Its legal status may also have been strengthened.
The Albany Street Connection project made it through an 8-7 vote at the Dunedin City Council yesterday after councillors accepted a budget overspend.
Councillors considered cuts to the project, and an alternative cycleway route was also pitched, but the full project survived after a lengthy discussion.
The proposed Albany St cycling and walking connection was on shaky ground in recent months.
It stalled in August when the council did not approve parking changes and the following month there was a controversial 8-7 vote that put it back on track.
One of those votes came from Jim O’Malley, who participated after there had been legal advice in August strongly recommending he stay out of the issue.
Yesterday, legal counsel Michael Garbett, from Anderson Lloyd, said the council was making a fresh decision.
Proceedings based on the September vote could be overtaken by the new decision, he said.
Cr Christine Garey led the argument for the Albany Street Connection, saying it would improve safety.
Pressing on was important for the council’s relationship with the University of Otago and parents of international students cited safety as their top reason for sending them to Dunedin, she said.
Cr Garey had also been in touch with the parents of Sophia Crestani, who was a university student who died at an overcrowded Dunedin party in 2019.
They wholeheartedly supported the Albany Street Connection project, she said.
Cr Marie Laufiso referred to a photograph that ran in the Otago Daily Times in September, when a group of cyclists celebrated the council’s decision at that time.
They were led by Phil Glassey, who had since died, Cr Laufiso highlighted.
This brought a point of order from Cr Lee Vandervis about "relevance" and his objection was not upheld by Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker.
Crs Jules Radich and Russell Lund argued at least parts of the project should be paused while the council looked into what they described as a better alternative, which would be along the banks of the Water of Leith.
Cr Lund said pursuing the alternative plan could save at least a million dollars.
Cr Radich doubted NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi funding was in jeopardy.
Tenders for the project closed on Wednesday last week.
It was not disclosed publicly by how much the tenders exceeded the budget.
The council said it had headroom within its broader transport capital budget to offset the increased cost.
The transport agency had agreed to chip in about $1.53m and council staff said an increased amount appeared likely.
The vote
Proceed with the full Albany Street Connection project.—
For (8): Mayor Sophie Barker and Crs John Chambers, Christine Garey, Doug Hall, Marie Laufiso, Mandy Mayhem, Mickey Treadwell, Steve Walker.
Against (7): Deputy mayor Cherry Lucas and Crs Russell Lund, Benedict Ong, Jules Radich, Andrew Simms, Lee Vandervis, Brent Weatherall.
