The Unitec Connection

Many may be wondering what UNITEC has to do with it all .

I have three children   air cadets in 19 Squadron , I was treasurer of the squadron when the air force gave a  surplus barrack from the  defunct Hobsonville air base to 3 and 19 squadron for their  new HQ.

The building was to be placed  on land adjacent to mount Albert grammar but  lots of unconfirmed spanners were thrown into the works including the rumour that the land was contaminated with asbestos.

The chairman of 3 squadron ( a Barrister, lecturer in animal welfare  at Unitec  and a Baptist Elder ) had a solution  – there was land at Unitec  where the building could  be placed and the cost could be shared  by subletting to Unitec who were in need of extra space for their school of sport.

The barrister drew up a trust deed for the Auckland air cadet trust (AACT)and  funds were raised.

The kids   were out fundraising and working on the project instead of  being out there doing their  activities.  Every last cent they had in their bank  account went into the project which had now taken on urgency as Unitec needed the building  for the start of the new school year.

This urgency  which the kids  did not need , put added expense on for the  AACT  so the children  and in so doing pushed the   debt for he kids to $300,000.

Eventually I was to become the Treasurer of  the AACT and noticed that the trustees  were giving away the control of  the downstairs area to the benefit  of Unitec  without any  financial compensation  at the same time  the trust  was losing $1500 per month.

The trust acted in  extreme secrecy and I was criticised  for  reporting  my concerns back to he beneficiaries, being represented by the  support committee of 19 squadron.

The object of the trust to support the kids was going out the window, Unitec  appeared to benefit more from the venture than  the  kids did.

This was eventually to be confirmed in the CV of Wells “Neil initiated a project to bring to Unitec a building complex to provide space to the School of Sport, College Sport and Air Training Corps which not only provided space at a very low cost to Unitec”   Too bad that he kids no longer have a glider  and ATC is not as affordable to all as it could be  at least Unitec benefited .

Earlier this year a fundraising flyer  went out to the parents , when I questioned  why the flyer reported the deficit s now being $350,000 I was promptly trespassed from the premises.. WHY?? Are the they that afraid of accountability?

I  still wonder –  who benefited form this venture? Kids or Unitec ?

Who  is Unitec   Now that’s the question

The land  on which Unitec is .situated  was formerly Oakley and Carrington hospitals, when the mental institutions closed  and privatisation began  the land  was transferred into  the name of Unitec – Institute of Technology.

Unitec Institute of technoligy was  incorporated  by virtue of the education act 162 (2) and is referred to in this gazette entry and this entry which was revoked by this notice according to the act  S203   Unitec is a crown entity .

Neil Wells and UNITEC

As indicated by the  CV Wells lectured at Unitec and  had worked with them and the NZQA  to get accreditation for the animal welfare training which was going to become mandatory as part of the act the was writing the bill for.

His also  fitted in with the  training provisions   for his proposed Territorial authority concept.( look at the money trail )

He had already set up a pilot scheme in Waitakere to  “ test” the synergies of councils to  animal welfare .  The animal welfare officers  who had to undertake  the training  for which  Waitakere City paid Wells  , were first trained in his offices in New Lynn and later trained  by him in his capacity of lecturer at Unitec.

When the  Bill  passed into law  Unitec  tendered for and  won the contract with Neil Wells  being he one who carried out  the  majority of the training  and accreditation which  would make those who  qualified eligible for  being a warranted animal welfare officer  by an “ approved organisation’  such as  AWINZ or the SPCA.

In 1998 Wells writes to Maf he does not disclose that he is working for Unitec  (  but this is evident  from the dates on his CV ) In this letter he puts forward  the  concept  of AWINZ – this is well before he recruited the  trustees. Based on these criteria

While the  bill was being discussed Plans  were afoot to get   AWINZ up and running , the training component had been ticked off  now it was time to consider the confidential info from Neil Wells

Wells was later to be one of a small number of people who mad representations for Unitec to become a University .

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