The Chamber of Commerce, Ritchies and Dunedin Host met council staff yesterday morning to discuss the issue, which has sparked an outcry from businesses concerned about lost revenue, and transport operators worried about health and safety.
The Octagon will be fully closed from January 27 to February 16 and partially closed from February 17 to March 23.
Events and community development manager Joy Gunn said the council was reviewing its project based on the feedback to ensure the closure was ‘‘as vibrant and economically and socially beneficial as it can be for both visitors and residents’’.
An update would be provided to stakeholders early next week.
‘‘The council is committed to undertaking the Octagon experience that has the best possible outcome and we are having constructive conversations with a number of businesses and stakeholders.’’
About 43,000 cruise ship passengers were expected to visit the city during the closure period.
Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan said the meeting was positive.
The concerns of businesses were acknowledged, he said.
Transport issues were being reviewed in particular, as well as ensuring hospitality businesses were able to get deliveries.
Concerns had been raised about the safety of cruise ship passengers during the full closure, as buses would be stopping outside Toitu.
The New Zealand Cruise Association had also warned a less-than-ideal visitor experience could affect Dunedin’s rating as a cruise destination.
Mr McGowan believed there would also be changes in the future to how affected parties were consulted before projects were announced.
‘‘We would hope to see different procedures for that moving forward. There have been some good lessons learned.’’
He was arranging meetings between the council and bar owners so they could speak directly.
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Comments
Amazing how responsive the mayor and DCC become when the "peasants" threaten to march on their castle with pitchforks and torches!
How about shutting down the DCC on a trial basis! Nobody would even notice other than things were done in an efficient and logical manner.
Amazing how responsive the mayor and DCC become when the "peasants" threaten to march on their castle with pitchforks and torches!
How on earth is it a safety issue for cruise chip passengers to walk the few hundred meters from Toitu to the Octagon? There are pedestrian crossings with traffic lights all the way so I really don't see the problem. I am sick and tired of the shop owners pretending that they would go bankrupt without shiploads full of people being dropped right on their door step. If anything the Octagon closure will make the Dunedin experience a lot more attractive for visitors and everyone else. The Octagon will finally be a beautiful area without street noise where people will enjoy to linger which means they will spend MORE money. Pedestrian areas work so well in cities all over the world why should this be any different here.
Exactly, and I agree if parking was properly sorted and affordable people could actually spend more time in the city to shop and enjoy the space without cars/buses noise and fumes. If it were a safety concern crossing SH1 then how on earth have we and the tourists managed until now getting to and from the Railway Station. Not to mention the office workers cars currently parked all through the industrial area and then waliking into the city crossing SH1. If railcars were running from the Port to the Railway Station instead of buses, the tourists would have a far more memorable trip down the harbour and they would still wander up to the Octagon. If you really want to improve safety, reduce congestion and create a better shopping environment in the city, start by getting rid of unnessary vehicular clutter. As for delivers to the businesses, I've seen in Rundle Mall Adelaide where they get all deliveries done by 7am. Their system works very well. I was on a construction site there for months and didn't see any problems. Throughout the day small deliveries are done by hand carts. So potentially a whole other business opportunity for delivery companies.
Agree Lisa. Its not a question of peasants threatening to march - its a few business owners who think they own the Octagon. Well -WE do- the masses who pay the rates and have to zig-zag their way through tables and chairs and vehicles. We are the stakeholders and we need a louder voice. As Lisa said a closed Octagon will be more pleasant for thousands not a few.