The Star: September 08, 2016

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Thursday September 8 2016 3
News
The French gravy train
Hospital board
chief sent
to school
three times
• By Shelley Robinson
CANTERBURY District
Health Board forked out more
than $65,000 to send its chief
executive to a French business
school three times over five
months.
David Meates
(left) attended the
INSEAD business
school in Fontainebleau,
southeast
of Paris, in
September and
November of last
year and then in January.
He is the latest high level
Christchurch executive revealed
to have attended the school,
courtesy of the public purse.
The campus is sprawled across
eight hectares, nestled in the
picturesque Forest of Fontainebleau.
Environment Canterbury and
the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery
Authority have also sent
staff to INSEAD.
ECan spent $73,000 sending
FRANCE: CDHB chief executive David Meates joins the list of Christchurch bosses who have
attended INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France. ​
chief executive Bill Bayfield for
four weeks in 2013, while the
now defunct Cera spent $55,000
sending former Christchurch
Central Development Unit boss
Warwick Isaacs. Mr Issacs was
sent more than a year after he
left the organisation.
Mr Meates attended the
International Directors Programme
at a cost of $25,383,
which included meals, while the
remainder was spent on flights
and accommodation.
The three “seminars” ran from
September 13-16, November 23-
25 and January 14-16.
The INSEAD programme outline
says it equips attendees with
the fundamentals of director
and board effectiveness, CEO
oversight, as well as crisis and
performance management.
Transport cost was on average
$11,648 per trip, including business
class flights. Accommodation
at INSEAD cost about $700 per
stay with meals. A further $179
was spent on additional meals.
The INSEAD trip is included
in the $180,000 Mr Meates spent
on travel since July 2010. This
also includes his travel expenses
as chief executive of the West
Coast District Health Board.
About $70,000 in total was
spent on international travel,
including trips to the United
States, Hong Kong and Australia,
for conferences or presentations.
The CDHB is facing huge
financial pressures, and is
struggling with the increased
mental health needs of the postearthquake
population and a
large rebuild programme, while
delivering a $1.3 billion budget.
The CDHB remuneration
and appointments committee,
comprised of chairman Murray
Cleverley and elected members
Steve Wakefield and David Morrell,
suggested the course and
approved it.
The remainder of the board
were not told until December
that Mr Meates had been to
France.
Mr Meates earns between
$570,000 and $579,000, according
to State Services Commission
data from 2015.
Details of anchor projects report revealed
•From page 1
She was worried by the
millions of dollars the report
revealed had already been spent
on projects like the Convention
Centre and sports stadium, and
questions over central city roading
projects.
The report includes information
that the new stadium may
not make enough to cover
running costs, questions over
whether roading projects could
be completed and a failed plan to
expand the Bus Interchange.
Dr Edwards wrote to Mr
Smith personally in May asking
for the report, saying city council
staff needed the information
urgently to help with their work.
Mr Smith told The Star
yesterday he was not aware of
Dr Woods’ request when he
responded to Dr Edwards.
By the time he signed off
the release of the report to Dr
Woods last month, he said
information in it was outdated
because of further work done by
Ōtākaro Ltd.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel yesterday
refused to get drawn into the
debate and declined to answer
questions about whether it would
affect the city council’s relationship
with the DPMC.
She said it was an issue that
“sits with the organisation”, so
better answered by chief executive
Dr Edwards.
Dr Edwards said she was satisfied
with updates on the projects
at regular meetings.
“Due to the close relationship
we have worked hard to develop
with the Crown agencies, and
our ongoing collaborative work,
timewise the information requested
was no longer needed.”
But Ms Daziel’s mayoral rival
John Minto said it showed the
Government was treating council
with “thinly veiled contempt”.
Ms Dalziel needed to “stand
up”, he said.
“If the mayor won’t comment
I think it shows she is exactly
where Gerry Brownlee wants her
– under his thumb,” she said.
•Anchor project details, p4,5
In Brief
FUNDRAISING RIDE
Sarah O’Keefe and her mother
Lynne will head off on their
Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari
journey on Saturday to raise
money for the NZ Cancer
Society. The pair will be among
250 people to ride the 250km
from Christchurch to Hokitika
on scooters. Sarah, 32, was
diagnosed with hodgkins
lymphoma, about 10 years ago
and since then has fought off
the disease three times. So far
they have raised more than
$2700.
NO LEGAL ACTION
Legal action over the $50
million McKenzie & Willis
development on High St has
been withdrawn after the
developer, 181 High Ltd, agreed
to limit retail tenancies to a
maximum of 150sq m. City
Centre Christchurch Ltd, which
includes several prominent
developers and business people,
had sought a judicial review
over resource consents granted
for the area, which it argued
was not intended to be used for
retail. The case had been set for
the High Court in February.
Food and beverage outlets
would not be subject to the
restrictions on tenancy size.
NEW SUBDIVISIONS
Large residential developments
throughout the city will go
ahead later this month as part of
the Christchurch Replacement
District Plan. Subdivision
developments will go ahead
in South Masham, near the
Yaldhurst Masham residential
community; on the surplus land
on the western part of Riccarton
Racecourse; and at Prestons;
Yaldhurst and Wigram. Six
further subdivisions will be
built in the northern, southern,
south-west and south-east areas
of Halswell and Hendersons.
The time frame for the
developments is still to be
confirmed by the city council.