Firstly, its dairy company, Westland Milk Products, is a financial basket case at present, its poorly implemented strategy causing some of its suppliers to wish they had opted for Fonterra. Now we hear the amazing story that an Auckland cake decorator with no previous experience in contracting was awarded a $7 million contract by the Westland District Council to build a new sewerage system for Franz Josef. This old mutt wonders if the council will call the new plant the Cake Tin – no disrespect to Wellington’s often empty stadium. A few people on the West Coast council should get themselves sheep brain transplants; there’s an opportunity for the flagging sheep and beef sector.
