Annual Plan Hearings

The Dunedin City Council cannot afford to keep delaying upgrading Mosgiel's infrastructure, Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman Bill Feather says.

Mr Feather told councillors at annual plan hearings last week that Mosgiel was leading the city's expansion and it was crucial council invested in improving the safety and quality of the area's roads.

"We cannot afford to keep deferring improvements such as the Mosgiel-Taieri arterial route upgrade, a project that has been on the council's books for a very long time.''

An upgrade of Riccarton Rd was particularly necessary.

It was appropriate to spend money investigating groundwater and sea-level rise, but this should not come at the cost of investing in existing infrastructure.

Fellow board member Sarah Nitis highlighted the importance of economic development.

"The Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board believes the economic development strategy has not received enough emphasis from this council,'' she said.

She called on the council to better advertise the city.

"We not only live in one of the world's great small cities, but we live in one of the world's best kept secrets. It's time to tell the Aucklanders about our amazing lifestyles.''

Improving the city's economy would help increase the rate take and allow further investment.

SADDLE HILL

It is "not good enough'' to wait for a death before anything is done to remedy dangerous sections of road, Saddle Hill Community Board chairman Scott Weatherall says.

Mr Weatherall made the comment at last week's annual plan hearings, saying making roads in the area safer was the board's highest priority.

The intersection of Allanton-Scroggs Hill and Scroggs Hill Rds was a particular area of concern. Cars regularly left the road there.

It was not good enough to wait for a death, as had been the case with Blackhead Rd.

"It took a double fatality for anything to happen. That's just not good enough.''

There was also a need for better maintenance of gravel roads in the area and he called for the reintroduction of the city's programme to increase the number of sealed roads.

Most people in the area had a "positive'' experience with freedom campers, but there were capacity issues at Ocean View.

The council should investigate providing other options for freedom camping in the area to help ease that pressure.

The community was also concerned about erosion and there was a need for action soon as some roads in its board area were under threat of falling into the ocean.

He was thankful for the work staff had done upgrading the surface at Brighton Domain, which was previously boggy.

STRATH TAIERI

The DCC needs to take better care of the city's gravel roads, Strath Taieri Community Board chairman Barry Williams says.

Mr Williams told councillors at last week's annual plan hearings the standard of gravel roads in the area was not what it used to be.

"I think the level of service has deteriorated a wee bit,'' he said.

Extracting gravel from the Taieri River would save money and reduce the risk of erosion and flooding, he said.

Cr Lee Vandervis said the idea to extract gravel from the river was "delightful'' given it would save money for the council.

Mr Williams asked the council to examine increasing funding for the Middlemarch swimming pool from $10,000 to $20,000 per annum.

In response to questions from Cr Richard Thomson he said the community largely relied on volunteers and fundraising to keep the pool running.

vaughan.elder@odt.co.nz

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