Concern at debt, rates

Cr Andrew Whiley said the council had an infrastructure backlog that needed to be dealt with immediately.

Making sure the city had suitable housing, and the infrastructure to support it, would also not come cheap.

Councillors would have their most intense discussions in May about what should stay in the plan, before the plan was finalised, he said.

However, Cr Jules Radich advocated making some cuts now.

The council could start by axing a series of transport projects of dubious worth, he suggested.

Cr Lee Vandervis said increases in staffing levels contributed to rates rises.

Lack of performance by councilowned companies did not help and he was opposed to costly pursuits such as making life more difficult for motorists.

‘‘Pumping debt while not even maintaining existing assets and services is an ugly way of making rates increases appear less extreme,’’ he said.

‘‘Despite Covid, despite annual plan submissions, and because of little business or private sector experience, the DCC is being led into borrowing and paying for useless ideologies and restrictions on Dunedin’s development.’’