Two years previously he was one of four councillors who voted against Dunedin’s proposed new stadium, now known as Forsyth Barr Stadium. ‘’It is a wonderful asset to the city, it is providing enormous benefits,” a visibly upbeat Cull told media of the stadium, which opened in 2011. Hamish McNeilly/Stuff Outgoing Dunedin mayor Dave Cull, at a press conference to talk about his time in office. That statement was made with the benefit of hindsight, and driven by Cull’s renowned pragmatism: it was built, so let’s make it work. But it wasn’t easy. Financially the city was driven into austerity during his first term, and it wasn’t until later that Dunedin started experiencing something slightly unusual: growth in levels not seen since the gold rush of the 1860s.