Funding for the Dunedin City Council's seal extension programme has been partially reinstated to the council's pre-draft budget, despite the move being labelled "suicidal".
Council staff had proposed dumping the council's seal extension programme from the beginning of the 2012-13 year, potentially saving $4.7 million, as part of $6.9 million in savings found within the transportation budget over the next decade.
That excluded $791,000 remaining in the council's budget to complete the sealing of Scroggs Hill Rd, near Brighton, which was being rolled over from the 2011-12 budget at no extra cost to ratepayers.
However, councillors at yesterday's pre-draft budget meeting also agreed to reinstate $350,000 a year in funding from 2015-16, subject to public consultation and final approval.
The change followed a plea from Cr Andrew Noone, chairman of the council's infrastructure services committee, who argued the council needed to support rural residential development by sealing roads.
The cost to the council was about $250,000 for each kilometre of road sealed, but Cr Noone argued developments on rural residential land added "significantly" to the council's rates take.
One of Dunedin's strengths was the choices offered to people to live in either urban or rural settings, and those opting for rural settings shouldn't just be asked to "put up with what was there", he believed.
However, Cr Jinty MacTavish objected, saying the council, with 700km of unsealed roads, would be locking itself into higher maintenance costs associated with sealed roads in future.
"I think it would be suicidal in terms of our maintenance costs on our roading network.
"At some stage, we have to say enough is enough ... there are other higher priorities," she said.
Sealing the gravel roads that were next on the council's two-year programme - Scroggs Hill Rd, McMaster Rd off Saddle Hill Rd, and Allans Beach Rd, near Portobello - would also not attract a subsidy from the New Zealand Transport Agency, she said.
That meant the council would be sending the wrong signal to the community, by supporting some projects only because they attracted a NZTA subsidy, while funding seal extension work without one, she said.
"I just don't think that's very even-handed," she said.
Cr Noone's resolution was eventually put to a vote and passed 10-4, with Crs MacTavish and Teresa Stevenson, Mayor Dave Cull and deputy mayor Chris Staynes voting against.
