Residents to have their say

Transport, cheaper bus fares, car parking and another council are some of the hot topics among the nearly 500 public submissions made on the Dunedin City Council's annual plan.

Three days of hearings on the council's 2019-20 plan start today, when more than 60 residents will speak to their submissions in front of councillors on topics ranging from the proposal for a central city bus loop to using money from car parking charges to offset bus fares.

Included in the draft plan is $3.5million for stormwater improvements across the city and $85million for capital works in the next year.

The draft plan proposes an average rates increase of 5% for the 2019-20 year, after a more than 7% increase last year.

There was significant support in the submissions for making the city's bus fares cheaper despite the Otago Regional Council being responsible for public transport in the city.

Using rates to offset bus fares and a free inner-city bus loop, both of which would be considered by the council, were also strongly supported.

Jude Ansbacher said it was good the council wanted to encourage more people to use public transport but the money it was planning to spend on the Steamer Basin redevelopment would be better spent making buses free.

She was supportive of the council using parking charges to offset bus fares.

CSS Disability Action southern region communities co-ordinator Mary O'Brien said the organisation fully supported the investigation into cheaper bus fares and recommended both the city and regional councils make every effort to ensure bus fares were significantly reduced.

Not everybody was supportive of the plan.

In his submission, Nigel Wilson was neither in favour of the council using money from parking charges to help offset bus fares nor the inner-city bus loop.

"If the councillors cannot run the city on the existing income streams, then I suggest they step down and let it be managed by people that can," Mr Wilson said.

Submission topics included those on the waterfront development plans, cycleways, parking fees and charges and the central city upgrade.

The hearings start today at 10.30am in the Edinburgh Room at the Municipal Chambers.