The first-term Dunedin city councillor said he was inquiring with a real estate agent "to look at an office space for my public work" which, he said, could also be used as a venue by Dunedin start-ups that received his financial backing.
"I don’t feel welcome to go into the council building, even to ... the single space that I can go in," Cr Ong said.
"I can only go in a few metres and have access to that shared councillor space, where there are other councillors that are not supportive of my delivery for our community."
In February, Cr Ong shared part of an email sent to him by council chief executive Sandy Graham wherein she said his access to the Civic Centre had been restricted to the councillor lounge and ground floor.
She said a concern was raised with her that he had been "accosting staff" in staff areas — an accusation Cr Ong has denied.
A council spokesman yesterday said "Cr Ong can access the councillors’ office."
Cr Ong earlier this month pledged to personally fund at least 10 Dunedin-based start-ups to the tune of $10,000-$20,000 each as an "angel investor".
He said yesterday he had met with one so far — which he declined to name but described as an "advanced" company with many employees.
He spent about two hours with them.
He also had the opportunity to speak to almost a dozen other start-ups at an event earlier this month, he said.
"I haven’t been reached out to by enough to say I have reviewed enough ideas to say I want to invest in.
"It’s only been a week — I’m not disappointed."
The venue he was searching for would not only be for his work as a councillor but also his planned work in angel investments, and could serve as a space for new start-up founders he might fund to work on their ideas.
