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Establishing a new waterfront development agency in Dunedin could cost up to $3 million a year, recently released documents show.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment this week released a bundle of documents used to support Dunedin’s bid for waterfront development cash from the Provincial Growth Fund.
Among them was an indicative business case prepared by consultant Beca, which outlined four possible approaches to progressing the project.
They ranged from a joint venture between private and public sector entities, or a partnership approach between the DCC, Otago Regional Council and Port Otago, to a private-sector led development.
However, each came with a list of identified pros and cons, and the preferred approach was the establishment of a new urban development authority to drive Dunedin’s waterfront development.
The authority would be in charge of delivering the development and responsible for key steps along the way.
That would range from resource consents and the development of business cases for aspects of the development to site purchases, the guidance of public and private sector investment, monitoring delivery and acting as a ‘‘development advocate’’.
It should also have responsibility for ‘‘master planning’’ covering a wider area, alongside the private sector and with the DCC.
It would be governed by a board comprising ‘‘people with a commercial interest’’ and have a small, core group of staff supported by a technical advisory panel of professional contractors, Beca suggested.
Representatives from Architecture Van Brandenburg, as designer of the waterfront vision, could have a role as part of the panel, but the report noted the need for flexibility in what was ultimately delivered.
‘‘It is not proposed to enforce strict compliance with the proposed design, as this will create a significant hurdle to investors.’’
Initial estimates - based on similar approaches elsewhere, including Wellington’s waterfront development agency - suggested a new agency for Dunedin’s waterfront could cost between $1 million and $3 million a year to run, Beca said.
That depended on the approach to resourcing selected, and ‘‘more detailed analysis of costs are required’’.
DCC chief executive Sue Bidrose, speaking earlier this week, said it was possible such an agency would not be needed until stage two of the waterfront development plan, when attention shifted to the southern side of Steamer Basin and more parties became involved.
However, the issue would be considered by councillors in the near future, she said.