Council called on to improve efficiency
Businesses have blasted the Dunedin City Council, saying the city risks floundering under the weight of rising rates, red-tape and a lack of leadership.
The dissatisfaction with the city's leadership was laid bare in a submission by Business South on the council's draft 2025-34 long-term plan.
The organisation said it had engaged with 600 businesses across the city.
A total of 39% believed the council was ''poor'' at understanding businesses and the impact of their decisions.
Inefficiencies within the council were a ''major concern'' for the businesses they had engaged with, Business South chief executive Mike Collins said in its submission.
''Delays in consenting, red tape and complex Resource Management Act and land development processes are seriously affecting productivity - especially in the construction sector.
''There's a strong call for the council to operate more efficiently, cut bureaucracy and be easier to do business with.''
Financial management and spending priorities were a recurring concern and many felt too much money was going towards administration and ''nice-to-haves'' instead of core services.
''Calls for restraint included requests to freeze or reduce rates, justify all expenditure, especially with non-local suppliers, and provide support to businesses impacted by council-led infrastructure changes.''
Business South joined others in calling for the council not to increase development contributions.
The additional cost would impact the region's ability to compete with other regions and was a disincentive to develop in the city, which could risk some businesses ceasing their operations and relocating elsewhere, Mr Collins said.
Many respondents were frustrated by the lack of a co-ordinated economic development strategy, which they believed held the city back.
They also felt ''ignored, under-represented, or disengaged from council decision-making'', he said.
Councillors were also told the cost of building entry level medium density houses was between $75,000 and $100,000 more expensive in Dunedin than in Christchurch, and the city needed a greater supply of affordable housing to attract and retain workers.
At the hearing yesterday, Mr Collins said there had been a lot of conversation about the ''bricks and mortar'' of the new Dunedin hospital development.
''I think in the long-term plan we need to see a bit more narrative around how do we attract the talent and the resources for the hospital build.
''It's all good to have a bed, but who looks after the person in that bed?''
The same thing could be said for affordable housing, and how the city could create the right support networks to attract people to the city - potentially by linking the workforce in with the university and polytechnic around career pathways.
Cr Mandy Mayhem questioned what a pathway for students to become Dunedin residents could look like.
Mr Collins said there were businesses and investors waiting to make improvements to student accommodation but were being ''stifled'' by compliance hurdles and operational issues.
This highlighted the need for a ''master plan'' that brought together many individuals' ideas and identified investment opportunities in the city, he said.
tim.scott@odt.co.nz
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