Former owner of Monarch Wildlife Cruises and Tours, Neil Harraway, said he backed a proposal for a council-controlled organisation (CCO) to take over Enterprise Dunedin.
Consultancy MyGovernance carried out a review of the agency for the Dunedin City Council and strongly recommended a CCO take it over, supported by a board and stakeholders’ advisory group.
The review included scathing industry comment pointing to councillor meddling and staff clogged in bureaucracy.
The recommendation is supported by Dunedin business and tourism operators and will be considered by councillors at today’s meeting.
Mr Harraway said he hoped the review would give Enterprise Dunedin energy and ‘‘renewed trust’’ with the tourism sector.
‘‘It was really management of Enterprise Dunedin and the DCC that was opaque, that was kind of top-down, and that did not consult well over the years with the tourism industry, and that's where mistrust arose,’’ he said.
‘‘They acted unilaterally, so hopefully this will be a reset.’’
Without layers of council bureaucracy, Enterprise Dunedin would be more agile, he said.
Business South chief executive Mike Collins said the organisation supported the review’s findings and recommendation to establish a CCO, which proved successful in other parts of New Zealand.
‘‘We believe a well-structured and independently governed CCO, with clear purpose, strong leadership, and active engagement with both business and community stakeholders, would be better placed to drive economic development outcomes for our city and region.’’
It was vital Enterprise Dunedin had a mandate to deliver long-term benefits for the city and the wider region, he said.
In a joint statement on behalf of tourism industry body DunedinHOST, board members Stu Hayes and Adrian Clifton said they welcomed the review and their focus was on the future.
‘‘The recommended CCO model would create stronger, more dynamic connections between Enterprise Dunedin and the visitor sector which would help build trust, encourage industry investment, and focus on action rather than prolonged discussion.
‘‘We must act quickly to avoid prolonged uncertainty and the risk of losing the current team, whose recent work has made promising progress.’’
Business South board director and former Larnach Castle managing director Norcombe Barker said he endorsed the report.
‘‘There's a lot of potential in Dunedin, both in the economic development space and more directly in the tourism space, and the report recommends a way forward,’’ he said.
‘‘For me, just starting at the top — we want a well-structured and independent governance CCO.’’
