The Star: May 24, 2018

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday May 24 2018 19
Opinion
Partnership driven by what people want
OVER THE years, I have heard
from many people in Canterbury
about the disconnect they have
felt between central Government
and the way the recovery has
been handled down here in
Canterbury.
I know too well the sense
that people in Wellington make
decisions for those of us here
on the ground – and that has
driven a lot of my thinking
around how to best make change
and to ensure we’re working
for Cantabrians since being
appointed minister.
Speaking at a post-Budget
breakfast with the mayor on
Monday really reaffirmed to me
the progress that we have made in
this area.
The partnership between the
Crown and the city council is
crucial to ensuring that our city
moves towards the incredible
Politics
Megan Woods
future it is capable of.
After just six months in office,
I am excited to see first-hand
the difference that the strength
of this partnership can have
with successes such as the Metro
Sports Facility and the overflow
parking at Christchurch Hospital.
Working in partnership with
local leaders such as the mayor
ensures that we are driven by
what local people want and that
we involve them in our plans to
make things better. This
approach is how we will tackle
the delivery of the much-needed
stadium.
The next steps for the stadium
will see the formulation of a
procurement strategy between
the city council and crown.
We want to both maximise
opportunity and also the lessons
that have been learned around the
delivery of major projects.
Part of those steps will also
include a project governance
framework that will ensure that
the interests of Cantabrians have
a voice as we move through the
initial stages and head to the
market to seek expertise and
experience in how we can get this
project delivered.
This will be a true partnership
between the city council and
Crown – and I look forward to
achieving real progress together.
•Megan Woods is the
Minister of Greater
Christchurch Regeneration
Readers react to last
week’s article which
revealed ChristchurchNZ,
the city council’s
economic, tourism and
major events agency, had
spent $10,000 to have
a mural of former Kiwis
coach David Kidwell
painted in the innercity
in the build-up to
the failed World Cup
campaign
Peter Banens – What a
waste of money. $10,000 for a
mural of former Kiwis coach
David Kidwell. Who is Kidwell?
And why wasn’t a local artist
considered? This would have
been cheaper.
Gary Knight – As the
controversy over the mural
of former Kiwis coach David
Kidwell evolves as a platform
of debate and forum of opinion
a sense of reality must prevail.
Having been commissioned for
murals of Prince and NBA star
Steven Adams bears testimony
to the acclaim of artist Graham
Hoete. However, this tribute to
Kidwell being ratepayer-funded
should have surely been inclusive
of both public consultation also
selection from a myriad of local
street artists to paint the mural
for a cost far below $10,000.
However, within this context,
many not in the sporting fraternity,
having never heard of
David Kidwell would consider
the actual process an obscene
eradication of ratepayer-funding.
Lyn Escott – I was, quite
frankly, appalled to read in The
Star that ChristchurchNZ had
paid $10,000 to have a mural
of David Kidwell painted on a
wall in Christchurch. I went to
Dunedin’s Ed Sheeran concert
and watched a long line of people
have their photos taken in front
of his mural. Are they lining up
in Christchurch in front of David
Kidwell’s photo? No because half
of Christchurch wouldn’t know
who he was and the other half
don’t care. Has the city council
ever acknowledged a member
of the All Blacks or Crusaders
coaching staff as they have all
achieved much, much more.
For some time I have been
astounded by this council’s
financial management but this
really takes the cake and I really
resent my rate money being
spent in this outrageous manner.
What exactly did David Kidwell
achieve to have this honour?
There are so many other things
that need doing in Christchurch
and when they throw money
away on something like this
it defies belief. To me, this
council is rapidly losing all credibility.
Why don’t they ask the
people of Christchurch before
they idiotically waste money
like this? This is my first letter
of protest, ever, but I felt I had to
protest this.
Allenia McArthur – I consider
the mural of David Kidwell
a complete waste of money. The
only person to benefit from this
was the artist Graham Hoete.
Geoffrey Allison – The ratepayer
money used on the mural
of David Kidwell was once again
a complete and utter waste. If a
mural was needed, how about
New Zealand Rugby League paying
“user pays.” ChristchurchNZ
is a joke. Why on earth do we,
the ever-suffering ratepayer,
need such an organisation full of
grandiose positions accountable
to no one, full of weasel words,
achieving nothing. Could someone
publish what their budget
is, and what have they achieved?
Also, how many staff, salaries
and the number of motor vehicles
do they have.
Stone Maka – In my opinion,
I look at the mural from two
perspectives. Firstly, the money
was not well spent, because the
Kidwell portrait did not promote
Kiwi rugby league. Secondly,
the money would have been well
spent if the Kiwis hadn’t lost to
Tongā in the World Cup.
Hamish Middleton – Why,
oh why, do we persist with these
muppets? Perhaps a mural of
someone that more than five
per cent of the population have
heard of would make more sense,
like Ivan Mauger for example.
This is just throwing money
away.
Audrey Tait – You can never
please everyone. Art is subjective.
Either you like this mural
or you don’t but the alternative is
a plain old brick wall. I’m loving
the art around the city. It’s bringing
colour and soul back to our
community.
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