Central Otago council axes two iSites

The axe has fallen on two Central Otago iSites and seven jobs as the district's council grapples with cutting costs in the wake of Covid-19.
One job has also been lost in Ranfurly.

The Central Otago District Council confirmed the closure of the visitor information centres in Alexandra and Cromwell in a release this afternoon ending days of speculation the visitor information centres were to shut up shop.

The changes include permanently closing its iSite visitor centre in Alexandra, closing the iSite in the Cromwell Mall and relocating Cromwell iSite services for delivery by a private vendor, and rationalising service delivery in Ranfurly.

However, the service provided in Roxburgh will continue.

As a result, eight permanent staff have been made redundant and further role that was temporarily filled has been disestablished, the release says.

Council chief executive Sanchia Jacobs said the decision was not made lightly.

``In the current environment, and as part of supporting our council's commitment to lower the rates burden in Central Otago, tough decisions have had to be made. "