‘No source’ for $50m dump figure

Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich says he cannot remember where exactly a ballpark figure of $50 million came from for the likely looming excavation and disposal of hazardous landfill material from under a seaside sports field.

Mr Radich used it as a working figure in an RNZ interview and then seemingly dug himself a hole by representing this as a "worst-case scenario" to the Otago Daily Times.

A statement was issued from the mayor yesterday relating to his remarks about Kettle Park, under which exists historical landfill material next to the eroding Middle Beach.

"In the interests of clarification, I would like to point out that the figure of $50 million for beach landfill remediation is a working figure of mine," Mr Radich said.

"No official estimate of the price of the project has been made.

"Council is waiting for further assessment of the undertaking before costs can be confirmed and budget inclusions made."

Almost all of yesterday’s statement was already fairly plain in Mr Radich’s RNZ interview on Thursday, although he did tell the broadcaster the $50million was a working figure "that is sometimes used".

The ODT pressed Mr Radich to explain its origin.

"To me, it’s that order of magnitude," he said. "It’s a working figure I’ve got in my head."

However, the mayor confirmed he did not make it up.

"I’ve certainly heard it, but I can’t remember where I heard it from. There’s no source on a bit of paper."

In 2019, Dunedin City Council infrastructure and development general manager Simon Drew said excavation would likely cost tens of millions of dollars.

However, it was found this year the area of the landfill was larger and closer to the sea than the council anticipated.

The landfill under Kettle Park is one of the most pressing concerns within a broad plan for the Dunedin coastline, from St Clair Beach to St Kilda.

The coastal plan covers subjects that range from the vulnerability of the seawall at St Clair Beach to creating better beach access and bolstering dunes.

In 2021, city council coastal specialist Tom Simons-Smith said the total price tag of work from St Clair to St Kilda could extend to hundreds of millions of dollars over the next century.

grant.miller@odt.co.nz