Dunedin's i-Site visitor centre is set to combine with the Department of Conservation and return to a home in the Octagon.
The move is the third in the past six years for the centre.i-Site had a temporary move to the Dunedin Community Gallery from the Municipal Chambers in 2009, when the chambers, the Dunedin Centre and town hall were redeveloped.
In 2011, it moved to a site next door to the community gallery in Princes St.
The Dunedin City Council announced yesterday the visitor centre would move to the Civic Centre, in a shop-front space with an Octagon entrance formerly occupied by the New Zealand Gift Shop, which has moved elsewhere in the building.
Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said the planned move, due to be completed by the end of September, came because combining visitor services with Doc meant it was a perfect time to consider the centre's location.
''After considering other sites, we decided that the Octagon Civic Centre was best suited to cater for Dunedin visitors.''
Manager of i-Site Louise van de Vlierd said Doc wanted to streamline its visitor service, and it made ''logical sense'' for both to be in the same place.
Doc had contacted i-Site about six months ago with the idea.
''It's going to be brilliant. I think it's going to be really advantageous for both sides,'' she said.
In Punakaiki and Franz Josef i-Site offices had the shared service, and others were being considered.
The Octagon was a better home for the visitor centre, ''right in the hub, right in the Octagon''.
''People expect you to be right in the Octagon.
''It's going to be very visible where we are going, rather than where we are now.''
Concept plans for the centre would be developed, and while a final costing was not completed, Ms van de Vlierd said she expected the move to the slightly larger site could be done within the i-Site's existing budget.
Council city property manager Kevin Taylor said the council had plans for the Princes St site once it was vacated, and those would be announced soon.
