The future of the Dunedin Botanic Garden has taken a step forward without the controversial Lovelock Ave realignment, but the council may have some work to do to get the Friends of the Botanic Garden behind the plan.
The Dunedin City Council annual plan meeting voted to go to public consultation with "plan B", a $10.4 million upgrade with new glasshouses and fencing completed by 2012, and nursery and propagation houses, a workshop, parking and an entranceway by 2013.
Further work, paid for by external funding, would be completed by 2022.
About $6 million would be paid by the council and $4.5 million from external sources, with the friends a major contributor to raising funds.
Cr Syd Brown raised his concerns it would not be wise to proceed with the plan unless it had the agreement of the friends, as that organisation would be raising the extra money, and the plan needed their agreement.
Cr Paul Hudson added his feedback from members of the organisation was many were very unhappy that the Lovelock Ave realignment had been dropped.
The council voted in November last year to drop the realignment of Lovelock Ave, and Friends of the Botanic Garden president Frank Buddingh said at the time the decision could make it difficult for the organisation to raise funds for the garden.
A four-part motion was put forward yesterday that the council approve the revised plan B, put it out for public consultation, and discuss with the friends any refinements of the plan.
Cr Jinty MacTavish asked if replacement of buildings, including the glasshouse, had to be done next year.
Community and recreation services manager Mick Reece, who appeared exasperated by the debate, told her they did not - they needed to be done some years ago, and the buildings were unsafe for staff to work in.
The costs that were provided for the work were costs that would have been saved if Lovelock Ave, plan A, had been realigned, he said.
"The problem is plan B is not plan A.
"That is the problem."
Cr Teresa Stevenson asked who had devised plan B, and was told it was staff and consultants.
She said the plan was "completely dull and unimaginative", and would prefer nothing was done, or the glasshouses were built near the Otago Polytechnic.
Cr Richard Thomson said a lot of people had put effort into "their dream" for the garden, and part of that dream, referring to Lovelock Ave, had been "whipped away from underneath them".
"We've got to be sensitive to that."
The recommendation was passed, with some wording changes, with just Cr Stevenson abstaining.
