No ‘budget blowout’ but pressure on Ashburton’s civic centre build
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
There is immense pressure on the budget for Ashburton’s new library and civic centre, but it remains within its $56.75 million limit, the town’s mayor says.
The claim of a budget blowout in a submission on the annual plan drew the attention of district councillors at the hearings last week, prompting mayor Neil Brown to refute the claim.
As a member of the project control group, Brown said there had been no mention of a budget blowout.
“We mentioned we have lost some time and there is certainly pressure on the budget, but there has been no budget blow out.”
The project’s completion has been pushed back from the end of this year into 2023.
What those delays will cost is still to be determined.
Council chief executive Hamish Riach said Covid restrictions and now supply chain issues are “impacting pressure on costs and the forecast completion date, which is now expected to be in the first half of 2023”.
“The project is still within budget, which includes the sum previously set for contingencies, though it is fair to say there are real financial pressures, and costs are being very closely monitored.
The project had an amended budget of $51.6m in the council’s 2018-28 long-term plan, but that was then increased to $56.75m to allow for contingency, due to the uncertainty around the impacts of Covid.
The budget includes $20m from the Government’s ‘shovel ready’ project funding.
Brown said that funding was not paid in a lump sum but was paid in instalments as milestones were reached in the construction.
The construction timeline is the project's overbearing issue due to industry’s widespread supply chain issues, with materials like timber and plasterboard in hot demand.
Riach said that was a major pressure on the project’s timeframe but “where possible, we are trying to minimise those issues by ordering well ahead of time”.
Several submissions called for cutbacks on the Library and Civic Centre, but Brown said consultation on the project was completed three years ago and construction was already halfway through.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.3% Yes
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49.7% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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