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The Dunedin City Council says it will not be making any comment on the effects of the Octagon closure until its trial is complete.
The ‘‘Octagon Experience’’ is in its second phase, in which certain roads, including the central carriageway, are closed to public vehicles until March 9.
The central carriageway opens for buses again for the final phase of the closures, which will be around the lower Octagon and Stuart St until March 23.
Dunedin city councillor and Otago Peninsula Trust marketing manager Sophie Barker said a downturn in bookings at the i-SITE for the Royal Albatross Centre was probably linked to the Octagon closure.
She said it was likely visitors were not able to find the i-SITE as easily as they could before the closure.
When asked to respond to the comments made by Ms Barker, the council refused to do so until after the trial had been completed.
‘‘The DCC will not be commenting on individual businesses and cannot comment on the overall effects of the Octagon Experience until all research has been completed, analysed and presented to council,’’ the spokesman said.
