The new building in Maclaggan St is set to open to staff in March but proposed sweeping local government changes announced by central government last week has cast a shadow over the future of regional councils.
The government proposed doing away with the 11 regional councils and replacing them with territorial boards run by district and city mayors. The regional councils have just been elected for another triennium, but may have to see out the full three years.
More details are coming from the government on the proposal.
The Otago Regional Council’s new $45 million building is nearing completion and is set to be ready in March. But with the future of the council up in the air, the Otago Daily Times questioned councillors over whether staff should even move into the building.
Council deputy chairman Kevin Malcolm said the council had a contract to lease the redeveloped The Warehouse building and that contract must be honoured.
"We are focused on taking delivery, consolidating to one Dunedin site and giving our staff some certainty in these testing times," he said.
"In time, the new shape of local government will unfold and I am committed to working with central government and our councils to develop the very best solution for our region.
"This reform is long overdue, so let’s accept the challenge and get it right."
Cr Andrew Noone said there was no reason to not support staff and they should move into the building.
"The recent government decision is to remove governance only; therefore, there's no reason not to go ahead with the current plan to move," Cr Noone said.
Cr Gary Kelliher, a longtime critic of the new building, said the government proposals should now result in a total rethink.
"Unfortunately, with the building being so far down the track and at fitout stage then there is possibly no option but to move into it, but we should be urgently reviewing all options to minimise the white elephant wastage," he said.
Cr Neil Gillespie said unless there was a more definite decision from the government that would meant relocating council staff would not be needed before March, then he supported moving staff into the building.
"To the best of my knowledge, the reality is there’s no firm decision or outcomes known at this time that would indicate a change to the current plan is appropriate," Cr Gillespie said.
Cr Alan Somerville said not all action could be halted just because the future was uncertain. That would result in constant delay.
"In fact, that delay is exactly what we’ve seen as we wait and wait while government makes changes to national environmental standards. In the meantime, councils have been prevented from making improvements to their plans around water quality and air quality. Rivers get more polluted, poor air quality makes more people sick," Cr Somerville said.
Cr Michael Laws said he and Cr Kelliher had consistently maintained the construction of a new headquarters building for the council was the most egregious waste of ratepayer money in the history of the ORC — "and there’s plenty of competition".
"In the wake of government policy decisions, flagging imminent local government reform, it makes sense for the ORC to urgently review the arrangements entered into between the Port of Otago and the ORC to assess their validity.
"That’s a matter of strategic priority."
New councillor Chanel Gardner said she had no comment as the building decision was made before her time.
Council chairwoman Hilary Calvert declined to comment due to conflict of interest, as she is a commercial building owner.
Crs Gretchen Robertson, Kate Wilson, Robbie Byars and Matt Hollyer could not be contacted.
