Dead in the water?

What ever happened to Dunedin's ambitious harbour development?

About a month ago I wrote a story about a Dunedin backpackers, which was charging up to $1000, via third party websites, for a room on the night of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ concert.

I ended up talking to an Invercargill family - a dad and his three daughters - who paid $600 for their room. They quickly left.

This was the headline, it summed the story up nicely:

Damp sheets, broken beds and poo in the corner - yours for $600 a night

You can read that story here.

I knew that this place was used for transition housing during Covid, and I was interested in how it went from temporary housing for vulnerable people to a $600/$1000 a night room during peak periods.