Council service culture attacked

THE Otago Chamber of Commerce blasted the customer service ‘‘culture’’ at the Waitaki District Council yesterday — and then asked the council to consider a $10 million revamp of Oamaru’s central business district.

At the first of two days of public hearings for the council’s 201828 longterm plan yesterday, Otago Chamber of Commerce North Otago advisory committee chairman Stephen Halliwell said the council had a reputation as ‘‘one of the most difficult councils to deal with’’ in New Zealand.

He urged councillors to ‘‘invest all that is necessary’’ to improve the customer service culture of its regulatory services team.

‘‘If this town is to thrive, we must have business,’’ he said. ‘‘To do that we must welcome business and be better than every other council. Red carpet not red tape.’’

He said there was an issue of contractors in the district not accepting the word of council officers and requiring decisions in writing, because of a perception among those who deal with the council on an everyday basis that ‘‘they can’t be trusted’’.

Nevertheless, Mr Halliwell said the chamber was ‘‘pretty happy’’ with the council’s proposed 10year plan and its focus on economic development.

However, he said the town’s retail centre was at risk and plans should be in place to improve it.

The chamber was calling for the next three years to be used to plan improvements for the central business district and for the subsequent three years to include its ‘‘significant upgrade’’.

Mr Halliwell said a fourlane 50kmh highway through the middle of the shopping district in lower Thames St was questionable, and the area was poorly linked to Harbour St.

Meanwhile, the chamber’s submission included survey results from its members that showed 100% support for a $1.6 million investment in Oamaru Airport and a $1 million investment in Oamaru Harbour; strong support for a $7 million investment in an indoor recreation centre; an expected $355,000 Unesco World Heritage status bid for Oamaru; and a $3.9 million investment in visitor infrastructure.

Under 40% backed a $6 million Forrester Gallery redevelopment to incorporate the North Otago Museum and Waitaki District Archive on to the gallery site, and a $50,000 feasibility study for a coastal cycleway south of Oamaru received only 50% support.

The Otago Chamber of Commerce represents 1000 businesses in Otago, including 115 in North Otago.

❛ If this town is to thrive, we must have business . . . Red carpet

not red tape