‘‘It's a beautiful building . . . but it speaks of opulence to me,'' Cr Gerry Eckhoff said at yesterday's Otago Regional Council meeting, describing it as ‘‘Dunedin's answer to the Sydney Opera House''.
It would cost Otago ratepayers more than $30 million, he said.
The trebling of the cost, from the $12 million indicated during the council's previous term, was one he could not accept, he said.
Cr Michael Deaker said he had found the cost ‘‘extreme and hard to cope with'', but it was comparable to similar corporate buildings.
A report on the new offices, planned for the junction of Kitchener and Birch Sts, showed the estimated cost was $27.6 million $18 million for the building and $9.6 million for public amenity improvements, the site, fees and a sum for project and design contingency.
The construction is to be funded by the sale of the existing premises, and by using special and general reserves No external borrowing is proposed and the report said rating impacts were ‘‘not anticipated to be significant''.
Cr Eckhoff, Cr Sam Neill and Cr David Shepherd voiced concerns at the cost.
However, the council endorsed a recommendation for a detailed design to be developed for final approval.
