The probabiltiy that the Dunedin City Council will sell parts of Harbour Cone, the jewel it bought two years ago, should not surprise or upset.
The council, at a cost of $2.6 million, took the chance a year ago to put into public ownership a precious part of Otago Peninsula. At the time, it was made clear the council wanted to get much of its money back, and that approach remains today.
Even though there are those who might decry mercenary efforts to minimise the cost to ratepayers, this is the prudent course. Despite the best efforts of council-owned company City Forests, money does not grow on trees and the council must look for savings in every possible way.
In an unemotional and realistic way it must be prepared to restrict spending and garner income in every way possible to limit ballooning debt. Paying for water and sewage works and for the stadium means it must be miserly in many other areas.
Buying Harbour Cone, a stand-out feature of the city landscape, was one of those unavoidable expenses, and the council had strong public backing to create guaranteed public access to the hilltop.
The key to the purchase was ensuring certain objectives were met and the public last week were assured by Cr Dave Cull, the chairman of the council's Harbour Cone steering group, that these aims remain paramount.
The council was determining, with public consultation due later in the year, what it needed to protect and where public access was important. As Cr Cull said, as long as protection was in place, issues such as ownership for parts of Harbour Cone might not be as important.
