Councillors agree to leave project timetables alone


Dunedin Centre manager Svend Tolson was yesterday wished well in his efforts to claw back the venue's credibility, and the Dunedin City Council was urged to make no more changes to the construction timetable for the building's upgrade.

Last month, the council voted to rejig the timing of the $45 million Dunedin Centre and Dunedin Town Hall projects, as councillors tried to contain the rates increase.

While the changes deferred spending, they also made things difficult for those who had booked the venue, after an unexpected closure had already caused disruptions.

Mr Tolson suggested in a report to a full council meeting yesterday a marketing programme was needed to re-establish Dunedin in the conference market, as the delays damaged the credibility of Dunedin as a venue.

Cr Richard Walls said Dunedin's credibility as a conference centre would be damaged by "shifting the goal posts", something that had been going on for six years.

The loss of credibility would take time to dissipate, and the council needed to stick to the decision it had made.

The council voted for a recommendation there be no further changes to the timing of the redevelopment.

The Dunedin Venues Management Ltd statement of intent was accepted by the council yesterday after an eight-four vote.

Councillors' financial education will also get a boost, after the concept of "subvention payments" confused most, and a workshop was planned to clear up any misunderstandings.

The company set up to run the Forsyth Barr Stadium and other council venues is set to be funded in part by subvention payments.

There was clear confusion about what those were.

Some councillors raised concerns they had no input in the decision on where the payments should go; instead, it had been decided by staff they would go to DVML.

But council finance and corporate support general manager Athol Stephens said subvention payments were "not a source of funds".

"They are not cash.

"The process is to optimise our tax position."

A workshop to explain the situation was agreed to.

 

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