The Central Otago District Council have told seven staff members the Alexandra and Cromwell i-Sites are slated to close and their jobs are in jeopardy if they can’t come up with ideas on how to save the information centres. 

An anonymous source said the staff were given letters at a meeting on Thursday, which notified them the i-SITEs would close and they had one week to come up with ideas to essentially save their jobs. 

“Out of the blue we had a meeting yesterday that they are closing the Alexandra and Cromwell i-Sites,” the source told The Central App. 

“We were all given letters outlining some of the reasons and there’s obviously been a review which happens every couple of years anyway. 

“They (the CODC) decided to close Alexandra and Cromwell i-SITE, but keep Roxburgh and Ranfurly open, which I think is bizarre. 

The Alexandra and Cromwell i-SITEs are set to close unless staff can think up a way to save their jobs.

Seven staff members could lose their jobs if the sites close, which the source said would cut off an important community service. 

“I think it was known in the tourism group, but they were sworn to secrecy,” the source said. 

“We aren’t viable, we don’t make money. We just offer service, that’s what we are – a community service centre. We offer things to tourists and locals. 

“I feel sad for all the people that rely on us. Albeit not profitable for us, but things like booking tickets on buses, asking questions. They probably couldn’t ask anywhere else. 

“Sometimes questions aren’t always relevant but they have something they want to know. 

“We have a lot of old people who won’t be able to do things through us, they are going to have to do it online, which isn’t the best thing. 

“We are all thinking about the people and the people we service. What are they going to do?”

In the Council’s commissioned 2019 i-SITE Review found there was still a demand for physical information centres. 

“National and overseas research indicates that while digital information and booking is growing strongly and having an impact on traditional bricks and mortar i-SITE visitor centres, there is still proven demand for printed tourism content and personal advice from local experts,” the report states.

“Visitors want to use a range of information channels at various “touch-points” in their destination journey from inspiration and planning through to booking, arrival, in-destination travel and post trip. 

“i-SITEs remain a valuable visitor servicing channel alongside digital, guidebooks, peer reviews, i-SITEs in other regions, local tourism business frontline staff and signage.”

Before the COVID-19 crisis, the report stated economic impact research carried out by i-SITE NZ showed that for every $1 provided in funding to i-SITEs, the network returns on average $8.70 in GDP.

In the letter to i-SITE staff, CODC CEO Sanchia Jacobs said “further to the review, it is now predicted that as a consequence of COVID-19 the restrictions on travel will further compromise the commercial viability of i-SITES over the next five years. 

“The bottom line is that in Central Otago i-SITES are costing the ratepayer more to run than the revenue they generate. With the significant decreases forecasted in revenues, costs to ratepayers for the delivery of i-SITES services will further increase under the current model. 

“During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Executive Committee directed the CEO to consider where savings may be found in the proposed Annual Plan so that the impact of rates increases could be softened as the country approaches an economic recession. 

“One particular area the CEO was asked to look at was options beyond those recommended in the i-SITE review to help the Council to achieve savings for ratepayer. 

“At their May meeting, the Council considered a range of options across organisational budgets for a revised Annual Plan. 

“Of those options, they resolved that the i-SITES in Cromwell and Alexandra would permanently close, and that operations in Ranfurly would be rationalised. 

“That rationalisation has a direct impact on your role at Central Otago District Council.”

“We now present to you the proposal that gives effect to the Council resolution. As part of this proposal we would like to seek your feedback. 

“We recognise that a determination has been made by the Council, but we do not want to preclude any constructive feedback or alternative solutions that any affected party may bring to the table for consideration.”

The anonymous source said the staff members are in shock and don’t know where to begin in the effort to save their jobs and the i-SITEs. 

“We are all pretty stunned, and they sort of really don’t know what to do,” the source said.

“The community rallies around, bear in mind we only have until next Friday. 

“If the community rallies around we could save it but I’m not sure how, we don’t have the opportunity to walk around and ask people for help. 

The source said the closure “is a sign of the times” but fears the void won’t be filled when things get back to normal and the tourists start to return. 

“Because there’s nobody around to do it (community information), it’s a big ask but the council’s got the facilities in place. If they only give it another six months.

“We’ve been told all along that we are a community service, making money is in the background but we’ve known for years we would never make money. 

“The statistics from all the i-SITEs, they are breaking even or profit in strategic areas, such as Wanaka and Nelson and places like that.”

The source said Central Otago would lose its local voice as Queenstown tourism operators could fill the gap.

“We’ve got a rail trail here, and when that’s tied to Queenstown, Queenstown operators are just going to take over and we won’t have a say. 

“What we want to look for is people to bring money into our town, spend the money in our supermarkets and shops.”

The source said it is now up to the public to decide if they wanted the i-SITEs and to let the CODC know.

Central Otago District mayor Tim Cadogan, who wrote in his regular column in a local newspaper, eluded to cost cuts. 

“Every economist I have listened to since lockdown (and there have been many) has agreed on one thing, and that is that central and local government have a huge part to play in the recovery and the best way for local government to fail in that role is to slash costs and services and not retain or put itself in a position to invest in the future.” 

CODC CEO Sanchia Jacobs told The Central App there are a range of measures that the Council is looking at to help reduce the financial impact on ratepayers across Central Otago.

"The economic challenges facing our country, and indeed the globe, are unprecedented and require all parties to act," Sanchia said.

"It is inevitable that some of those decisions will be difficult ones when it comes to the operations of council and the services it delivers. The community is always at the forefront of those decisions."