Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis questioned the legality around three options proposed for adaptation of the area amid heightened flood risks — arguing insufficient consideration had been given to realistic alternatives.
He also objected to the ‘‘non-urgent’’ item being on the agenda for the Dunedin City Council’s meeting on Thursday when the ‘‘over-full’’ agenda was already 709 pages, he said.
Cr Vandervis said most elected representatives would not have time to read, consider and do justice to the issues before debate.
His statement was endorsed by Crs Brent Weatherall, Jo Galer, Russell Lund and Andrew Simms, he said.
Cr Vandervis had a blunt message for Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker and council chief executive Sandy Graham.
‘‘What is needed is an urgent public response from both of you admitting that the impact of the three proposed adaptation futures document on South Dunedin residents was not properly considered and that the entire South Dunedin Future supplementary agenda has been withdrawn to be rewritten and presented at a later date.’’
Ms Graham was having none of it.
She would not withdraw the paper, as she was satisfied it met the requirements of the Local Government Act, she said.
Cr Vandervis said it was the worst case of staff railroading he had experienced since 2017.
The paper had failed to detail reasonably practical options ‘‘and instead proposes unaffordable, impractical futures, including large-scale relocation, billion-dollar costs and land-raising at scale’’.
Ms Graham said councillors had been given three choices.
They could consult the community on the three proposed options and the status quo.
They could defer consultation and undertake further work, or they could decide to do something else.
If the council decided to consult, the community would have the chance to consider all options and provide feedback, she said.
‘‘The public won’t be limited in what they can provide feedback on.
‘‘[The] council will then consider that feedback and decide what it wishes to do.’’
Cr Vandervis was indignant.
‘‘It is not the public’s job to identify all reasonably practicable options and ‘to assess the options in terms of their advantages and disadvantages’ — it is your job to do this,’’ he said.
‘‘If you and Mayor Barker insist on proceeding with this unacceptable supplementary agenda of three South Dunedin futures as it is, both of you will bear the consequences.’’
Ms Barker said she was comfortable councillors were given enough time to read and comprehend the papers.
They received the papers five working days before the meeting when the statutory deadline was two days beforehand.
‘‘There’s plenty of time to read them.’’
There had also been South Dunedin Future workshops, including one on the three options and the process back in March, which neither Cr Vandervis nor Cr Lund attended, she said.
They were not making a decision about the final output of the programme. It was about going out to consultation and having discussions with the communities.
‘‘The feedback I have heard so far is that people want us to get on and do something to create a safe and secure future for South Dunedin.
‘‘We can’t keep delaying.’’
The South Dunedin Future programme is a joint initiative run by the city council and Otago Regional Council.
It is intended a master plan will be approved to settle on a long-term approach for adapting to threats posed by natural hazards and climate change.
Seven proposed approaches have been cut to three — known as protect, restore and reshape.
The councils said the options identified general areas where interventions such as new pumps and pipes, land-raising and parks, wetlands and waterways could be located.
Private property would likely be acquired in some areas, they said.
The options forecast between 1162 and 1738 buildings being demolished.
The cost of the approaches over 100 years was estimated to range between $1.63 billion and $2.45b, but stacked up well against the status quo, the councils said.
It was important to bear in mind the expected benefits of being proactive and taking decisive action, as well as the likely consequences of delay and inaction, a report for the city council stated.
The regional council is set to consider the material on Wednesday, a day before the city council’s meeting.
There has been a political storm in the lead-up.
Cr Galer said she and Cr Lund would help initiate and fund a possible judicial review of staff actions.
South Dunedin Future programme manager Jonathan Rowe said the councils had not made final decisions and any acquisition of particular properties would be confirmed later.
‘‘The locations shown in the technical reports are based on current information and are indicative only,’’ Mr Rowe said.
