Struggling nursery to be publicly probed

A struggling council-run plant nursery is about feel the full glare of the public spotlight, potentially revealing how much money it has lost.

As Stuff reported this week, the Feilding-based Manawatu¯ District Council operation has failed to meet its financial targets since it was set up in 2015-16 and began operating fully in 2017.

The nursery isn’t a commercial operation and is instead mandated to supply native plants for use around Feilding’s wastewater treatment plant, among other council projects, and to supply other councils, trusts and community groups.

The council this week wouldn’t tell Stuff what the nursery’s financial targets were nor by how much it fell short, but council community facilities manager Mathew Bayliss said he expected it to break even this year for the first time.

A report to the council’s audit and risk committee’s meeting yesterday predicted a $100,000 deficit for the year, well up on the about $340,000 defecit expected when budgets were set.

Councillor Andrew Quarrie doesn’t sit on the committee, but turned up yesterday to question officials about the nursery’s performance.

However, he was told his questions could relate only to the information before the committee and a fuller discussion would have to be added to the agenda for its next meeting, in August.

Quarrie said a three-month delay was unacceptable and the latest planting season would be finished.

‘‘I’m disappointed at the length of time it’s taken to come to a formal committee . . . The nursery is haemorrhaging money and we’re not given the opportunity to dissect it.’’

Such a chance was requested nearly two years ago.

‘‘It just keeps on being delayed and I’m disappointed in this. It should have been discussed 12 months ago.’’

Cr Stuart Campbell asked if the nursery could have made a bid to provide native plants for landscaping work on the under-construction Manawatu¯Hawke’s Bay highway.

Bayliss said the nursery hadn’t bid for the work.

Orders from Horizons Regional Council were up and the Rangitı¯kei District Council was placing more orders.

‘‘In terms of revenue that’s predicted for this year, it’s probably going to be one of the most positive yeas in terms of both internal and external orders.’’

Cr Helen Worboys asked if anyone was responsible for ‘‘seeking opportunities’’, such as the highway tender.

Bayliss said he and the nursery manager would do that.

They recently attended a coastal erosion seminar and there had since been inquiries about the nursery providing native grasses for such areas.

Crs Phil Marsh and Grand Hadfield said the council might have to make a decision about whether the nursery would continue to operate under existing parameters.

Cr Hilary Humphrey said the forecast deficit against what was originally budgeted showed significant improvement at the nursery.

Until recently its revenue and expenditure figures were included in publicly available reports under the wastewater budget, rather than being listed separately.

A behind-closed-doors councillor workshop received a ‘‘detailed update’’ about the nursery’s operations earlier this year, but the council has declined to release the briefing notes.