Meeting about RSA building to go ahead

EVEN though Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher has said the deal that prompted the meeting was ‘‘not a goer’’, a public meeting on the Waitaki District Council’s handling of the former North Otago Returned and Services Association building will go ahead today.

Former Waitaki district councillor Helen Stead called the meeting to start a discussion on the lack of public consultation about the future of the 1951 building and the council’s potential role as a commercial developer in establishing the Itchen St building as a 24hour call centre.

‘‘The process was flawed and they knew it was flawed,’’ she said.

The council announced on Wednesday that questions sur rounding an obscure Act, The Oamaru Town Hall and Gas Works Sites and Recreation Reserves Vesting Act 1875, had stopped a possible $4 million redevelopment and negotiations for a 10year lease of the site.

Information provided to the Otago Daily Times by the council shows it has spent $250,000 on the building, including $180,000 removing asbestos.

‘‘We shouldn’t be in a position where they would carry on with this without public consultation. And having spent $250,000 of ratepayers’ money . . . is most lamentable,’’ Mrs Stead said.

The episode showed council processes ‘‘are not robust enough’’.

Mr Kircher said yesterday he ‘‘totally’’ disagreed with Mrs Stead on the matter.

‘‘We’re very confident that part of the process has been up to standard. And yes, we can always be more public with these things, but actually we had an issue of urgency that we needed to get on with.’’