A full meeting of the Dunedin City Council will vote whether to approve a contract with Hawkins Construction to build Dunedin's new stadium, a vote expected to be the final decision on the project.
The council voted for that outcome yesterday at an extraordinary meeting, after Mayor Peter Chin moved to change an original recommendation to leave the decision in the hands of a subcommittee.
The venues hire and licence agreement subcommittee will, though, have final approval on hire agreements for the stadium between the Otago Rugby Football Union and the Carisbrook Stadium Trust, and on the sale and purchase of Carisbrook.
The subcommittee's members are Mr Chin, Deputy Mayor Syd Brown, Cr Kate Wilson and council chief executive Jim Harland.
At the meeting, Mr Chin put forward changes to a recommendation that would have allowed the subcommittee, set up behind closed doors last month, to approve the contracts.
He changed a recommendation to one where the subcommittee would be given the power to consider the contract, then make a recommendation to be considered by the council.
Cr Dave Cull questioned why a speedier form of approval was necessary for the contract with Hawkins, the main contractor for the project, as was noted in a report to the meeting.
Mr Chin told him if that work was done early, it could allow the council "to bank a little bit of time" for later in the project.
The meeting voted to approve the recommendation, and added the university's contract to what would be considered by the council.
Asked after the meeting why he had made the changes, Mr Chin said he was "very much aware" it was one of the final decisions on the stadium.
"It's far more appropriate councillors have their views made known" when the decision was made, he said.
However, the decision on the sale of Carisbrook would not go to the council and Mr Chin would not give the Otago Daily Times an update on the issue, as it was of a commercial nature.
The Otago Rugby Football Union, which owes $2 million to the council and $4 million to the Bank of New Zealand, has indicated it wants to make a profit from the sale, but the trust planned to buy it for a nominal sum.
"In the fullness of time, it will become public," Mr Chin said.
"It's not appropriate at this time."
The council also voted to approve the plan change allowing stadium and campus activities at the Awatea St site.
Trust chairman Malcolm Farry said in a statement yesterday that the stadium was on track for completion in time for the Rugby World Cup.
"We are planning for preliminary construction work to start on site within the next three months," Mr Farry said.
