Dunedin could lose its employment and tenancy dispute resolution service under a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment plan to scrap the services in smaller centres, Dunedin North MP Dr David Clark says.
The move would leave Christchurch as the sole government-provided employment dispute resolution service in the South Island, Dr Clark said.
The Napier and Palmerston North offices also faced closure, while services in Wellington, Auckland, and Hamilton would stay open, Dr Clark said.
The ministry needed to consider the level of exports generated in the South before closing the Dunedin service, he said.
''The businesses that use the service value it really highly - and that includes both employers and employees - because it keeps disputes out of the expensive court process, and cuts down the time before most disputes are able to be resolved,'' Dr Clark said.
A ministry spokeswoman said the Dunedin office had 2.8 full-time-equivalent staff, comprising an employment mediator, a tenancy mediator (0.8 full-time equivalent) and an employment case co-ordinator.
The ministry has confirmed it is considering a change proposal, but refused to confirm details. Resolution services general manager Ross van der Schyff said no decisions would be made until early next year.
