Audit Dept gives discount

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 238, 5 April 1988, Page 6

Audit Dept gives discount

A drop in price of over $2200 for the Audit Department's bill for the Waimarino District C o u n c i I amalgamation report was accepted by the council steer-ing committee. The bill for the report was originally $19,463.40 but after Audit Department representatives met with steering committee members and district manager John Murrihy, the department agreed to drop the accommodation costs. The department originally quoted $14,000 to $16,000 for the report, but the rates for the work had changed between the time of the quote and the work being done. "In fact the minister increased the rate substantially," said Mr Murrihy. "$19,000 in that respect was not unreasonable," he said. However, the committee were not only dissatisfied with the price but with the quality of the report. "It was such a basic document, anyone with a couple of weeks looking around could

have come up with the information it contained," said Mr Murrihy. He said the report outlined the problems for him before he arrived in the Waimarino. "But once I was here it was useless," he said. Mr Murrihy said he would expect a report of its type to recommend solutions to problems, not just identify them. He said one contributing factor to the disappointing nature of the report was that the steering committee had not been specific irt its brief.