Rudman's city:No one's hand up for this Queen-sized blue

It's pass-the-parcel time at Auckland City, as politicians and bureaucrats duck responsibility for the bungled production of the city's draft annual plan.

I know we journalists have to be a bit wary of pointing the finger when it comes to such matters, but this is a real doozy.

Not content with one embarrassing blooper - the plan was printed with a picture of Queen St, Northcote on its cover rather than the rather more relevant Queen St, Auckland - the folk at city hall went for the jackpot.

They decided to liven up the summary document delivered to every ratepayer, not with pleasing pictures of city-owned treasures such as the town hall or the art gallery, but with illustrations of the infamously costly former Auckland Regional Authority palace in Pitt St.

It's a building with which no sensible politician would want to be associated in any shape or form.

For what mayor Christine Fletcher, in her introductory remarks, calls "the most important document produced by council each year," it is hardly an auspicious launch.

Who's to blame?

Well it'll come as no surprise to learn that, as far as the city is concerned, the chump left carrying the can is the anonymous photographer sent by advertising agency Ignition to take photos "within Auckland City."

This, of course, rather begs the question of who checked the documents off through the various stages of this $40,000 production.

Surely someone at Ignition, or in the council's marketing department, or among the politicians on the specially set-up Editorial Working Party for the draft annual plan, to say nothing of director of finance, David Rankin, or chief executive Bryan Taylor, might have noticed something amiss?

It seems not. Except, according to Mrs Fletcher, for the misspelling of Mr Taylor's first name, which was picked up in time.

Mrs Fletcher says the embarrassment has nothing to do with her.

In terms of accountability, she points the finger at Mr Taylor, Mr Rankin and councillor Kay McKelvie, chair of the working party.

Mr Rankin in turn is defending his team.

"I don't believe the staff at the city made any kind of unreasonable mistakes in the processing of it," he said.

As to why the mistakes weren't picked up during the signing-off process, he responds that "the detail around what was signed off and how it was signed off have to be worked through."

He talks of "human error" by the contracting photographer.

Mrs McKelvie is less circumspect.

"An advertising agency was told to take photography of Auckland City buildings and they did not, and we picked it up."

She said the agency would be paying the reprinting costs.

As for the use of the old ARA building, both Mr Rankin and Mrs McKelvie ingeniously argue that it's OK because it stands within Auckland City.

But Mrs McKelvie does admit "it's not the most attractive building in the world and is certainly not one I'd repeat in the final plan."

Then there is the advertising agency, which, if the council has its way, will be lumbered with the $10,000 reprint costs. Well, it turned out that account executive Tony Richards was "in a meeting all afternoon" when told what the call was about. When asked if creative director Rob Chamberlain would talk instead, the telephonist didn't have to relay the "No!" that bellowed across the reception area and down my phone.

As for the summary draft plan itself, what a deadly dull, committee-constructed document that is.

The mayor tells us our input is essential, but you have to wonder how heartfelt the wish is.

For example, she lists the four "most important issues" they want feedback on.

One of these is the vexed question of the ban on big wheelie bins.

But surely it's a bit late, with contracts already let and the PR campaign begun, to pretend that our protests might stop or alter that little exercise.

We're also told that rapid transport is a key issue, but are given just two boxes to tick. One says "support" the other, "do not support."

Exactly how they're going to analyse such an in-depth survey, we'll have to just wait and see.