What a wonderful winter it has been for Dunedin with the successful hosting of major international sporting events, and announcing a new library and community complex for South Dunedin.

There is no doubt the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™ captured the nation’s attention and our city was energised by the teams and fans making their way south.

Dunedin enjoyed a buzz of excitement around the six games held here and the next generation of potential Football Ferns were inspired by the incredible skills and talent on display under the roof.

Off the pitch, our FIFA Fan Festival™ was also the best in the country with thousands of people enjoying the superb range of top-quality entertainment on offer.

Just as we farewelled the footballers, we welcomed the All Blacks and Wallabies to town. The two teams produced a memorable Bledisloe Cup encounter with an incredible atmosphere created by another packed out stadium.

Both sporting events provided a welcome economic boost for the city. We recently announced a partnership with a local property investor, which means a new library and community complex for South Dunedin will be built sooner and more cost-effectively than planned.

A new location – the site of the old Wolfenden and Russell building on King Edward St – has been secured for the long-awaited facility and we now expect it could open by mid-2025.

There’s more information about this exciting development in this edition of FYI.

Jules Radich
Mayor of Dunedin