Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler
Port Marl. is also a company with the MDC the share holder...
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As I
recall it here when the big local body rationalisation took place throughout NZ and the assets were divvied up (mid 1990's? so a whiles ago and I may not
recall exactly correctly) there was quite a bit of discussion in Wellington region about where things ended up so the
marinas (the council owned ones) stayed with the respective councils (being Wellington for Evans Bay and Clyde Quay, and Hutt City with Seaview) rather than going into the port company, the
airport went into the
airport company (now majority owned by the listed company Infratil rather than by the councils), the cargo/passenger port infrastructure into the two District Councils (Greater Wellington and whatever the Manawatu one is called)
ownership as a company, and harbour operations and management to the Greater Wellington District Council. So there is no overarching hand controlling all to suit their own selfish whims.
Whereas I think you have ended up, with the
passage of time, with MDC Holdings Ltd owning the port infrastructure, all (I think) the
marinas and the airport with the airport being a financial sick dog, and the Marlborough District Council (which owns MDC Holdings) having harbour operations and management. So the one District Council controls everything and that over a vast stretch of
water.
Would seem to me that the opportunities for rorting the system in Marlborough are obvious with one owner having and controlling everything. That compared to here where the same type of facilities are owned by various different local bodies (and the port company is owned by two different ones) and in the case of the airport majority
ownership in a publically listed company too - there are also, of course the two privately owned marinas as well here (Chaffers and Mana - both trusts I believe).
And Greater Wellington Council is made up of representatives from a number of different cities (if I get them all they are Upper Hutt, Hutt City, Wellington City, Porirua, Kapiti) so even the control the greater council has is moderated by multiple owners with differing desires. Whereas, I think so stand to be corrected, all of Marlborough IS the Marlborough District Council ie there are no other city or town councils within it that could express differing local needs with some sort of clout (just community boards within the District Council I am assuming).
The above probably not a lot of interest to many but did it here instead of a PM in case the differing ownership styles were of interest to some just as examples.
Sorry for the bit of drift Seafox but you capitalist marina berth owners can afford to let the rest of us cry on each others shoulders
.