Sludge Plant Blowout Shows Need For Stronger Financial Controls

Revelations of a blowout in the order of $80 million for the Moa Point sludge minimisation plant show the urgent need for stronger oversight of Council projects, Wellington Mayoral candidate Andrew Little says.

According to The Post, councillors were briefed last week in a public-excluded session, though it is understood they were provided no details of the overspend.

“Coming off the back of the Town Hall blowout, this is yet another example of a major capital project that has seen rapid escalation in costs and a lack of transparency to elected members or the public as costs run away.

“Wellington City Council is in serious need of stronger financial oversight. When I launched my campaign, I committed to establishing an independent capital advisory group to monitor all major Council projects.

“This group will be made up of construction, engineering and project management professionals tasked with making sure project costs are realistic, projects are well-managed and cost escalations are signalled early to limit the risk of blowouts.

“The Mayor and Councillors will approve appointments and have full visibility of reporting, so cost overruns are flagged early rather than being left until it’s too late to do anything about it.

“I'm standing for Mayor because Wellington is in need of serious leadership and real change. Wellingtonians deserve better than being kept in the dark while projects spiral out of control – they deserve accountability, transparency, and value for money.”