One Auckland area defying any doom and gloom

Newmarket Business Association

Media release

Sunday 9 November 2008

Campaigning continues for one Auckland area defying any doom and gloom

Ballot papers are set to arrive in the post from tomorrow for many Newmarket property owners and business operators to decide if they want to be officially part of the country's leading shopping district and aspiring commercial hub.

Over the past three weeks the Newmarket Business Association has been engaged in an extensive door knocking and marketing campaign with the Independent Electoral Services Office now conducting the neccessary postal ballot, with the result to be announced on 1 December.

"We want to cement Newmarket not only as Auckland's leading retail area, but also as the city's second commercial business district. Hence we are now campaigning to effectively claw back a lot of the original borough that was lost when Newmarket was forced to amalgamate with Auckland City in 1989," says campaign manager, Cameron Brewer of the Newmarket Business Association.

The Newmarket Business Association is seeking to extend its (Business Improvement District) boundary to include properties on Carlton Gore Road, George Street, Khyber Pass Road, the top and bottom of Broadway, Morgan Street, Clayton Street, Alma Street, Railway Street, Kingdon Street, McColl Street, Roxburgh Street, Melrose Street, Crowhurst Street, Clovernook Road, Edgerley Avenue, and the bottom of Gillies Avenue.

For the precinct expansion to be successful, 25% of electors need to return the ballot and 51 percent of them need to be supportive. If the vote is successful businesses within the proposed area will automatically become members of the business association, with membership paid via a levy on their commercial Auckland City Council rates.

"It we are successful it would mean our official business precinct geographically grows by more 50% and our income by about 25% because we're not getting greedy with the levy we're proposing. In fact for our existing membership the business association levy on their rates will actually come down, because we'll have a bigger rating base.

"Given the current economic outlook, it's not an easy time to be recruiting new members. However we believe in Newmarket's long term future and we as an association believe we can make a positive difference. While other areas are preaching doom and gloom, I would like to think we're out positively backing ourselves and our area."

Mr Brewer said over $1 billion of public and private developments were scheduled to kick off or be completed in Newmarket within the next five years, including the $195m motorway viaduct replacement project and the massive mixed-use redevelopment of the Lion Breweries 5.2 hectare site.

"These two projects along are going to be huge and so we want to represent all the surrounding businesses affected. We also want to extend our successful security and CCTV camera initiatives into these streets, plus our graffiti eradication programme, not to mention have them involved in all our marketing and public relations activity."

As part of its campaign the business association has recruited former Newmarket Mayor (1974 - 1989) David Lumsden who is an enthusiastic supporter of the project.

"I fully endorse the Newmarket Business Association's plans to expand its precinct. It makes perfect sense. Many of these streets were part of the old Newmarket Borough and so it's about time they got some representation. I am delighted to be part of the project and be able to help out. Newmarket is moving ahead in leaps and bounds," says David Lumsden.

Cameron Brewer: "Given Newmarket's campaign fell right in the middle of the US and New Zealand elections, we thought we'd go for the patriotic (and apolitical) colours of red, white and blue! We are certainly getting noticed. The challenge now is to get the votes required."

ENDS

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