10 per cent budget blow out forecast for Ashburton library and civic centre build
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Ashburton’s new library and civic centre is facing a $5.6 million budget blowout, but ratepayers won’t have to pay any more.
That’s the assurance from Ashburton mayor Neil Brown, who’s confirmed a 10% budget overrun has been forecast for the $56.75m library, Te Pātaka o kā Tuhituhi, and civic centre, Te Waharoa a Hine Paaka.
“It won’t cost the ratepayers anymore as we have the $20m of [Government] shovel-ready money, exactly for this purpose,’’ Brown said.
“To make sure the project progressed and to insulate against any Covid-related impacts and cost increases.”
Shovel-ready is a term to show that planning is complete for a project, approval permits are in place, and laborers can get to work with sufficient funding secured.
The original library and civic centre project budget, set after public consultation in 2019, was $51.6m. But the council then secured a $20m Government shovel-ready grant in 2020, with an additional $5m contingency added in 2021 because of the uncertainties around the impacts of Covid-19.
Securing the Government shovel-ready funding meant that the council’s input figure dropped from $56.75m to $36.75m, with essentially a $20m contingency added to what it had planned to fund.
“The ratepayer will be paying no more than what we consulted on when we started the project,” Brown stressed.
“It won’t affect the ratepayer at all, and we are just thankful we have that shovel-ready contribution from the Government.”
The only way it would cost more is if the budget ballooned past $71m for a project originally scheduled for completion in October 2022 but now set to open by the end of this year.
The new building should be finished at the same time as the renovation of Baring Square East.
“We’re very disappointed that the cost has risen, but anyone undertaking a build in this current climate has experienced similar difficulties,” Brown said.
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share below.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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