Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull and councillor Lee Vandervis are at
loggerheads again, this time over the Office of the
Auditor-general's inquiry into land purchases by Delta.
Cr Vandervis contacted the Otago Daily Times on Sunday
to confirm he had lodged a complaint with the
Auditor-general's office over Delta's acquisitions at Jacks
Point and Luggate.
However, Mr Cull said on Wednesday he was "a bit bemused" by
Cr Vandervis' announcement.
That was because Mr Cull had been talking to the
Auditor-general's office about a possible inquiry since early
October, and had received confirmation an investigation would
be launched late last month, he said.
Councillors - including Cr Vandervis - had also been briefed
on the investigation late last month, once it was confirmed,
he said.
Cr Vandervis' emailed complaint to the Auditor-general,
copied to the ODT, showed it was sent only on November
8.
"I'm a bit bemused as to why he [Cr Vandervis] would make a
complaint with the Auditor-general's office when he was aware
that an investigation had been confirmed," Mr Cull said this
week.
"I can't comment on the motivations of Cr Vandervis."
However, Mr Cull only publicly confirmed he was in "talks"
with the Auditor-general's office when contacted by the
ODT on Sunday, after Cr Vandervis announced his own
complaint.
Cr Vandervis said he had been raising concerns about Delta's
property purchases for "years", and Mr Cull had only acted
"when his back was completely up against the wall".
"Better late than never, but this has been a very
longstanding issue."
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