Dunedin (Thursday, 19 July 2018) – The Dunedin City Council is very pleased funding has been approved to investigate the feasibility of the Dunedin waterfront vision.

The Government announced today the DCC’s application for $820,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund has been successful. The funding will be used to undertake a feasibility assessment of the vision, as part of developing a business case for Government funding towards replacing the wharves and construction of a building platform to support new developments.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says, “We are delighted to have central government support for this important next stage. The Council has already committed to building a pedestrian/cycleway bridge to link the city to the waterfront. This Government funding is a clear indication of confidence in Dunedin’s resurgence.”

In November last year, Dunedin-based architect Damien van Brandenburg and ARL Managing Director Ian Taylor unveiled a vision for the redevelopment of the city’s waterfront that includes public and private investment in the area.

The proposed Steamer Basin development includes a range of new public spaces and buildings, including a marine research centre, and a hotel and convention/cultural centre, as well as retail, office, apartment and exhibition spaces.

The key partners working with Mr van Brandenburg and Mr Taylor on the vision are the DCC, Port Otago, the Otago Regional Council, the University of Otago and Ngāi Tahu.

Mr van Brandenburg says, “This funding announcement is a fantastic step towards realising this vision for the city’s waterfront.”

DCC Planning and Environment Committee Chair Cr David Benson-Pope echoed those comments, adding that development of our waterfront was long overdue.

“Our harbourside has been neglected, much of it near derelict, for far too long. This is a wonderful opportunity to progress stunning developments in the Steamer Basin in particular, and make our home ever more attractive for locals and visitors alike. It is also especially heartening to see Government sharing our vision.”

The feasibility study will look at technical, engineering, environmental, planning and commercial aspects of the waterfront vision proposal. This will include what the environmental impacts would be, whether the designs can be built in that location and whether the current plans are commercially viable.

The DCC is doing feasibility work separately on the bridge, but that work will be incorporated into the wider feasibility study.

The DCC has identified Beca, working with Colliers International, as the consultant to carry out the waterfront feasibility study and prepare the business case. This work will be done by Christmas.

Cr Benson-Pope says the work will be overseen by the stakeholder steering group, which has representatives from all key parties. A formal governance body will be set up to deliver the development as it progresses.

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