The cost of installing new bus shelters might soon fall as the Dunedin City Council makes them a permitted activity.
This would mean resource consents would be no longer required for bus shelters, provided they met size standards and did not block footpaths, city council planner, policy, Jane Macleod said.
The Otago Regional Council recently expressed concerns about the skyrocketing cost of the shelters, which it funds.
Since 2007, the cost of bus shelters increased from $6000 to between $12,000 and $15,000.
It had planned to fund an additional 252 shelters so that by June 2013 there were shelters on all inward services, but did not have sufficient funds budgeted to cover the costs.
Regional council chairman Stephen Cairns said as a result of the costs, councillors decided to review the programme to make it more efficient and save money for ratepayers.
Ms Macleod said the city council would notify the District Plan change to make the shelters a permitted activity on December 12.
It would give residents until February 1 to make submissions and a hearing on the plan change would be held about March or April with a decision notified by the middle of next year.
The council estimated consent costs made up about $2000 of the price of a shelter.
Regional councillor Michael Deaker said the city council was to be congratulated on the move, which hopefully would reduce the cost of shelters.
However, it still left the big question about the design and construction costs, and conversations would continue with the city council.
"I'm keen to see a design suited to Dunedin's heritage landscape but cheaper to build."
