Chris Morris

The long-running saga over the future of Dunedin's John Wilson Ocean Dr has taken another twist, with the cost of reopening the road likely to double to nearly $500,000.

Work on an $8.6 million entrance to the Otago Settlers Museum is to proceed, after Mayor Dave Cull warned a delay could put the museum's future in jeopardy.

Speeding up the pace of climate-change planning in Dunedin could come at a cost, with a bill likely to reach $371,000, a Dunedin City Council report warns.

A fleet of shiny new rubbish trucks set to hit Dunedin's streets next month have been showing off their capabilities.

Scaled-back plans to build a $10 million library in South Dunedin will be among big-ticket items on the agenda when the Dunedin City Council resumes annual-plan deliberations next week.

Parts of the $45.8 million Dunedin Town Hall upgrade have again been sent back to the drawing board, with a redesign under way that could cut costs and kill plans for a cube-shaped glass entrance.

The performance of a second Dunedin City Council department is to be reviewed, as the council continues its hunt for operational efficiencies.

Spending is under the microscope as Dunedin city councillors this week grapple with the 2011-12 budget, with its forecast 6.1% rates increase.

The Dunedin City Council already has potential buyers interested in taking a closer look at Carisbrook, and the chances of breaking even on the council's $7 million deal remain "reasonable", council city property manager Robert Clark says.

The fate of one of central Dunedin's oldest commercial buildings hangs in the balance after two separate sections collapsed in clouds of crumbling masonry within hours of each other yesterday.

Establishing a new council-controlled organisation (CCO) to manage Dunedin's water infrastructure could save the city $20 million in a decade, the Dunedin City Council says.

Delaying major capital projects will again be considered by the Dunedin City Council next week, as part of a drive to reduce a 6.1% rates hike forecast for the next financial year.

Dunedin city councillors are divided over the merits of delaying multimillion-dollar capital projects to ease the pressure on ratepayers, but might consider more controversial steps.

The gates to Dunedin's scenic John Wilson Ocean Dr could be thrown open to motorists by the end of the month, but the Dunedin City Council still faces a $220,000 bill to redevelop the coastal road.

Tenants living in a block of Dunedin City Council flats fear they may be forced out, after the properties were sold in a deal that could help pave the way for a new South Dunedin library.

Dunedin Botanic Garden staff suspect someone they know is stealing the garden's rare Asian rhododendrons.