Submission
Which option do you prefer?
Option Two – The alternative option – Keep Aurora Energy
Further comment
• Aurora is a Ratepayer owned asset and the council is stating that selling Aurora could lower rates and debt, due to the council not having to fund Aurora’s ongoing renewal and development costs. However, these costs would simply become the burden to any new owners who will, in turn, pass these costs onto their customers (the Ratepayers). They will also want to ensure a healthy profit for their shareholders, so ratepayers would be burdened with escalating power costs, and at the total mercy of a private corporation.
• Unless the new owner is entirely locally based (which is highly unlikely) any profits Aurora makes will not benefit Otago or the Ratepayers.
• Dunedin City Council has proven itself to be irresponsible in its spending and management of funds. So, I believe that funds from the sale of Aurora would be rapidly dispersed into nonsense, unnecessary purchases and innovations, such as those of the Forbury Racecourse, the Sammy’s building, cycle ways, speedbumps, main street polka dots, endless roundabouts that are ineffective, insanely expensive public toilets, and I believe, two sites for the South Dunedin Library etc, etc and so will therefore not reduce our rates.
• I also believe that the decision made by the Dunedin City Council many years ago too not maintain the lines network, but rather just do fault work, ultimately leading to the catastrophic situation around 2016, of discovering a dangerously, neglected electrical network which resulted in a, no doubt highly expensive, and panicked upgrade; along with the subsequent separation of Aurora and Delta, would have led to a downturn in dividends being paid to council.
• The electricity network in Otago is a fundamental infrastructure and is no different to roading, sewerage, water supply, etc and, with ‘appropriate’ and ‘sensible’ local management, Aurora would once again be a profitable asset to Dunedin/Otago Ratepayers, as it used to be. Merge Aurora and Delta together again to ensure that profits benefit Otago and leave it in the ownership of the Ratepayers.
Supporting information
No associated documents with this submission.
Submitter
Submission id number: 1045607
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