Welcome to Jim McKinlay’s site
I was unsuccessful in standing for the Matua/Otumoetai Ward
Congratulations Glen Crowther on being elected.
I have learned a lot through this process, and will use this site as a public information site on Council issues that I see as important to rate payers. Contributions towards assisting with uncovering excessive and ill directed Council expenditure are welcome.
R J (Jim) McKinlay
26a Tilby Drive
24/8/2024 Matua
Tauranga
Tauranga City Council
Tauranga
Attention CEO, GM Corporate Services, Mayor and Elected members - via email
Official Information Request – 167 Devonport Road
Background and reason for Request
The Council has recently developed an open air, ground level, public car park at 160-176 Devonport Road, housing 104 carparks. A covered secure cark in lower Devonport Road recently sold for $35,000.
I am concerned about Councils decision making, and believe this is an issue of public interest.
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My Questions
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How much did Council pay for the land?
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What were the demolition and development costs of the car park?
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What is the NPV of future rates that will be foregone by the purchase of the site?
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What is the cost to ratepayers, per car park, including all of the above?
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What is the gross annual debt funding cost for the land and development?
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What is the net projected revenue from the site? What are the assumptions?
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Did this purchase fit within the strategic acquisition rules at the time?
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Please provide a non-redacted version of the Telfer Young Report, particularly section 12, the evidence supporting the purchase price.
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Who advised Council on the purchase?
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Comment
It is a mystery to me why Council would pay an excessive price in a declining property market, for a fringe CBD site, on a secondary road, in an off-market transaction, with no clear plans for the site beyond its lowest value use.
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Going forward it can’t be sold without huge write-off. It can’t be developed because the land component is too high. I can’t be JV’d because the partner would not agree to their share of the land component. These were listed as future opportunities. If compounded holding costs were added annually to the purchase price, commercial development will never be feasible.
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Thanking you in anticipation.
R J (Jim) McKinlay
021 417 426
www.MckinlayJim.com
Authorised by Jim McKinlay
JimMckinlay900@gmail.com
021417426
About Jim McKinlay
As a dedicated member of the Matua community, I bring four decades of diverse professional experience to the table, along with a deep-rooted commitment to our city's growth and prosperity.
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I hold a BSc in mathematics from Victoria, an MBA from Auckland University, and a financial planning diploma from Massey. My career spanned various leadership and governance roles. I was General Manager Fixed Interest AMP, Investment Manager of National Provident Fund, and General Manager Sales and Marketing of Tower Life. Directorships included AMP Financial Corporation, the New Zealand Futures Exchange and the Loaded Hog Group. I was also the inaugural Chair of the Park Royal Hotel, Wellington.
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My consulting experience includes contributing to the landmark Tainui Raupatu Settlement for the Crown, demonstrating my capacity to navigate complex negotiations and foster collaborative solutions. With two decades at Bayleys in Commercial and Industrial Sales, I've completed some of the largest commercial transaction in Tauranga including the $100 million Bethlehem Town Centre sale.
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I intend to continue to call the Council and Councilors to account.​
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Document Library
Disclosure
Disclosure TCC LGOIMA release 150524 Consultant Spend.pdf"
Disclosure 2024-pre-election-report.pdf"
DisclosureTCC LGOIMA release 90524 Staff Salaries.pdf"
Plans
Plans - annual-plan-2023-24.pdf"
Plans draft-user-fees-charges.pdf"
Plans long-term-plan-2024-2034.pdf"
Plans ten year plan.pdf"
review-and-observer-team-report-16-nov-2020.pdf"
Active-reserve-masterplans.pdf"
Accessible Streets
Accessible - Monetised-benefits-and-costs-manual.pdf"
Accessible - tga_cycle_plan.pdf"
Accessible -1-chapel-maxwell.pdf"
Accessible -attachment-e-concept-design.pdf"
Accessible -Otumoetai streets.pdf"
Intensification concepts and testing Veros.pdf"
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City Centre
City Centre tmotp-business-case-25july2023.pdf"
City Center - Partnering Agreement (part redacted)
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Turret Road
TCC 10 June 24 Aurecon report Page 100 -Turret
TPT June 24 pages 12-13 - Turret
​Bridges - elemental costing data base
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Cycleways
The "Accessible Otumoetai" Scheme is still in the ten year plan awaiting government partial funding approval.
Strangely, the Benefit/Cost ratio doesn't stack up unless we loose a traffic lane over Chapel Street Bridge. Model points are tripled if you remove a 'so called' impediment to cycling. (Table 7 Monetised Benefit Cost Manual)
The model predicts 1,688 new Cyclists a day from the plan and that the Net Present Value, to those cyclists, is $187million.
Each new hypothetical cyclist is supposedly worth $100,781 in todays dollars in future health benefits.
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Which begs the question "Why should rate payers pay for the health benefits for new cyclists?" Especially when both the projected number and the projected health benefits are highly speculative.
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Besides all else, the Monetised Benefit/Cost model that this all relies on, has just been chucked out by Minister Brown​​.
Turret Road Bridge
The current bridge has a forty year life and seemingly does not need strengthening - provided another lane is not added. Any strengthening work, or work to add a third lane, plus tack-on cycleway, would require either six months of traffic disruption or 8 weeks of total closedown. (Project Manager at Council Meeting)
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The plan is to tidal flow, with one lane being a bus lane, and possibly T3, which will have next to no benefit to commuters. It also requires a new tack on cycleway
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A second bridge, reclaimed outside the pohutakawas, is an obvious solution. A recent bridge over the Manawatu River cost $67m.
A new bridge plus approaches should cost no more than $40m, and is likely to be cheaper than three-laneing plus strengthening the existing bridge. Works can be done off road, with very little traffic disruption, and a cycleway is already in place.
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Some last minute decisions by the Commissioners need close examination. Recent government changes to the funding of cycleway projects has encouraged a more rapid implementation of the 15th Ave to Welcome Bay Project, (TCC minutes page 12-13) and a split into two stages. Government settings are, apparently, no longer compatible with TCCs Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI). Funds are being diverted from the 15th Ave to Welcome Bay project into three-laneing Turret Road Bridge. Application has been made to fast track.
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Design work on the three-laneing proposal has required an earthquake assessment. Aurecon (page 100)
Note in the extract below, that the "do nothing" option to the existing bridge needs to be included in that report.
