D Scene – Election year annual planning

### D Scene 13-1-10
Action plan? (front cover)
The city’s annual plan is about to be drafted. What should Dunedin’s priorities be for the financial year ahead? See page 6.

New slogan (page 3)
By Mike Houlahan, editor
It turns out that Dunedin needs a new slogan. Certainly if an office straw poll is anything to go by the old one wasn’t working, with only two people aware there was a city slogan and just one of those knowing what it was. What this highly unscientific exercise did prove was that 100 per cent of respondents thought promotional slogans were stupid, and ripe for disparagement.
{continues}

Register to read D Scene online at http://fairfaxmedia.newspaperdirect.com/

Visions for council (page 6)
Next week Dunedin City councillors begin considering the early draft of the city’s annual plan. The plan – the spending blueprint for the year ahead – is often a contentious document, with a range of worthy projects battling it out for funding. All the while, councillors have to be mindful of balancing the city’s books – especially in an election year, when a big rates rise could cost votes.
D Scene asked three leading figures in the city for their views on what DCC’s priorities should be in the year ahead.

The council’s proposed harbourside plan change and revamp was top of the Chamber’s hit list…the Chamber believed the plan was not only “bad for Dunedin” but yet another expenditure item.

Council will approve the draft annual plan in March, and then issue it for a month of public consultation.
{continues}

****

What if? wonders if D Scene is “Number One for Circulation* in Dunedin” as claimed in the advertisement on page 17. Deliveries in the inner city have been hit and miss for months…
*48,479 per issue. ABC Audit Jan – Dec 2008. http://www.abc.org.nz

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

Dunedin technology precinct

### ODT Online Wed, 13 Jan 2010
Technology precinct plan slowly taking shape
By Chris Morris
Plans for a technology precinct in the heart of Dunedin, linking the city’s burgeoning collection of hi-tech companies, are slowly taking shape – although bricks-and-mortar changes still appear some way off. Staff from the Dunedin City Council’s economic development unit (EDU) have since May last year been canvassing the city’s technology companies in an effort to find out how best to help them prosper.
Read more

Post by Elizabeth Kerr

DCC projects: “bearing fruit” for community

UPDATED

### ODT Online Wed, 13 Jan 2010
Chin says stadium big help to Dunedin
By David Loughrey
The Forsyth Barr Stadium loomed large in Dunedin’s building activity figures last year, with the project pushing up the value of building consents for the year by $116 million. That figure made up a significant percentage of the total value of consents for the year, which added up to $289 million.
Read more

****

### ODT Online Wed, 13 Jan 2010
Building confidence on rise
By David Loughrey
Building consent figures appear to show Otago has come through the recession with only limited damage, and with some major projects in the pipeline, the region could be on the verge of significant building activity.
Read more

****

### ODT Online Wed, 13/01/2010 – 10:45am.
Comment by digger on Pump priming and debt
With this logic of Mr Chin’s, why don’t we really go for gold and rack up more debt spending so we ‘prosper’ more?
Read full comment

Post by Elizabeth Kerr