Bus hub saga to be followed by hospital drama?

ONE sentence (ODT, 29.1.19) regarding bus hub costs spiralling should give much cause for concern and indeed alarm when the hospital rebuild is considered.

Part of the added spending comes from revised carriageway construction due to unforeseen ground conditions. Given an overspend of $900,000 and spiralling is the result of the failure to correctly diagnose problems in the first instance before construction started then what outcome can be expected when the hospital rebuild begins?

Hospitals of nine storeys are a far cry from a few buses, given the fact the hospital is to be located just around the corner from the bus hub and virtually on the same level or lower.

First the cycleways botchup, advancing to buses, so what chance to get the hospital right?

One wonders how many buses would it take stacked up to the height of the new hospital and over the area required. A comic but not so funny look at the problems arising from lack of attention to detail. Bernard Barrett

Milton

DCC concerns

I AM interested to know whom the Dunedin Mayor and councillors are serving — certainly not the ratepayers.

With threats of rates increases, the DCC has allowed a national company to park scooters on public paths and walkways while cafe owners and business owners who use the same space for billboards and tables and chairs are required to pay substantial fees and rates.

Furthermore, the scooters frequently obstruct access to driveways and parking spaces but no parking infringement notices seem to be forthcoming.

And then I read in The Star that the DCC is congratulating itself because the Thomas Burns St camping area has proved hugely popular with freedom campers and yet camping ground owners, moteliers and hotel owners have to pay substantial rates.

Of course freedom campers are going to camp where there are no charges.

Dunedin must be extremely popular with everyone else, other than its own ratepayers. Karen Macleod

Dunedin