ORC has ‘appetite’ for transport

THE ‘‘appetite’’ to improve public transport at a regional level could be greater than Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins thinks.

As Dunedin City Council voted to add a $600,000 allocation for bus subsidies to its predraft annual plan for 202021 in a move to reduce bus fares, Mr Hawkins’ comments about the appetite of the Otago Regional Council to address bussing issues was only partly right, ORC chairwoman Marian Hobbs said.

Mr Hawkins defended the inclusion of cash in the DCC predraft annual plan for 202021 saying, ‘‘The appetite of the ORC doesn’t match the ambition the city has.’’

Ms Hobbs said the mayor was likely ‘‘talking about that historically’’.

She said she had not canvassed the issue with all the current ORC councillors, but those on the Otago regional transport committee — Crs Alexa Forbes and Kate Wilson — had recently discussed the issue with her.

‘‘There is an absolute appetite for reduced greenhouse gas emissions via transport,’’ Ms Hobbs said yesterday.

‘‘Basically, we are hitting the farmers quite hard on water issues — and yet many of us have come on to council with a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — and I don’t know how yet, but public transport is probably the easiest, lowest hanging fruit to get us to reduce carbon.’’

Further, she pointed the ORC 201920 annual plan shows the council budgeted $17,136,000 on public transport.

In August, the council announced patronage in the Dunedin network had grown by 8% in the 201819 financial year, more than double the growth target, and with continual monthonmonth growth.

❛ The appetite of the ORC doesn’t match the

ambition the city has