The head of the construction company who built the new One New Zealand Stadium is pleased the stadium has been delivered to the city ahead of time and on budget. 

Mark Baker, CEO of Australian firm BESIX Watpac, is in Christchurch for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new stadium and joined John MacDonald for a chat during his short visit in Christchurch. 

"it's been a while in the post COVID era where we're able to say that we've delivered ahead of time, and pleasingly we have."

LISTEN ABOVE 

The head of the construction company who built the new One New Zealand Stadium is pleased the stadium has been delivered to the city ahead of time and on budget.&nbsp;
Mark Baker, CEO of Australian firm BESIX Watpac, is in Christchurch for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the new stadium and joined John MacDonald for a chat during his short visit in Christchurch.&nbsp;
"it's been a while in the post COVID era where we're able to say that we've delivered ahead of time, and pleasingly we have."
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.

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Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays. It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking. If it’s news you’re after, backing John is the combined power of the Newstalk ZB and New Zealand Herald news teams. Meaning when it comes to covering breaking news – you will not beat local radio. With two decades experience in communications based in Christchurch, John also has a deep understanding of and connections to the Christchurch and Canterbury commercial sector. Newstalk ZB Canterbury Mornings 9am-12pm with John MacDonald on 100.1FM and iHeartRadio.

Every weekday join the new voice of local issues on Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald, 9am-12pm weekdays.It’s all about the conversation with John, as he gets right into the things that get our community talking.

Canterbury Mornings with John MacDonald

"We're really pleased" Stadium Constructor CEO on the completion of One New Zealand Stadium

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/57c4d10c-454c-4207-b538-b419017385ce/transcript

Finally, someone has come up with an idea for the Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch that makes a load of sense. 

It doesn’t involve running to the Government cap-in-hand. And it doesn’t involve asking ratepayers to fork out more money. 

Sound too good to be true? I know - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

But I think this is an exception. And a brilliant exception, at that. 

So, what’s happened, is business leader Humphry Rolleston has told the Christchurch City Council that what it should do, is sell its Enable broadband company to pay for the cathedral and get the square back to life again. 

Not only that - it could also pay for other heritage projects around town that are in desperate need of money. 

Before you go thinking that I've done some sort of U-turn and become a cheerleader for the cathedral, I haven’t. But I think we just have to accept that about $100 million has been poured into it, and so we’re stuck with it. It would be criminal to pull the thing down. 

Even though I think that the cathedral doesn’t have the same level of community support that it used to have. Even though I don’t buy into this notion that the cathedral was and, could again be, a tourist attraction. 

I still feel the same. But, despite all that, we have to decide if we want to be stuck with it in its current state forever or whether we want to look for a practical way forward. 

And this is a practical way forward.  

So the back-of-an-envelope numbers say that the council could sell the broadband company for somewhere around $1 billion.  

Which, Humphry Rolleston says, could be used to set up a trust, and the interest earned on that money could be used to pay for the cathedral and other heritage projects. 

These are the other three, as well as The Cathedral, that are short of cash. The Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and the old Provincial Chambers. 

A few more numbers for you. 

Humphry Rolleston says the fund could be operating by Christmas - that’s assuming that the council could sell its broadband company that soon - and could generate about $42 million a year. 

Which is around about the amount the Cathedral project needs.  

Humphry Rolleston says: “I think this is an elegant and simple financial solution that will enable us to restore the buildings without calling on direct rate-paying support.” 

Amen to that. Pun intended. 

And the reason why I think this is such a good idea, again, comes down to numbers. 

In the last financial year, the Enable broadband company paid out a $25 million dividend to the council. And that is expected to increase to $35 million a year in 2028.  

That’s a 3.5 percent return on our money. Which is chickenfeed. 

Now, you consider what the return might be to the city if the cathedral, especially, was fixed up and the square able to be returned to its former glory?  

More than $25-to-$35 million. And you imagine all of that happening without more ratepayer money going into it. 

It is an absolute no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned.

LISTEN ABOVE

Finally, someone has come up with an idea for the Anglican Cathedral in Christchurch that makes a load of sense.&nbsp;
It doesn’t involve running to the Government cap-in-hand. And it doesn’t involve asking ratepayers to fork out more money.&nbsp;
Sound too good to be true? I know - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.&nbsp;
But I think this is an exception. And a brilliant exception, at that.&nbsp;
So, what’s happened, is business leader Humphry Rolleston has told the Christchurch City Council that what it should do, is sell its Enable broadband company to pay for the cathedral and get the square back to life again.&nbsp;
Not only that - it could also pay for other heritage projects around town that are in desperate need of money.&nbsp;
Before you go thinking that I've done some sort of U-turn and become a cheerleader for the cathedral, I haven’t. But I think we just have to accept that about $100 million has been poured into it, and so we’re stuck with it. It would be criminal to pull the thing down.&nbsp;
Even though I think that the cathedral doesn’t have the same level of community support that it used to have. Even though I don’t buy into this notion that the cathedral was and, could again be, a tourist attraction.&nbsp;
I still feel the same. But, despite all that, we have to decide if we want to be stuck with it in its current state forever or whether we want to look for a practical way forward.&nbsp;
And this is a practical way forward. &nbsp;
So the back-of-an-envelope numbers say that the council could sell the broadband company for somewhere around $1 billion. &nbsp;
Which, Humphry Rolleston says, could be used to set up a trust, and the interest earned on that money could be used to pay for the cathedral and other heritage projects.&nbsp;
These are the other three, as well as The Cathedral, that are short of cash. The Arts Centre, Canterbury Museum and the old Provincial Chambers.&nbsp;
A few more numbers for you.&nbsp;
Humphry Rolleston says the fund could be operating by Christmas - that’s assuming that the council could sell its broadband company that soon - and could generate about $42 million a year.&nbsp;
Which is around about the amount the Cathedral project needs. &nbsp;
Humphry Rolleston says: “I think this is an elegant and simple financial solution that will enable us to restore the buildings without calling on direct rate-paying support.”&nbsp;
Amen to that. Pun intended.&nbsp;
And the reason why I think this is such a good idea, again, comes down to numbers.&nbsp;
In the last financial year, the Enable broadband company paid out a $25 million dividend to the council. And that is expected to increase to $35 million a year in 2028. &nbsp;
That’s a 3.5 percent return on our money. Which is chickenfeed.&nbsp;
Now, you consider what the return might be to the city if the cathedral, especially, was fixed up and the square able to be returned to its former glory? &nbsp;
More than $25-to-$35 million. And you imagine all of that happening without more ratepayer money going into it.&nbsp;
It is an absolute no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned.
LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald: Is this the answer to the Cathedral question?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/a3bc5f24-a8e6-47cd-aecb-b42800054cbf/transcript

National's Hamish Campbell and Labour's Reuben Davidson joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week. 

They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from Iran, the idea from Humphry Rolleston to sell off Enable to fund the rebuild of the Cathedral, and how to solve the wastewater problem in Bromley.

LISTEN ABOVE 

National's Hamish Campbell and Labour's Reuben Davidson joined John MacDonald for Politics Friday this week.&nbsp;
They covered some of the biggest topics from the week from Iran, the idea from Humphry Rolleston to sell off Enable to fund the rebuild of the Cathedral, and how to solve the wastewater problem in Bromley.
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Politics Friday: Reuben Davidson and Hamish Campbell on The Cathedral, Apollo Projects Stadium and the Bromley Stench

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/f0f89e65-dfd6-4f84-9cef-b427017b5346/transcript

Anyone who thinks the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is going to last the full two weeks is dreaming. 

How many reasons can I give you? Because there are plenty. 

First up, there are these conflicting reports coming through this regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The stretch of water that is the reason why diesel users in this country are paying more for fuel than petrol users. Why Air New Zealand and Jetstar are cancelling the flights. The reason for all sorts of economic carnage. 

The stretch of water that's pretty much been closed since the US and Israel started bombing Iran.   

We’ve got Iran saying that this crucial shipping route is closed because of Israel's large-scale attacks on Lebanon overnight. But we’ve also got the white house saying that’s fake news. 

Iran is also warning that any ships going through the strait without permission will be destroyed. 

So that’s enough on its own to tell you that this isn’t going to last five minutes. 

Israel is another reason why this ceasefire isn’t going to last. 

Without warning, Israel dropped 160 bombs on 100 targets within 10 minutes. The heaviest bombardment on Lebanon since the war began. 

That’s because it sees its campaign to destroy Hezbollah - the Shiite militia backed by Iran - as some sort of side issue.

Which Iran thinks is a load of nonsense and there are concerns that this could be enough for it to pull out of the ceasefire. 

Which I think is looking increasingly likely now that U.S President Donald Trump appears to have sided with Israel on this one. 

Trump initially didn’t comment one way or the other on Israel's claim - but he is now saying that Israel's attacks on Lebanon are “a separate skirmish” and not part of the ceasefire deal. 

What’s more, with Iran apparently holding on tight to the Strait of Hormuz - how kindly do you think trump is going to take to that? 

This is the guy who said on social media a few days ago: “open the f-in’ strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell”. 

And let’s remember why Trump did what he did yesterday, agreeing to this very precarious ceasefire. 

He gave in, not because it would mean victory for the United States - which he is claiming of course - Trump gave in yesterday because of the Strait of Hormuz. 

This ceasefire is nothing to do with regime change and nothing to do with keeping the world safe from any nuclear ambitions Iran might have. 

This ceasefire is about oil and trade and money and the markets. And the heat Donald Trump was feeling about the impact his war is having on the global economy. 

And, if that oil doesn’t start flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again anytime soon then, you can bet your bottom dollar that trump will be ripping up that ceasefire agreement. 

That’s if Iran doesn’t rip it up first. 

LISTEN ABOVE

Anyone who thinks the ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran is going to last the full two weeks is dreaming.&nbsp;
How many reasons can I give you? Because there are plenty.&nbsp;
First up, there are these conflicting reports coming through this regarding the Strait of Hormuz. The stretch of water that is the reason why diesel users in this country are paying more for fuel than petrol users. Why Air New Zealand and Jetstar are cancelling the flights. The reason for all sorts of economic carnage.&nbsp;
The stretch of water that's pretty much been closed since the US and Israel started bombing Iran. &nbsp;&nbsp;
We’ve got Iran saying that this crucial shipping route is closed because of Israel's large-scale attacks on Lebanon overnight. But we’ve also got the white house saying that’s fake news.&nbsp;
Iran is also warning that any ships going through the strait without permission will be destroyed.&nbsp;
So that’s enough on its own to tell you that this isn’t going to last five minutes.&nbsp;
Israel is another reason why this ceasefire isn’t going to last.&nbsp;
Without warning, Israel dropped 160 bombs on 100 targets within 10 minutes. The heaviest bombardment on Lebanon since the war began.&nbsp;
That’s because it sees its campaign to destroy Hezbollah - the Shiite militia backed by Iran - as some sort of side issue.
Which Iran thinks is a load of nonsense and there are concerns that this could be enough for it to pull out of the ceasefire.&nbsp;
Which I think is looking increasingly likely now that U.S President Donald Trump appears to have sided with Israel on this one.&nbsp;
Trump initially didn’t comment one way or the other on Israel's claim - but he is now saying that Israel's attacks on Lebanon are “a separate skirmish” and not part of the ceasefire deal.&nbsp;
What’s more, with Iran apparently holding on tight to the Strait of Hormuz - how kindly do you think trump is going to take to that?&nbsp;
This is the guy who said on social media a few days ago: “open the f-in’ strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell”.&nbsp;
And let’s remember why Trump did what he did yesterday, agreeing to this very precarious ceasefire.&nbsp;
He gave in, not because it would mean victory for the United States - which he is claiming of course - Trump gave in yesterday because of the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;
This ceasefire is nothing to do with regime change and nothing to do with keeping the world safe from any nuclear ambitions Iran might have.&nbsp;
This ceasefire is about oil and trade and money and the markets. And the heat Donald Trump was feeling about the impact his war is having on the global economy.&nbsp;
And, if that oil doesn’t start flowing through the Strait of Hormuz again anytime soon then, you can bet your bottom dollar that trump will be ripping up that ceasefire agreement.&nbsp;
That’s if Iran doesn’t rip it up first.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE

John MacDonald: What's the chance of this ceasefire lasting?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/bf7c8ddc-016e-43f3-92a6-b42700080943/transcript

"We're really pleased" Stadium Constructor CEO on the completion of One New Zealand Stadium

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