There was little discussion on the Waitaki District Council’s list of unfinished projects originally scheduled for last year at a meeting of the council’s finance, audit and risk committee this week.
Committee members voted unanimously to recommend that the full council approve the carrying forward of funding for incomplete projects, or those that had not started, from the 2017-18 financial year.
The council’s carry-forward schedule lists nearly 90 projects, with $12,559,741 unspent from an original budget of $23,848,170. Among the projects with unspent budgets are the Severn St wall rehabilitation ($200,000 unspent); $543,853 for LED street lighting renewals; $767,156 for Holmes Wharf deck replacement; $100,000 for legal issues, maintenance and planning for the future development of the former North Otago Returned and Services Association (RSA) building in Itchen St; $200,000 for a proposed urban park development at Oamaru Harbour; and $2,250,000 for the cultural facilities redevelopment project. The report to the committee noted the RSA remained in the list "but at a greatly reduced level".
The carry-forward report showed six drinking water supply projects representing $1,650,000 in unspent budgeted funds were already scheduled for later than the 2018-19 budget year.
All the projects that were eventually approved by the council would be included in what the council called a "living budget" for 2018-19.
There will be no impact on ratepayers.
In response to questioning from Cr Jim Hopkins in regards to the stalled RSA building project, the council’s finance and corporate development group manager, Paul Hope, said an internal loan of $100,000 for legal issues, routine maintenance and planning for the future development of the Itchen St premises would be carried forward, but the $4.350 million budget "extinguished".
