Candidates share their views at debate
SUPPORT has emerged for reinstating a train service from Dunedin to Middlemarch, as well as for the Dunedin City Council to do more to honour the Treaty of Waitangi, at the latest candidates debate in the city.
Both mayoralty candidate Sophie Barker and senior city councillor David BensonPope said during a debate at a packed Opoho Presbyterian Church last night that they wanted a train service to run to Middlemarch.
The future of Dunedin Railways and the Taieri Gorge line are issues that will need to be faced next term.
Cr BensonPope also got one of the bigger cheers of the night when he called for voters to elect candidates who wanted to keep up the city’s momentum, rather than those ‘‘trying to stop things from happening’’.
The lineup at last night’s debate was mostly centreleft and among the stronger speakers were Robyn McLean, Randal Scott and Richard Knights, as well as Kevin Gilbert from the Team Dunedin ticket.
During a multiplechoice segment, candidates were asked about the council and mana whenua.
Most opted for the answer stating more needed to be done by the council in fulfilling treaty obligations.
The best attributes of the city included its compactness, beauty, heritage, harbour and university, candidates said.
For a question about the State Highway 1 oneway traffic system around the new Dunedin Hospital, Cr Barker backed a modified oneway pair of routes.
When the council voted on the issue last year, Cr Barker supported advancing a twoway model as the basis for future discussion.
It is a position she has explained on social media as pushing for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to put adequate resources into Dunedin.
Among the stronger themes of the evening were several candidates backing Aaron Hawkins to remain as mayor, as well as some who preferred Cr Barker.
Team Dunedin candidates were asked to opt for candidates other than the ticket’s leader, Jules Radich.