Laws: New ORC headquarters 'obscene' waste

Finding storage for large equipment is the challenge facing the Otago Regional Council as it searches for yet another location for its new Dunedin headquarters.

However, regional councillor Michael Laws says he is starting a campaign against the construction of a new head office.

The council last week confirmed the withdrawal of an offer for a Dowling St site owned by the Dunedin City Council on which to construct the new building.

Council corporate services director Nick Donnelly said the site had only limited space for some of its specialist gear.

This included hydro and oil spill equipment.

"Now that Dowling St is no longer the preferred site, we can reconsider other options that may include accommodating our storage in a single location."

However, the Dowling St location did allow for more parking than was available at its current Stafford St site, he said.

Cr Laws this week said he expected to create a steering committee for a "stop the HQ" campaign, which he would launch formally in the spring.

There was no logic or financial sense in the project, Cr Laws said.

"There's just an obscene desire to waste $30 million of ratepayers' money upon its own extravagance."

Constructing a new building for the headquarters was "lunacy", he said.

"There would be many experienced, reputable property owners and developers in Dunedin who could construct a suitable base for the ORC, utilising existing buildings."

Another option was for Port Otago's commercial development arm to refurbish or construct a building for the new headquarters, he said.