Enterprise Dunedin performance criticised in review

An independent review of Enterprise Dunedin has criticised its performance in the tourism sector, but stopped short of recommending a major overhaul.

The report by consultants MartinJenkins, released yesterday, instead warned ''urgent attention'' was needed to address failures in the city's strategic approach to tourism.

MartinJenkins staff had interviewed 30 stakeholders while reviewing the Dunedin City Council's in-house economic development, tourism and marketing agency.

The review came after Larnach Castle director Norcombe Barker last year blasted Enterprise Dunedin's performance as an ''unmitigated disaster'' that had cost the city ''tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars''.

The review found Enterprise Dunedin played an ''important role'' in economic development in the city, but stakeholders felt it was not ''sufficiently engaged'' in maximising and growing tourism and its economic benefits.

That was in part due to ''insufficient capacity'' at a strategic and leadership level within Enterprise Dunedin, the review heard.

The agency's staff appeared ''under-resourced, over-committed and ... the absence of a senior manager with real experience and knowledge of the sector was holding the team back'', it heard.

''Addressing the current lack of tourism expertise and skills, specifically at a management level, should be a priority,'' it said.

As a result, the review's recommendations included that the Dunedin City Council recruit a senior city marketing manager ''with experience and credibility'' to lead all of Enterprise Dunedin's destination-related activities.

It should also explore whether extra resources could be sourced from the private sector, to support marketing and other activities, and whether some tourism-related roles could be out-sourced.

However, the review stopped short of recommending a new council-controlled organisation (CCO) replace Enterprise Dunedin.

That could attract ''greater commercial acumen'' to key roles - but would come at additional cost and face other challenges.

Such change would create ''uncertainty and disruption'' just as the council eyed a significant volume of upcoming work, including Provincial Growth Fund activities like the waterfront development.

There would be a ''considerable delivery risk facing DCC if a more significant change was implemented at this time'', it said.

Instead, MartinJenkins recommended an ''enhanced status quo'' to improve performance as ''the most pragmatic and cost-effective'' approach.

Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie said last night he would discuss the report in detail over the weekend, but appointing a new marketing manager would be a priority.

Mayor Dave Cull said the review had highlighted ''some areas ... that can be improved'', but change was already happening and more would follow.

chris.morris@odt.co.nz