insurance money, she said.
"Why was it insured for so little?"
The rebuild needed to be put into the hands of the Teviot Valley community as they would do far more for less than the council would do, Mrs McDonald said.
She requested a written response from the community board and the council.
Also in the public forum, Central Otago Health Inc member Caroline Tamblyn, of Coal Creek, asked board members if they were aware that Dunstan Hospital, in Clyde, was community owned.
Like all other incorporated societies, they were required to review their constitution and realised many people were unaware that the Central Otago community were all shareholders in the hospital.
Central government had not provided healthcare, other than mental health services, in Central Otago for 26 years.
Members were elected to Central Health Inc alongside each local body election but no-one had been opposed at any election in 20 years, Mrs Tamblyn said.
"What a waste of money that election is."
While board members had always been "shoulder-tapped", it would be good to have wider representation from the community, she said.
