Strathallan Corner redevelopment process a fundamental lesson, council boss says

Monday, 25 August 2025

The chief executive of the Timaru District Council has called for a review of the process for redevelopment at Strathallan Corner, describing it as a fundamental lesson in “how not to do a project”.

The comment by Nigel Trainor was made at the council’s community services meeting last week when councillor Stu Piddington questioned infrastructure group manager Andrew Dixon about the design for the project.

Piddington had regularly asked for updates on the project, which began in May and was expected to be complete in July but has been delayed.

“I’m at a bit of a loss. Last time we met we were told there was a sculpture … but that decision wasn’t going to be made until it came back to us,” Piddington said.

“But if you look at Strathallan Corner, the base, or plinth, has been put in for that sculpture. So who’s making the decisions here – staff, ourselves? How did that come about?

“How did the other group get involved in putting in a sculpture when they weren’t part of the original group?”

Trainor said development manager Rosie Oliver had provided him with a detailed outline that said the project concept was approved in February at a set budget.

“Inside that budget was $150,000 for play features, sculpture and artwork.”

The sculpture Piddington referred to was included in the $150,000, Trainor said. “So it was always there, the sculpture, but exactly what it looked like wasn’t there. Now that was approved.”

Piddington asked how many were given the opportunity to put forward an idea for the sculpture.

Trainor said it was done as part of the partnership with iwi, through Arowhenua.

Councillor Stacey Scott, the committee’s chairperson, said it was her understanding that a design was in the plan regarding light poles but that was not a safe option.

“And so that has been reconfigured and the new sculpture has been designed to fit within the current footprint.”

Piddington said he felt frustrated with the project as no-one had “been upfront” about what was going on.

In response, Trainor said he would like to do a review of the project “because it’s clear, again, the need to follow a project plan process’’ that included the initial idea, business case and design.

“Effectively what’s happened here is that the concept is being put in place and then we’re off doing it, but we’re actually designing it as we’re doing it.

“So there’s a fundamental lesson to be learnt here of how not to do a project, and this is it.”

Referring to the new toilets at the site, he said: “Even that, we didn’t stop then and think, ‘Hang on – this is off track.’

“We decided then to do the Exeloo, and we carried on again without the full design and the full thing coming here, so there’s lessons to be learnt.

“I acknowledge that, and that’s what we need to do, and that’s why we want to change process.”

Trainor said while it may feel as though things would take longer, “actually they’ll end up quicker because you’re following the steps”.

“In this one, unfortunately the steps haven’t been perfectly followed.”

Dixon said other funding pressures could also have an impact. With the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment funding for the toilet block, there were deadlines that had to be met and designs that had to be signed off, he said.

“We had to get under way at certain times … We should have pulled back on that.”

Councillor Allan Booth asked where the bronze Bob Fitzsimmons statue, which was removed from its plinth and moved to temporary storage during the work, would go in the new design.

Scott said the statue was in the last design picture, but Piddington said he had received suggestions from community members that it be moved to Aorangi Stadium, which is undergoing a $24.2 million redevelopment.

Scott said that may be something to think about.

She said she had arranged a meeting with Oliver about the financials of the Strathallan Corner project.

“Rosie was very open and honest and transparent.

“I’m sure if Rosie was sitting here right now she would fully acknowledge that it hasn’t followed a traditional project pathway, and we talked about what that could look like in the future.

“I think, once again, lessons learnt and we’ve just got to learn from them.”

Scott thought that with the council’s new project delivery team, some new processes would be put in place to support councillors in decision making.