Mayor Aaron Hawkins said the planned $28.2 million upgrade of George St and nearby streets would transform the city centre into an inclusive, accessible destination — not a thoroughfare — for everyone.
Cr Jim O’Malley said the designs were beautiful and sophisticated.
Cr Sophie Barker was one of many councillors who welcomed the involvement of mana whenua.
Cr Steve Walker said he had seen negative comments, but they were outnumbered by those from "an excited public embracing something truly transformational" — a vision fit for a confident, progressive city.
The designs feature bespoke paving, shared spaces and a cultural narrative recognising the standing of Ngai Tahu.
They were discussed during a special meeting of the Dunedin City Council’s planning and environment committee on Thursday and were mostly received enthusiastically.
Two notable naysayers were councillors and mayoral aspirants Jules Radich and Lee Vandervis and they voted against noting the report that updated the committee on development of the designs.
Cr Radich has been a critic of the planned shift to one-way traffic in George St and what he has described as lack of sufficient attention to the priorities of shop proprietors and shoppers.
The planned street layout was on "the wrong side of history" and would take the city back to the 1950s, he said.
That prompted Mr Hawkins to say there was an option that would lurch the city back to the past, "but it isn’t this one".
Cr Vandervis said millions of dollars were being frittered away on surface treatments for George St.
The "supposed upgrade" would create a permanent traffic snarl and constriction of access to George St, he said.
Cr Vandervis expected the makeover to drive some retailers out of the city centre.
The meeting revealed what seemed to be a shift in sentiment among elected representatives about the upgrade.
Cr Andrew Whiley, who was not a supporter of one-way traffic in George St, said matters had moved on since the council’s vote on that in September last year.
"This will be a first-class street," Cr Whiley said.
"I’m heartened by what it’s going to look like.
"I look forward to seeing this completed."
He cautioned people should not wait for the upgrade to finish in 2024 before they supported businesses.
"We have to get people to George St now."
Cr Carmen Houlahan, another mayoral hopeful, was worried about the wellbeing of business owners and what seemed to be lack of serious recent engagement with them about elements of design.
She has called for a marketing drive to promote the central city.
Cr Houlahan, of Ngai Tahu descent, said the project meant a lot to mana whenua and it was important for Maori to be seen and have their stories told.
In a similar vein to Cr Whiley, Cr Rachel Elder said she was impressed by the designs and the amount of space they afforded for creativity.
Te Runanga o Otakou representative Rachel Wesley said mana whenua had sometimes had temporary instances of visibility in the city centre, but the upgrade would make this visibility permanent.
The designs were quintessentially Dunedin, she said.
Kati Huirapa Runaka ki Puketeraki representative Matapura Ellison said the project was a tangible symbol of a bicultural pathway.
Cr Walker asked about the cost of carrying out treatment work that would fit with the central city’s existing appearance, rather than pursuing the planned revamp.
Council chief executive Sandy Graham said it would have been about $12million.
Some work focused on the replacement of underground pipes has been carried out in the central city since late last year.
Construction work in George St is to start after Anzac Day, beginning in the block between Moray Pl and St Andrew St.
Cr David Benson-Pope said the design was stunning.
"I think we all know that the community is going to love it."
Starring role for native flora
Native species are set to make up 70% of the trees in the new-look George St in Dunedin.
Existing trees in the street would be removed progressively, as some had penetrated pipes, others were struggling and some had grown to a size that was causing problems, central city plan project director Dr Glen Hazelton said.
The Otago Woodturners Guild would make use of wood from trees removed, he said.
Dr Hazelton said having some deciduous trees was helpful for letting in light during winter.
- Earlier reports from the Otago Daily Times suggested underground works were part of the $28.2million budget for the upgrade. This budget applies to the revamp of the surface and a separate budget relates to replacement of underground pipes.
