More cycleways – Financial Responsibility or not?
In what felt to many like an ambush, $64 million in capital expense (aka: More Debt) and $3 million operational expenses (aka: More Rates) was added back into the DCC 9-Year Plan on 27 May 2025, the last day of deliberations.
Included in that $64m was $18.8m for a cycle bridge across the railway line to the harbour basin. In my view, there is insufficient demand for such an expense.
Earlier this year, on January 30, Council had deleted these projects and more in the interests of financial responsibility. We are, to some people, in a cost-of-living crisis and trying hard to limit Council expenditure.
The Councillors that remained financially responsible and voted against these added costs were:
Mayor Jules Radich
Deputy Mayor Cherry Lucas
Cr Bill Acklin
Cr Brent Weatherall
Cr Andrew Whiley
Cr Lee Vandervis
Here is the ODT report from the vote.
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/funds-approved-carbon-friendly-transport