Jules Radich, Dunedin City Councillor

Jules Radich, Dunedin City Councillor Jules Radich stands for inclusive, pragmatic leadership based on a strong, sustainable economy in a healthy, resilient environment. All content authorised by J.

Radich, PO Box 9015, Dunedin.

This week the ODT reported on Albany St both before and after yesterday's vote.Here is the link to their prior article w...
12/11/2025

This week the ODT reported on Albany St both before and after yesterday's vote.

Here is the link to their prior article which focused on the increasing costs of the project as planned:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/albany-st-tenders-above-councils-budget

Here is a link to the report from the meeting after Councillors rejected consideration of the Leith Stream option and the potential savings it might have provided along with other benefits:
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/controversial-albany-st-cycleway-survives-close-vote

The vote was:
Proceed with the full Albany Street Connection project.—

For (8): Mayor Sophie Barker and Crs John Chambers, Christine Garey, Doug Hall, Marie Laufiso, Mandy Mayhem, Mickey Treadwell, Steve Walker.

Against (7): Deputy mayor Cherry Lucas and Crs Russell Lund, Benedict Ong, Jules Radich, Andrew Simms, Lee Vandervis, Brent Weatherall.

This is what I said in the debate:

This forum has been typified by entrenched positions, inflammatory adjectives and oppositional attitudes.
This project fits that bill. It has been highly contentious and is now back in front of Council for the 3rd time in 4 months. There are differences this time though, because we have 6 new Councillors and a workable compromise that can provide a win-win result.

The question is: Are you capable of compromise?
The issues are: Accessibility, Pedestrian safety, Carparks and Cycle separation.

By using the Leith Stream route as a cycleway, everybody wins, most especially the students.

Albany St is primarily a pedestrian street and they deserve priority. They get safer crossings and no longer have to step off buses into live cyclelanes.

Cycles are hard to hear coming, they run into walkers and hurt them, that’s why they are banned from the inner campus. Leith Stream & Street are not inner campus and they take cyclists largely away from the Albany St pedestrians.

With Leith Stream, Cyclists get a pleasant, quiet, separated, scenic path to ride.

The second largest group, car drivers would get more carparks than ever – with 30 extra on side streets with a few less on Albany.

Accessibility to the library and all businesses is retained and mobility parks are installed as planned.
What’s not to like?

Half a decade to get the result right. Why has it taken so long? Because it is currently not right.

We heard a comment that it would be naïve to get parking & a cycleway – not at all, just build the cycleway beside the Leith.

Narrowing the road with a cycleway is ridiculous. We need cycleways that are used and we have heard that the Leith Stream route is a more attractive option for cyclists.

Are we prepared to listen to what people want? Only 10 cyclists celebrated the O’Malley decision.

Are we aspirational or do we just want what seems easiest?

The University architect Mr Roy agrees that the Leith Stream cycleway is a pleasant proposal. It is quite an upgrade from cyclists mixing it with car traffic on Albany St not to mention 8000 pedestrian students.

As Cr Garey said: “It’s about how we compromise and develop solutions that work for everybody.” How we start off sets the scene for how we go on. How about we start off with a compromise?

In terms of NZTA Benefit Cost Ratios, Fully separated cycleways are safer.

We don’t know about NZTA funding for the Leith Stream option but we owe to ourselves and the great number of Albany St users to find out. There is nothing to say that we will not get funding.

My alternate motion was to:
a) Proceed with the main pedestrian crossings and resurfacing of Albany St while looking at value engineering & capital savings.
b) Assess the feasibility of a Leith Stream cycleway and retain NZTA funding
c) Report back to Council on progress.

It wasn't considered because the motion to proceed with the Albany St project passed.

Albany St – Win-Win is Possible The entry of heritage developer Steve Macknight’s Leith Stream Cycleway into the mix has...
09/11/2025

Albany St – Win-Win is Possible

The entry of heritage developer Steve Macknight’s Leith Stream Cycleway into the mix has made a win-win resolution of the contentious Albany St project entirely feasible.

ORC had proposed something grand along the same route a few years ago but as a structural engineer, Mr Macknight favours a light touch and his cycleway proposal requires no major earthworks, only minor roadworks and zero loss of carparks.
Additionally, it would provide cyclists a safer, scenic path with substantial savings for the project.

What’s not to like?

Albany St businesses would be thrilled to keep their customers, students would retain carparks as requested and bus patrons would no longer disembark into live cyclelanes.

Pedestrian crossings at Clubs & Societies and Te Rangi Hiroa Hall of Residence would remain No 1 priority but only take a few carparks which could be more than compensated for on side streets.

The function of the project would be retained and in my view would still meet NZ Transport Authority objectives and receive the allocated funding.

What’s not to like?

11/10/2025

Thanks to everyone who supported me throughout my 3 years as Mayor. I'm disappointed to miss out on the role but I am pleased that I ran for Council because I will still be there to shepherd the South Dunedin flood protection work through to installation.

I enjoyed great support from an excellent cross-section of Dunedin residents and I am sorry that I couldn't meet everyone's expectation. Rates rises were essential for us to be able to deliver the water upgrades we need and are required to make. We are now in a much better position for the future.

It's been an honour and a privilege to serve you as Mayor and I wish the next Mayor all the best in the job.

10/10/2025

Your last chance to vote for Carparks in Dunedin comes tomorrow morning.

You vote, you choose...

These 7 Councillors voted for carparks, the others voted against.

Mayor Jules Radich
DM Cherry Lucas
Cr Brent Weatherall
Cr Carmen Houlahan
Cr Bill Acklin
Cr Lee Vandervis
Cr Andrew Whiley

Now YOU have 1 last chance to VOTE.

You vote, you choose...
Carparks or not.

09/10/2025

Albany St - Carparks yes or no?

Time to vote!
You VOTE, You CHOOSE...

Only these 7 voted to keep carparks, what about you?

Jules Radich
Cherry Lucas
Lee Vandervis
Bill Acklin
Brent Weatherall
Andrew Whiley
Carmen Houlahan

You've only got today and till 12 midday tomorrow to help keep carparks in Dunedin.

You VOTE, You CHOOSE.

09/10/2025

If you want to sleep well in heavy rain knowing that South Dunedin is protected by the pipes and pumps we've installed, you need to keep me as Mayor.

You've only got tomorrow and Saturday morning to get your votes into the Civic Centre.

If you VOTE
you CHOOSE.

New Southern Region Tertiary Hospital - Look at the result.Only the result counts, not any naysaying nonsense.Despite wh...
08/10/2025

New Southern Region Tertiary Hospital - Look at the result.

Only the result counts, not any naysaying nonsense.

Despite what anyone might say, I took a leading role in persuading the previous government not to cut it in half and then convincing the current government not to stage it in thirds. Either of those two alternatives would have been disastrous for Dunedin.

That success was due to getting councillors, clinicians, Health New Zealand (HNZ) and other stakeholders on the same page, keeping a cordial relationship with government politicians on all sides and then the huge community effort and protest march that everyone got behind which put us front and centre on the nationwide stage.

A key component of achieving the right result was when I changed the name of the hospital in all of my correspondence with everyone from New Dunedin Hospital (NDH) to new Southern Region Tertiary Hospital (SRTH). Changing to SRTH clearly makes the point that this facility exists to service half of the South Island, not just Dunedin.

I made the change after Mayor Wayne Brown of Auckland announced that Dunedin didn’t need a hospital this big and a Ford Ranger each would be cheaper and shut us all up. Some Gov’t officials had a similar attitude, and the name change made it very clear exactly what was being built and why. Accordingly, their narrative stopped and some influential people in the South came on board such as Presidents of Federated Farmers.

That name change was also pivotal in encouraging the Mayors of Waitaki and Invercargill to come with me to Wellington for meetings with then Minister of Health, Shane Reti and Minister for Regional Development, Shane Jones.

Just as happened with the previous government, when the pressure reached the required level, the Minister of Health was changed, and the right decision was made. Both then Minister in her government Ayesha Verrall and current Minister Simeon Brown informed themselves of the situation and agreed to build our hospital to the services and facilities determined by years of consultation with clinicians and stakeholders.

It actually looks like the hospital will now be a bit bigger than full size due to ~10% optimisation of space throughout the 11 floors and infill of the light well on the second floor, all of which should enable the operating theatres to be on the same level and thus reduce duplication of recovery and support space. That optimisation has freed up a whole floor which is handily located on level 6. ie: In the middle.

The next opportunity for improvement will be to get Pathology and an Interdisciplinary Learning Centre (ILC) established on that 6th floor. So far, the critical stakeholders are on the same page, and I hope to continue working steadily as Mayor to achieve the best result.

The subsequent opportunity for improvement will be to get a second overhead walkway constructed between In and Outpatients. A double-decker staff and patient walkway across St Andrew St is planned at the eastern end of the buildings and I think the general public should have one at the western end.

I discussed it with the Minister, and we have consequently formed a Southern Engagement Group (SEG) to maintain an ongoing dialogue between Council, clinicians, HNZ and various stakeholders. The SEG has an independent community-based Chair and it will serve to keep the lines of communication open and up to date.

I am the right person to be Mayor and I’m delivering for Dunedin. I’m not about hot air, I get things done and I’d like your vote to keep doing them.

You VOTE, You Choose
You Don't, You Lose...

Carparks
Infrastructure
Financial Responsibility

07/10/2025

Vogel St:
Carparks or Not?
Financial Responsibility or Not?

As part of the $64 million surprise package of extra debt added on the last day of the 9-Year Plan, $10 million was included to convert Vogel St to a shared path which will inevitably remove carparks based on historical evidence.

This is another Albany St carpark cut in the making at even greater cost.

These 6 Councillors demonstrated financial responsibility by voting against this $64 million debt increase:

Mayor Jules Radich
Deputy Mayor Cherry Lucas
Cr Bill Acklin
Cr Brent Weatherall
Cr Andrew Whiley
Cr Lee Vandervis

For Carparks and Financial responsibility:

You VOTE, you CHOOSE.
You DON’T, you LOSE.

04/10/2025

Local election voting ends in one week. Now’s the time to cast your vote in Dunedin's local body election.

I get things done. Vote Jules Radich #1 for Mayor of Dunedin, and make sure your voice is heard this election.

Smooth Hill or not?There is a bit of debate about Smooth Hill and I have a few comments to make to correct some of the f...
04/10/2025

Smooth Hill or not?

There is a bit of debate about Smooth Hill and I have a few comments to make to correct some of the figures and ideas being thrown around.

Smooth Hill is projected to cost DCC half the price of sending waste to AB Lime in Winton. The figures were produced by Australasian consultants, Morrison Low Advisory with modelling by International Consultants, GHD.

When viewed over a 20-year period, the cost is $150m for Smooth Hill vs $300m for AB Lime.

Yes, there is establishment cost but it is less than the cashflow difference over time.

And remember, all of that $300m would go to Southland with the waste whereas the $150m would stay in Dunedin and create 35 jobs.

It is difficult to establish a gate fee vs gate fee comparison that is accurate because Smooth Hill is a future projection vs AB Lime which is operating now. Morrison Low used the figures of $172/tonne for Smooth Hill and $133 for AB Lime. Their freight figures were $17 vs $72.

The current contract price for DCC with AB Lime has just risen to $137. The increasing cost of freight is a risk and the gate price rises each year.
The price for the CHCH landfill at Kate Valley ex Hurunui is $329 +gst.
Green Island is quoted in DCC papers 26/5/25 at $120.

There is talk of DCC waste volumes dropping from 61,000 tonnes as used for the modelling down to 25Kt. In fact, they are rising. Last financial year to 30 June 2024, they hit 68,000 tonnes which would make Smooth Hill even more cost efficient. The detailed business case projections also suggested that the tonnage will rise (to 90,000 tonnes), not fall.

The commercial volumes are not expected to drop because they typically contain organic material which cannot go to Nash & Ross whereas the DCC can deal with it.

There are no seagulls at Kate Valley, due to their control systems, and there will be none at Smooth Hill helped by our 4 bins system which is successfully taking rotable material out of the landfill.

(“Regular monitoring reveals few pest problems, and no seagulls despite the close proximity to the coast.” Transwaste Canterbury – Kate Valley operators)

Address

P O Box 9015
Dunedin
9047

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+6434743455

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