Both paid tribute to the man Ms Curran ousted, MP David Benson-Pope, who did not attend, and used their speeches to raise fears a National government would spell a return to the politics of the 1990s, privatisation and an attack on workers' rights.
Ms Curran said she wanted to see Dunedin - and particularly the Hillside workshops - benefit from the opportunities presented by the Government's purchase of Toll Holding's rail and ferry business for $665 million earlier this year.
Asked how she planned to achieve that, Ms Curran said she hoped organisations such as local government and Port Otago could get involved, and saw a role for herself as broker.
Ms Curran also said she wanted insulation for the city's cold and damp homes, and a change to more sustainable energy practices.
