Opinion: Gregg’s likely closure another loss for city

The smell of roasting coffee drifting across North Dunedin has been part of the city for generations.

For many locals, it is the scent of Gregg’s that serves as a reminder that just down the road people are hard at work producing a product found in kitchens across the country.

This reminder is now under threat.

The Gregg’s factory has operated in Dunedin for more than 150 years. But a proposal from owner Heinz Wattie’s to close several factories across New Zealand could see the Dunedin site shut down, putting local workers out of a job and marking the loss of yet another long-standing manufacturer in our city.

Last year I visited the Gregg’s factory.

It was impressive to see the scale of the operation up close, but what stood out most was the people working there.

Many of the workers I met had been there for years, even decades.

They were proud of what they did and proud of the role the factory plays in Dunedin.

Dunedin knows what it feels like when major manufacturers disappear.

We saw it with Fisher & Paykel and again with the Cadbury factory.

The new Dunedin hospital is now being built on the former Cadbury site — the very location Nicola Willis described in 2024 as "ill-chosen" before delaying the project while the government considered other site options.

Air New Zealand has also confirmed it will cancel 64 flights to and from Dunedin over a six-week period due to rising fuel costs.

That amounts to a 7% reduction in flights — a far greater cut than many other centres will see.

Over the past year I have spoken with many local businesses already feeling the effects of reduced flight schedules, even before these latest cuts.

Of course, unlike many North Island centres, Dunedin does not have the same travel options and with the inter-island ferry service still struggling, getting to and from the city is becoming increasingly difficult.

Christopher Luxon is weak and out of touch.

He broke his promises on the cost of living and the economy, and now, as we have seen with these potential job losses, New Zealand is going backwards.