Who is behind Conscious South Canterbury’s advertisements?

Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Public pressure is mounting for those behind Conscious South Canterbury to make themselves known, following the launch of an advertising campaign questioning the necessity of a $57 million upgrade of Timaru’s Theatre Royal, and the creation of a heritage hub.

The group, or individual, placed advertisements in The Timaru Herald and a community newspaper, with the slogan “Aiming for Ethical Decision Making”, last week, but since then their identity has remained unknown.

The ads have prompted much discussion, including many letters to the editor, with one writer calling for a public meeting on the theatre project, and online debate, with calls for those behind the group to come forward.

Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen, who is mentioned by name in the advertising, has also requested a meeting with the group, and says his door is always open to the group to discuss their issues of concern.

He has not heard of the group and is not aware who is behind it.

On Monday, Bowen said as no-one from Conscious South Canterbury had been in contact with him, the council would make contact with the group via the spokesperson listed in the advertising.

He said the advertising had a positive impact as it was creating awareness and engagement in the lead up to the council’s Long Term Plan.

The Timaru Herald contacted the group on Friday morning to request comment but it was yet to supply any.

A follow up request was met with a message, via a spokesperson, that the group would make contact “in due course’’.

In the absence of any further clues, The Timaru Herald contacted those who had spoken out about their concerns on the council’s spending in the past, and others who had taken similar action.

Doug Cleveland, who set up the Timaru Ratepayer and Residents’ Association, said he did not know anything about Conscious South Canterbury, but did say he was concerned about the council’s level of debt.

“They [the council] are in debt so deep, someone has got to step up,’’ he said.

Les Rawlings, who was also a member of the ratepayers’ group, and had not been afraid to speak out on issues in the past, said the council was “spending stupid amounts of people’s money’’.

Also unaware of who Conscious South Canterbury were, Rawlings said he would like to find out as he would be willing to help fund some of the advertising.

In December, a letter to the editor written by Levels resident Jeremy Talbot suggested the decision to move on with the Theatre project was a “dubious one’’ with a one-vote margin and one councillor absent.

“Perhaps it's time to introduce a 65 or 75% majority vote for approval on these major items of expenditure,’’ he said.

This week, Talbot said he was not part of Conscious South Canterbury and did not know who was involved in the group.

As a “disgruntled’’ ratepayer he said he would like to know who the group was so he could give them a donation.

Waimate businessman and richlister Gary Rooney, whose company Rooney Holdings Ltd was involved in a range of business activities such as earthmoving, farming, transportation, and property development, had also been contacted.

In August 2023, he accused the council of proposing restrictive planning regulations that would stifle development in the region.

Rooney’s company was the lead contractor for the Fraser Park project and he had given financial support for it.

The project was praised in the advertising, with the ad saying: “It will cost less than $9m and will cater for a huge portion of South Canterbury’s population.”

The cost of rebuilding Fraser Park was compared to that of the Theatre rebuild in the ad, saying it would come in at “less than one sixth of the Theatre Royal cost, despite substantially more work being undertaken”.

“The project is run professionally by competent professionals and contractors. Perhaps the council needs to take notice,’’ it said.

CPlay, the new $3m playground at Caroline Bay, for which Rooney’s company undertook earthworks, also garnered praise.

Rooney was yet to respond.

On November 28, councillors voted (five votes to four) to take the controversial project to the next stage during a public-excluded part of a council meeting.

Mayor Nigel Bowen and councillors Peter Burt, Owen Jackson, Scott Shannon and Michelle Pye voted in favour, while councillors Allan Booth, Stu Piddington, Stacey Scott and Gavin Oliver voted against the motion. Councillor Sally Parker was not present at the meeting.

The spokesperson for Conscious South Canterbury gave no definite timeframe as to when a response would be made.

The next full council meeting was set for February 13.