Submission
9 year plan feedback
Should we remove 231 Stuart Street (formerly the Fortune Theatre) from the list of strategic assets in the DCC Significance and Engagement policy?
Do you have any comments about 231 Stuart Street?
Should we charge an entry fee of $20 (incl. GST) for international visitors aged 16 and over, at Toitū and Dunedin Public Art Gallery?
Do you have any comments about the entry fee for international visitors?
Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
I totally understand the fact that with Central Government pulling out of the funding for the Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust that has left the DCC in an onerous position. However please consider assisting with smaller parts of the trail as now living in a community with safe trails close by has really been life changing for me in Roseneath.
• Linking Communities Around Dunedin and New Zealand I really see the importance of the way these shared paths /trails link different communities of all ages. They encourage closer community bonds and improved health for the population. I now have many carless days as I take short trips from home in Roseneath to the Port Chalmers shops or a lunchtime ride to Maia and back. As a resident of Roseneath it has been a life changing experience in the past 18 months having the final stage of the West Harbour trail completed. There are also so many members of the community now using it too, probably as many walking as cycling. All with the added safety of being completely off the busy road. Looking at where the Tunnels trail links Caversham through Green Island and Abbotsford to North Taieri and Mosgiel I can see that this will benefit many people in those communities with commuting, improving their health outcomes and connecting people on their daily walks and rides.
• Increasing Tourism For at least 30 years The Central Otago and Clutha communities have gradually developed their own trails and brought them as far North as Lake Waihola, It is clear when visiting them how good these trails have increased tourism in those areas. On the Taieri there are some good people with a vision already getting private permissions from landowners and the ORC to bring the trails closer to Mosgiel. That is why I see it is crucial that the DCC continue to allow this work to carry on and help when needed. If not initially from the Caversham end but developing the trails between the two tunnels could be a start, around Green Island and Abbotsford along to the Chain Hills Tunnel and through to Mosgiel. This also has the very life changing potential to improve the lives of all the surrounding residents.
Aurora Energy Limited
• As this submission is towards the 9-year plan I do want to revisit the issue of the affordability of Aurora to the Council going forward. While the gross income keeps rising so too do the value of the assets and the need to keep them maintained along with new capital costs especially in Central Otago. I really do appreciate the fact that the Councillors recently voted to retain ownership of the company. However the promised increase in line charges and “deferred income” by the commerce Commissions do not take effect till 1st April 2026. I have noted in the latest financial statements at 31st Dec 2024 that as well as the value of assets still increasing so too has the debt, but by less. Currently assets of $920,716m and Liabilities of $684,353m net equity (including shareholding of $236,363. But I personally acknowledge that this really is a “drain” on overall DCC ability to fund other things. I appreciate the fact that councillors recognised that ratepayers did wish to keep Aurora ownership here. But I still feel that the actual “ownership model” could be improved to take the burden off the City having to constantly fund almost “invisible” capital costs with many competing other things in the city needing to be funded. In the meantime, I also realised that our near neighbour the Waitaki District Council divested their power company Network Waitaki many years ago into the Ownership of the locally governed Waitaki Power Trust representing their users/ratepayers. Also, I understand that once a year those beneficiaries the ratepayers get a discount of their power bill once a year that is distributed out through the trust accounts. With the increasing line charges imminent in the next few years one wonders if doing something similar with Aurora may be worth exploring sometime in the next 9 years. It would still keep ownership in our community and getting a discounted power bonus once a year would lessen the “pain” of needed imminent increases to line charges to DCC users. But the need to increasingly be finding finance to fund capital for Aurora would also be gone for the DCC.
Thanks for your Time
Raewynne Pedofski
736 words
Local Water Done Well feedback
Which water services delivery model do you support?
The Council’s preferred option: an in-house delivery model
Why did you choose this option?
Do you have any other feedback related to the proposed water services delivery models?
Supporting information
No associated documents with this submission.
Submitter
Submission id number: 1132279
Submitter name:
Raewynne Pedofski
Organisation