Dunedin City Council staff have challenged statements made by councillors Jo Galer and Russell Lund regarding public consultation requirements in relation to a draft traffic and parking bylaw and proposed cycleway projects.
The matter arose during a formal hearing held on July 25, following claims made by Galer on social media in early May. Galer had suggested that the bylaw would allow the council to implement changes—such as cycleways—without prior public consultation. She encouraged community members to make submissions on this basis. However, council staff clarified that the bylaw does not grant any new powers to bypass consultation processes, and that all decisions still require passing resolutions. According to staff, proposed changes related to traffic and parking will continue to undergo public consultation when required under existing legislation.
The hearing agenda specifically referred to a clause indicating some actions could be undertaken without public consultation, prompting submissions on this point. Staff recommended including an explanatory note in the bylaw to explicitly state that decision-making will comply with the Local Government Act 1974 and 2002.
Galer affirmed her earlier comments, stating she was raising legitimate public concerns about consultation. “Is that somehow wrong?” she said during the hearing.
Russell Lund, who had planned to submit orally, instead provided a written apology for his absence. His written submission warned that the bylaw could lead to costly cycleway installations and significant losses of kerbside parking. Lund also argued that under the council’s significance and engagement policy, certain minor activities—such as closing a single part of the cycle network—could proceed without consultation.
Council staff disputed this interpretation. They noted that the draft bylaw does not propose a walking and cycling program nor does it remove any existing parking restrictions. No traffic or parking changes are proposed as part of the bylaw review, they emphasized.
During the hearing, Councillor Lee Vandervis questioned staff closely on public consultation policies. Transport regulations policy analyst Rose Wunrow stated that it would be “never legally possible” to close a road or introduce shared paths without community consultation. Transport regulation management team leader Simon Spiers added that the bylaw clarifies existing powers rather than extending them. He said exceptions to consultation would only apply in unforeseen events such as landslips or flooding.
The hearing brought into focus differing views on how the council’s existing policies apply to minor changes in transportation infrastructure, but staff reaffirmed that consultation processes remain intact under the draft bylaw. The council is expected to finalize the bylaw in coming weeks following the review of submissions.