The council voted for a preliminary plan in June last year that included turning George St from Moray Pl — past the Octagon — to Frederick St into a southbound one-way street.
In December last year, Mr Weatherall began the petition and he said it had been gathering signatures ever since.
"They’re all coming in."
"We’re into thousands. We’re up to quite a few thousand ... quite a few.
"I’ve just got to put it all together."
Mr Weatherall said former Dunedin city councillor and fellow jeweller John Bezett would join him in presenting the petition next week.
The pair were still deciding how to present it to the council.
"We’re really pleased with the response from the public," Mr Weatherall said.
"We certainly hope that the council, once notified of the numbers and our thoughts in full, will be sympathetic to our cause.
"We can do no more."
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What's the population of Dunedin now? Around 135,000?
Did you get anything like that Brent?
No? I didn't think so. Full steam ahead with the changes then!
All 135000 people don't know about the petition though, So your math is bad. The calculation should be the number of people who've signed the petition divided by the number of people who've had the opportunity to sign it .. the problem is the council is run by people with math and logic skills like yourself.
You might be right ... IF the council made its decisions based on the preferences of people who visit Weatherall Jewellers AND are encouraged to vote against pedestrianisation. Unfortunately for you (and Brent Weatherall) they don't. Or at least we can only hope so.
The petition is a nice idea, but DCC planners, the mayor, greens councillors are all simply anti car. They are willing to spend endless amounts of ratepayer money in their crusade to remove cars and parking from Dunedin.
The greens simply don't care about business and they don't care how many business owners will lose their livelyhood and investments.
And before anyone moans that this is nothing to do with the greens then just wake up and look at the political affiliations of councillors and town planners. They may have just won the election by a small margin, but that won't stop them causing as much damage as possible as quickly as possible.
Yet again KeithMcC you speak a lot of sense and 110% correct, if they were serious the mayor would not get into a car at all, he would bus, The Greens are wreaking NZ council by council slowly but surely. I'm not against looking after the environment but it is a balance ensuring you don't go backwards and Dunedin is. The Green Machine needs to be stopped Speak up Dunedin
Agreed - great post.
Me thinks that Dunedin City is imploding from decisions from its deep dark inner circle that those inside appear not to see.... Good luck and all the best Mr Weatherall ---
Is there a petition supporting the changes? Cos I bet it could get thousands (quite a few) of signatures too.
Where do I sign...
It would be nice to walk through George st shopping area with out vehicles, a peaceful and pleasant shopping experience. If Mr Weatherall is worried about loosing a single car park to maintain a business when the reality is that a single car park does not guarantee that the customer will be going into his store, he needs to come up with an imaginative advertising solution to the problem.
When you consider that only about 40% of eligible voters even bother to do that, get even a few 100 people to sign a petition to the council is significant.
Never in the history of mankind has any petitions or protests ever changed anything.
Trouble is this 'council' will simply ignore it. They don't like anything to do with oil and will spend ratepayer money shutting down the main street whether we like it or not.
I think the change will be great and is consistent with overseas research which indicates it improves the economy. I hope it happens!
"overseas research"!, to hell with that when we are talking about Dunedin New Zealand our home town, not some other out of the way place that we don't live in.
Change resistant old Dunedinites! Hopefully the tide is turning against them.
I'd imagine the underpants remain unchanged too *smirks*
So, 'thousands" have gone into the Brent Weatherall jewellers to sign a petition asking for George Street to remain the same. Then it would seem 'thousands' are still walking the main street. Business must be 'booming'........Or did they park out the front individually to visit the jeweller to sign the petition? More likely one of those lame online petitions.......you know the ones, you just click it because others have and you feel good for being one of the sheeple.
Bring on the changes! Can't wait to shop without the constant noise and arrogance of traffic. Eating out in the Octagon has been a pleasure without the noise and fumes of cars and buses.