As part of a review of tourism signage throughout the Catlins last year, community promotion group Catlins Coast Inc requested welcome signs be relocated from the present site at the Telford farm institute, to a more prominent location.
The group installed a welcome kiosk at Telford in 2011 but, during the council’s service delivery committee meeting in Balclutha this week, said that site no longer satisfied requirements.
Catlins Coast co-ordinator Lisa Biginato said a new site on a council road reserve had been identified following extensive consultation with the council and other stakeholders, and now required approval to proceed.
The site, on the Owaka Highway just to Balclutha’s south, adjoins the Clutha River and sits in a rural industrial area which includes Silver Fern Farms’ Finegand meat works and a sewage oxidation pond.
The proximity to industry raised heated debate among councillors.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said, although he wished to support Catlins Coast’s efforts, he did not feel the site was appropriate.
"You’ve got animal yards, freezing works, industrial buildings and a river that floods down there, and I believe it’s the wrong place. I’d urge reconsideration to move it to a Balclutha location and unite our efforts in promoting the district."
He said the site’s location, remote from Balclutha, would also limit opportunities to "clip the ticket" of visitors as they pulled over.
"Not a cup of coffee will be sold."
Several councillors raised the question of undesirable odours bedevilling the layby.
Cr Mel Foster said she had visited the site recently and found it "smelly" when downwind from the meat works.
Cr Alison Ludemann agreed.
"The smell is often bad down there," she said.
However, council community plan implementation project manager Sharon Cousins put a more fragrant spin on the issue at hand.
"It smells like a rural area, and that’s an opportunity to celebrate our roots," she said.
Cr Bruce Vollweiler said Catlins Coast’s proposal was well researched.
"The group has done its due diligence on this and looked at a number of options. Having the site here doesn’t take anything away from Balclutha, through which tourists will already have passed to get here, and stopped for refreshments if they wish.
"It’s nothing to do with cups of coffee. This is simply the most appropriate site."
Councillors voted 9-4 in favour of the proposal.
The council aims to complete the $120,000 project by June, which will allow it to secure 95% ($114,000) New Zealand Transport Agency co-funding.
