Newmarket grows by over 50% from tomorrow

Media release

Newmarket Business Association

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Newmarket grows by over 50% from tomorrow

Just when everything in the economy seems to be contracting, Newmarket is bucking the trend and expanding dramatically. From 1 July, the Newmarket Business Association’s official geographical area will grow by over 50%.

The boundary extension follows a colourful campaign led by the Newmarket Business Association’s Cameron Brewer late last year.

“A boundary extension has been long overdue. Newmarket has grown so much since the original business association boundaries were drawn up in the mid-1990s. It was time to bring in many properties that were actually in Newmarket but have never officially been part of the business community,” says Mr Brewer.

After the association’s campaign, the Electoral Office announced that over 90% of the businesses that posted back the voting papers said ‘yes’ to becoming a member of the association, with membership paid through a levy on Auckland City Council rates.

“It was a really strong mandate which was important to achieve in these economic times. Fifty percent of potential voters posted back the ballot paper, with 91.4% voting ‘yes’. Despite the recession we are the only business association significantly growing its membership this year, with our annual income up over 25%.

“It has been a great result all round, particularly for our existing members whose levies actually fall simply because of the larger rating base,” says Mr Brewer.

The roads and streets that are now part of the Newmarket Business Association include 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, and the bottom of Gillies Avenue.

Interestingly, many of the streets in the extension area were part of the original borough before Newmarket was forced to amalgamate with Auckland City in 1989.

Mr Brewer says the bigger Newmarket precinct cements Newmarket as Auckland City’s second commercial business district, and secures the association as the second largest business association in New Zealand. He says greater “punching power” will be important with the Super City imminent.

He says over $1 billion of public and private developments are scheduled to kick off or be completed in Newmarket within the next five years, including the $200m motorway viaduct replacement project and the massive mixed-use redevelopment of the Lion Breweries 5.2 hectare site.

“These two projects alone are going to be huge. The good news is we can now represent all the surrounding businesses affected because they’re now part of our association.”

As part of the precinct expansion the association is expanding its marketing activity, successful CCTV camera network from 14 to 19 cameras, its graffiti eradication contract with Graffiti Solutions, and the coverage area of the Newmarket Security community patrolmen.

“Not only do the new precinct boundaries better represent modern-day Newmarket, but such strong support for the expansion shows real confidence in the area’s long-term future. We are now determined as an association to demonstrate to our new members just how and where we can add value,” says Mr Brewer.

Ends

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