Find out some smaller news updates from around Dunedin.

NEW JETTY

Work to renew the gangway and pontoon at Wellers Rock/Te Umu Kuri is now complete.

The DCC started work to replace the main gangway, piles and handrails that connect the foreshore to the pontoon as the previous structure had reached the end of its usable life. The build took about two months to complete and was finished at the end of June.

This upgrade project makes it safer and stronger for all boat users and recreational fishing in the Otago Harbour. It is a popular fishing spot for locals and recreational fishers also use it to tie up their boats.

BIODIVERSITY FUNDING

Are you keen to help protect and enhance Ōtepoti’s native biodiversity?

The next round of the Biodiversity Fund is open from 1 – 30 September with money available to landowners and community groups for ‘on the ground’ biodiversity projects.

Up to $5,000 is available to each applicant on a 50:50 cost-share basis and applicants can use volunteer labour as part of their contribution. If community groups or landowners are willing to put in the mahi, the DCC can fund the goods for the project.

This may include plants, traps, fencing, and contractor costs for some jobs. Please give the DCC Biodiversity Advisor a call to chat about your project and how the fund can help. Information about the fund and how to apply is available on the DCC website.

MULTI-UNIT HOUSING – URBAN DESIGN SURVEY

Have your say on how we manage the design of multi-unit housing in Dunedin.

Enabling multi-unit housing (three or more residential units on a site) is a key part of our strategy to meet Dunedin’s housing needs. Providing for more housing in existing urban areas supports people to live in areas with good access to services, facilities and transport options while keeping the cost of growth down. It is also important to balance good neighbourhood and environmental outcomes.

We are currently reviewing the District Plan (2GP) rules for the design of multi-unit developments, and you are invited to take part in a survey to tell us what you think. Your responses will inform any proposed changes.

The survey is running until Monday 12 August. To find out more and take the survey, head to our website.

TRIPADVISOR AWARDS

Some of Dunedin’s cultural institutions have been recognised as favourites in the latest Tripadvisor awards.

Toitū Otago Settlers Museum and the Dunedin Botanic Garden recently received Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice awards.

The awards are given to businesses or attractions that are in the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor based on online reviews and opinions collected each year. This means that Toitū and the Botanic Garden are some of the best in the world – according to reviews. Some of the recent reviews describe Toitū as a “great museum” that is well laid out and a “must visit”.

The Dunedin Botanic Garden earned accolades such as being “an amazing place”, beautiful and “just spectacular”.