Submissions

To: Dunedin City Council
Date: October 2024

Purpose

This submission’s primary purpose is to provide feedback focused on improving accessibility across the Otago Harbour Reserves area, advocating that these reserves should be equitably open to everyone, including disabled people. DPA aims to ensure that accessibility improvements are made with universal design principles in mind, while also respecting the natural environment and involving disabled people as full stakeholders.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA recognizes the value that reserves have for both people and the environment.

However, DPA recommends that the wording of objective 6.10 ("all levels of mobility") be made much clearer to specifically refer to disabled people. DPA also recommends changing the term "accessibility parking" to "mobility parking" to ensure the use of correct terminology. While recognizing that not all walking tracks in reserves may be fully accessible, particularly for people with mobility impairments, DPA believes that the Dunedin City Council should still make every effort to ensure reasonable accommodation by making tracks partially accessible in cases where full accessibility is impossible.

Key Recommendation:

DPA recommends that disabled people and disability organisations be involved by council as full stakeholders in all discussions relating to the accessibility of its reserves.

Supporting Statement 1:

On matters pertaining to accessibility, including around making supporting amenities like toilets and picnic tables accessible, council should involve disabled people and disability organisations as full stakeholders in all discussions.