Dunedin's flagship waterfront development may be a casualty of Covid-19, with Mayor Aaron Hawkins suggesting finding private investors to back the project would be unlikely.
The project, which has attracted central government funding through the Provincial Growth Fund, would redevelop the Steamer Basin and link it to the central city with a landmark bridge.
In an opinion piece published in today’s Otago Daily Times, Mr Hawkins said the Dunedin City Council needed to press ahead with major projects such as redeveloping George St and building the new Mosgiel swimming pool to ensure the city’s recovery post-Covid-19.
- Read Aaron Hawkins' opinion piece here
However, the harbour redevelopment, which was planned to be a private sector-led development, might need to be reconsidered, he said.
"Council’s contribution to this is the bridge connecting it to the city centre, to leverage private investment on the waterfront.
"In the current climate that now seems unlikely, so we should defer construction until such time as that condition changes."
Mr Hawkins defended other big-ticket items, saying cancelling them would make little difference to next year’s budget as they were debt-funded and spread out over 10 years.
He said the council would press ahead with consultation on its annual plan but with an extended deadline for submissions, additional time requested by the city’s community board chairmen and women.
However, some chairmen and women spoken to questioned the need for haste, and whether the council’s priorities were right.
Waikouaiti Coast Community Board deputy chairwoman Geraldine Tait said an extension of the deadline was not enough in the wake of Covid-19.
"All of it is so irrelevant now, I’m very surprised they’re still asking for feedback.
"The annual plan needs a complete review. People can’t be expected to comment on something that is no longer relevant.
"We need to be seriously looking at the rates increase and at other projects and plans."
Saddle Hill Community Board chairman Scott Weatherall said he had asked the council to reconsider the proposed 6.5% rates rise.
"We’re in a new territory with Covid-19 and I think as such council do need to start thinking differently.
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Comments
What we need is a new round of local body elections.
The world is on a war footing against this virus and even if a vaccine is available with a year, it will take many more before travel and global trade returns to previous years.
Globalisation is dead. Trust between Marxist one party states and open, free speaking, democratic nations is back to the soviet cold war era.
We need leadership that places us firmly on the open, free speaking democratic side of the line, NOT the government know best, top down, elitist, Marxist rubbish.
We need leadership that encourages the people to be motivated to solve a vast mirriod of problems we have yet to know about, least of all understand.
Our councils were not elected under such conditions and it is painfully obvious they are not suitable for the task at hand.
Until the virus is eliminated, we need pragmatic, directive governments, working together. China made things happen by ordering it. Utilitarian practice to save lives. This is not a time for anti globalisation propaganda. {One fool even saying it's an 'Agenda 21' plot}. It is a time for co operation. Get the bug, then go back to your self interest.
The City can't afford to run Municipal elections until they get the result you want.
China also created this crisis and are currently doing bugger all to stop the cause of the problem. You have lost sight of why exactly we face this situation. China are NOT the heroes in this Hill. China needs to ORDER the close of 'wetmarkets' for a start. Trading in exotic wildlife needs to stop NOW. Secondly, other governments should be imposing significant pressure on the Chinese and Malaysia for continuing practices that create these viruses in the first place. Look how China reacted to our 'milk powder problem', decisively cut us off in five seconds flat They need to understand, and understand quick smart, that their cultural behaviours created this. We had SARS for the same reason we have COVID19, whats next for the global economies to deal with from China. How high do the stakes get before they CURE the flippin CAUSE?
Reducing our rates inline with the reduction in the region's economy makes sense. All non-essential DCC & ORC workers should join the queues at WINZ. How many empty buses do we need? Empty libraries, under-utilised parks? fantasy projects (rail tunnel, cycle lanes, water-front shells, DVML, bridge-to-where) for special interests need to stop. When there is a demand for non-essentials services, let the users pay full price.
Good riddance to bad rubbish,a waste of time and in particular money, no loss at all.
Great news. It was a silly idea anyway putting this in the coldest windiest part of the city where all the tourists would complain about our weather. You could put 5000 trees in that location and it would still be windy and cold
I agree with the comments here, and would like to add that the 'Provincial Growth Fund', should it still be available, would be better repurposed by the government so that each council still gets what was to be allocated to them.
Renamed, the 'Provincial Repair Fund'. Allowing councils, the DCC especially, to get on with vital projects, whereby critical infrastructure is put in place which also retains and creates jobs. The new landfill can't wait much longer, neither can our powerpoles or the exposure risk of the St.Clair/St.Kilda old dump site and esplanade erosion. We have water and drainage that needs attention, roads and footpaths in a terrible state. We're barely maintaining what we have, and yet the DCC looks for bigger,brighter and shinier projects. One minute we're crying 'climate change emergency', but then, instead of shoring up the vulnerable areas of our city, we look to 'glitzy' projects. Let's see some success with rubbish and recycling, public transport, before we worry about window dressing.
Well, you could always put up our rates to pay for it?....
That seems to be the fall back position for the council these days.
if we build it they will come...
Could never understand why they had to copy Sydney anyway. I would have thought in light of current predictions for climate induced sea level rise that environmental integrity would be at the for front of a progressive growth funding model. Guess that's way too practical.
What a waste of OUR money this project was! I can't think of anything better than for it to be shelved.
Perhaps giving DCC ratepayers a rates cut to help us through the coming difficult times would be more practical.
But hey, this is the DCC. They care far more about wasting money than doing what is best for Dunedin families!
Waterfront project under threat - GOOD. It is a poorly designed waste of money. Sooner it is gone the better.