What If - Dunedin - It's Highly Rated : Aurora, "the jewel in the crown"

I checked back to this story to see what Facebook users had said after an alert that were new comments. Copied the whole lot. I find Facebook groups interesting for keeping up with what people outside my own narrow social circle think about issues, otherwise it is too easy to believe "everyone" shares my friends' opinions.

Wednesday, 20 November 2019

Here is the Facebook discussion on this article

Richard Healey

November 20, 2019

Sad day for the region, particularly sad for me. Especially when I read Fletcher's remarks as listed below. The man's last shred of credibility just evaporated for me.
Sounds quote plausible doesn't it? Dunedin's line charges have been "below the national average". What a good deal we must have had - except he fails to say that you need to compare Dunedin with other large metropolitan centres and not with, say, an Otago power that has hugely long lines and very few customers.
I think Fletcher has been taking lessons from Gary "gyroscope" Johnson.
The key point to take out of this is that this is just three years of expense in relation to a TEN YEAR program of works. There is MUCH more to come.

Power price hikes of up to $500 a year are a result of ''deliberate and sustained negligence'', a Dunedin MP says. Aurora Energy yesterday released...

Richard Healey Raewynne Pedofski too many, if you ask the current management far, far too many😉 Yes, the downward slide started with the arrival of John Walsh in the mid eighties. By the mid nineties the rot had set well in. We had a chance to haul it up before it got completely out of hand at the turn of the century (maybe a decade later) but we missed it. The council was too determined to build its pet projects and needed the cash.

John Burnip Wasn't keen on the greenie mayor's comments. Dont think he has the brains to see what's happening.

Richard Healey Hawkin's comments are either naive in the extreme or completely disingenuous. Here's what the Aurora document says about "future proofing" :

"WHAT WE WOULD HAVE
INVESTED IN
Under this option, we would have targeted
$37 million over three years on additional investment to prepare the network for future technology uptake by:
• Encouraging consumer participation in demand management to reduce network congestion at peak times
(non-network alternatives)
• Supporting consumer uptake of electric vehicles, battery storage and solar generation by using smart meter data to
gain insights on how the network is used
• Installing smart sensors on equipment
to monitor asset condition and help us understand when maintenance or replacement is required."

LET ME BE CLEAR FOR AARON HAWKINS - THAT IS WHAT AURORA IS NOT, REPEAT NOT, INVESTING IN.

There is almost nothing in the repair program that will future proof the network.
This is what the network CLAIMS it will deliver.

WHAT YOU GET
• A network that accommodates your
future energy choices in the most
efficient way
• A network that can connect future
technologies with the least disruption
to other consumers.

Pretty words with no substance. Hawkins clearly wants to believe the beautiful lie, not the ugly truth.

Margaret Livingstone They can put all the smart technologies in the world in place but if the poles are all rotting and the rest of the gear is pretty well muntered, the problems will still remain, what a bunch of overpaid twats.

Les Ingram Richard Healey Aaron is part of the problem, he’s been a councillor for 2 terms. To my recollection Lee Vandervis has been a lone critic

Richard Healey Me too.
Rob Penman Richard Healey what do you expect from a 33 year old man that doesn't drive

John Evans What we need is the authority to refuse the increases. That’s what we should lobby for.

Richard Healey John Evans you can have some input. I'd start with an mp and the commerce commission. Take advantage of the facility to provide feedback that Aurora have created. Ring councillors, ring the mayor. Be heard. Today I rang every mayor in the region - of course none of them talked to me, but I'm not discouraged😉

Ani Persson ComCom's record of recognising any issue this far south is deplorable. Likewise Serious Fraud Office. There is something about Cook Strait that frightens them back into their silo.
John Burnip Hawkins is an idiot. He is first and foremost a greenie.

Andrew Charles Glennie John Burnip nothing wrong with being a greenie, but I do disagree with Hawkins comments i the paper today

John Burnip Jane Benfer haven't seen today's paper. With respect take a look at the poison loving greenies in parliament especially Sage, the most stupid and dangerous MP in my lifetime.

John Burnip I keep repeating Hawkins is s Greenie nutter. Dunedin has just taken a great leap backwards electing him as Mayor.

Les Ingram John Burnip this mismanagement has happened over the past few decades, admittedly Aaron has been a councillor for 6 years, but Dunedin has been deteriorating for quite some time.

Ani Persson Hawkins is Cull's chosen puppet (or muppet). No surprises that he does what he was annointed by Cull to do.

John Burnip Ani Persson yes RIP Dunedin
Andrew Charles Glennie I don't think this debacle is Aaron Hawkins fault, but he is in a position to start fixing things if he understood the truth.

Richard Healey Bis Cuit very true, but I've offered to talk to him several times.

Andrew Charles Glennie Richard Healey you ain't that scary to talk to!
Ani Persson True. He could choose to follow his leader into the swamp or work to fix the problems created over years of appalling decisions. "It can''t happen right away", it will never happen at all if someone doesn't have the guts to start the process. He wanted to be a leader, he has been elected to lead as Mayor. Time he grew a spine of his own.
Richard Healey Apparently I am.
Andrew Charles Glennie Richard Healey you only want to help...
Richard Healey Bis Cuit actually I'd like to kick several people in the balls as well but, yes, I want to see this fixed.

Raewynne Pedofski Richard Healey it's ok, you're not the only one. When he did that notice of motion at the Community Board about shore powering the Port a few months ago I asked to have a chat with him about it...no response.

1
Jean Tilleyshort Steve
I have had two people in Clyde enquire about starting a civil disobedience and not paying increased line chargers. A lot of really upset people out there. I don’t have the energy to get heavily involved.
This could get quite nasty. Personally I think younger people and business owners need to step up.They are going to be heavily hit.
Steve

Richard Healey Jean Tilleyshort the options aren't great. If I was in Central Otago I'd be raging - yet Tim Cadogan has consistently refused to talk to me for the last three years.

Ani Persson Richard Healey What is Tim Cadogan's worry, it he afraid of upsetting "Certain People" if he was known to be discussing these matter with you?

Richard Healey Ani Persson I have no idea. He was spotted soothing on a soda at Paulina's in Clyde the day the story broke. I've asked everyone know who knows him to ask him. Several have. He gives no answer.