Go south, Dunedin urges Aucklanders

Dunedin has begun an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at getting Aucklanders to move south.

The effort comes as the latest data from QV's house price index shows the average house price in Auckland has reached $931,807, more than three times the Dunedin city average of $306,614.

The "big marketing push" opened with a 36-page magazine in the Herald highlighting benefits of the Dunedin lifestyle.

Enterprise Dunedin director John Christie says: "We think we have got a pretty compelling proposition when you look at the cost of housing, the time it takes to drive to work and the educational opportunities."

Apart from aiming to get Aucklanders to make a permanent move south, the campaign highlights the southern city's study and holiday opportunities.

"We know there are a lot of Aucklanders that are keen to visit Dunedin for short breaks and the domestic tourism market for us is quite a substantial one."

Increasing the number of tourists from Auckland is part of a wider campaign aimed at raising capacity and improving flight schedules on the Auckland-Dunedin route.

Southern Wide Real Estate managing director John Faulks says the "huge gap" between house prices in Auckland and Dunedin means it's the right time to encourage people to move south.

"If you wanted to release some capital, live in a lovely place, why wouldn't you look at moving to Dunedin?" Mr Faulks says.

Dunedin and the wider Otago region offer a much better lifestyle, he says.

"You are not held up in traffic, you have a lot easier access to good schools for your kids and a great medical facility.

"Dunedin's infrastructure for the size of the city is outstanding."

Interest is growing from Aucklanders keen to either move to Dunedin or invest in property in the city, he says.

Software company ADInstruments chief marketing officer Julie Curphey says the company is keen to push the idea there are opportunities for careers with internationally renowned technology firms in Dunedin.

"You don't have to be based in Auckland to have those opportunities," Ms Curphey says.
She hopes the overall push will show highly-skilled Aucklanders they won't be harming their careers by moving south.

Mayor Dave Cull describes Dunedin as "one of the world's great small cities" and says it is different because it is not trying to be any other city or any other place.

"We are renowned as a confident, competitive knowledge centre where enterprise and creativity support a productive and sustainable city. We have strong cultural and economic foundations on which to continue to build an even more prosperous city of opportunity."

He says Dunedin is the educational capital of New Zealand, that the largest collection of heritage buildings in the country has been resurrected and housing cutting-edge fashion, IT and architectural designers.

Dunedin recently became New Zealand's first Gig City, giving it one gigabit per second broadband services.