Dunedin city councillors yesterday delayed a decision on a preferred location for the South Dunedin community hub amid concerns about a lack of consultation.
However, the project moved one step closer to fruition as councillors voted to move ahead with plans to develop pop-up facilities and to negotiate with the owner of the former BNZ building in King Edward St, the hub site preferred by staff and Athfield Architects.
Debate about the hub was at times combative, with councillors at first arguing whether the agenda item should be discussed at all. Cr Lee Vandervis and others argued South Dunedin residents had not been given enough time to have a say on a preferred location.
By the end of the meeting, councillors reached a consensus to move the project forward while staying open to both the old BNZ and the nearby Pact building - the second most-favoured option by staff - as the location for the King Edward St part of the hub.
A final decision on the preferred site would be made by the new council after a few more months of further consultation with South Dunedin residents.
This resolution differed from the recommendation by staff to settle on the BNZ building over other alternatives, but council staff said yesterday delaying this decision would not result in any significant delay to the project.
The concern about the lack of consultation came after community input was sought at an open day on August 20, nine days after the preferred site was first revealed in an article in The Star.
In arguing for the South Dunedin hub item to be left on the table, Cr Vandervis said there had not been nearly enough time for consultation.
``It would be very unfair of us to actually go ahead and make a decision knowing that half of us will be gone in a month and that decision will then encumber the new council.''
Cr Andrew Noone shared some of Cr Vandervis' concern, saying while councillors were not discussing making a final decision, if it picked a preferred site it would be difficult to change course.
Cr Kate Wilson strongly disputed the suggestion councillors should not be making such important decisions during the election period.
``We got voted in to make decisions now and are in the best position, having heard a lot of information over the last three years to do that,'' she said.
Cr David Benson-Pope said the issue had been on the books for as long as 40 years and putting the discussion off risked months of further delay.
After the council narrowly voted in favour of discussing the item, all the councillors, including those who most vehemently argued the issue should be left on the table, agreed with a resolution which had been put together by Cr Jinty MacTavish, which took into account concerns over a lack of consultation.
