ORC quits Chamber of Commerce

Graeme Martin
Graeme Martin
The Otago Chamber of Commerce campaign against Otago Regional Council harbourside plans has cost it one of its biggest members - the Otago Regional Council.

Council chief executive Graeme Martin sent a letter of resignation to the chamber in July last year.

The letter, provided to the Otago Daily Times after an Official Information Act request, gives three reasons for the move.

Mr Martin wrote the council had no similar memberships, membership of the chamber provided no benefit to the council or ratepayers and "the chamber has acted against council at the behest of other members".

The letter was dated five weeks after the council "parked" its planned $31 million office block and wharf development.

The chamber opposed the office block because it was to be built on land the chamber considered should be reserved for industry.

It also led a campaign, with harbourside industries, against plan change 7: harbourside promoted and largely funded by Chalmers Properties, a company owned by the council.

Chamber chief executive John Christie said yesterday the council's resignation had come as "somewhat of a surprise".

"The only thing I think we've acted against the council on ... is their proposed building on the harbour front and the harbourside plan changes."

Council chairman Stephen Cairns told the ODT this week the resignation was "not retribution".

"It was simply that we felt we had become part of a lobby group by being members.

"We don't belong to any other lobbyist groups and we questioned the ongoing merits of our participation in that group."

Mr Christie said the Dunedin City Council and Clutha and Waitaki District Councils continued to be members.

"One of our roles is to work with local, regional and central government to ensure we maximise opportunities for our city and our region and for the betterment of the business community we ultimately represent."

He said the chamber was still working with the regional council in other areas.

The council paid an annual membership fee of $650.

Council-owned Port Otago continues to be a member.

Asked why the council had not discussed the matter in public, Mr Martin said the "matter is trivial and requires no council decision".

Farra Engineering chief executive John Whitaker said his company, which has been part of the campaign against the harbourside plan change, was not a chamber member initially, but had joined eight months ago.

"They've been prepared to take a stand that hasn't been supportive of regional and city councils and I think members will think a lot more strongly of the chamber."

mark.price@odt.co.nz

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