Ahead of tomorrow’s Dunedin City Council meeting, Spokes Dunedin is calling on councillors to reconsider the report’s recommendation to leave Queens Drive unchanged and instead take bold leadership on active travel and community wellbeing in the Town Belt.
While the Otago Daily Times and Stuff report that public submissions leaned against permanent vehicle closure, Spokes Dunedin emphasises that high initial pushback is entirely predictable for any trial altering driver routes. Crucially, as noted in the council’s own findings, the consultation process was not designed to be statistically representative of the entire Dunedin population. Relying purely on raw submission totals risks allowing vocal initial pushback to dictate the future of Dunedin’s public health and urban spaces.
Nearly 600 submitters actively backed permanent car-free spaces in the Town Belt, and hundreds more reported the area felt nicer and more inviting during the trial. Furthermore, the trial delivered clear, tangible wins: pedestrian and cycle traffic increased, vehicle-cyclist conflicts dropped, and illegal fly-tipping dropped dramatically.
“Tomorrow’s vote is a defining test of vision for our council”, says Nathan Kershaw, Secretary of Spokes Dunedin. “The Town Belt is a premier ecological and recreational reserve, not a shortcut for motor vehicles. We strongly urge our councillors to look beyond short-term resistance, reconsider the report’s recommendation, and choose a path that prioritises the health, safety, and outdoor recreation of Dunedin families for generations to come.”
Spokes Dunedin asks councillors to reject a return to the status quo and direct staff to explore refined, permanent options for safe active transport through the Town Belt.