A run of six straight surpluses for the Waitaki District Council has come to an end. An unaudited draft report tabled at an additional council meeting this week shows an operating deficit of $1.302million. Waitaki District Health Services Ltd was directed to include the operations of the Observatory Retirement Village in its annual report. "This has a flow-on effect to information that would need to be included in council's group financial result," he writes. Council chief executive Fergus Power said the Office of the Auditor-general decision was "disappointing" and the timing - when the decision was relayed to the council - was "really poor".

Source: Otago Daily Times October 10, 2019 15:33 UTC