Wairatahi, a large scale residential development in Hastings owned by Heretaunga Tamatea Pou Tahua – the commercial arm of Tamatea Pōkai Whenua, (formerly Heretaunga Tamatea Settlement Trust) – has secured approval to go ahead via the Government’s fast track consent process.

Tamatea Pōkai Whenua (TPW) chair Pōhatu Paku said the Covid-19 Recovery Fast-Track Consent decision was a significant outcome for the Trust; a major boost for the region’s economy and affordable housing supply.

“This is a major milestone for our hapū settlement entity and we are ecstatic that consent has been approved by the government’s fast track process which will create many jobs during construction and increase housing supply by up to 450 warm homes.

“This is one of the largest Māori led residential development on the East Coast and a lot of mahi has been put into the design which will realise the full potential of our whenua,” Mr Paku said.

Heretaunga Tamatea Pou Tahua, the commercial subsidiary of TPW,  chairperson Renata Hakiwai said site works for stage 1 could commence towards the end of this year, following discussions with potential development partners.

Wairatahi, is a 28ha property in Stock Road and will offer a range of housing options, including townhouses, detached dwellings, multi-generational homes, and standalone houses.

Tamatea Pōkai Whenua Chief Executive Dr Darryn Russell explains the community impact the Trust and its commercial arm are advancing for greater Hastings.

“As well as a diverse mix of housing options, we are ultimately creating a new community and extensive planning has gone into how we protect and enhance the environment such as the restoration and protection of the Irongate Stream.

“The development is not just for our members and their whānau but for all people and the fast-track decision is timely based on what our region is facing since the cyclone destroyed many homes across our rohe,” Dr Russell said.

The development is likely to have a small neighbourhood centre, community gardens, playground, and central park connected to open space separating the development from the State Highway and a walkway network, including along the Irongate Stream, will also be provided, enhancing public amenity and connectivity.

Dr Russell said the consent application’s success was due to the strong leadership of the Trust’s commercial arm, and a highly capable project team that had worked tirelessly, along with support from Hastings District Council and Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

“The Heretaunga Tamatea Pou Tahua Board are driving forward the vision to ensure we are developing sustainable communities and  much needed homes in Heretaunga Hastings.

“Hastings District Council and the regional council have been supportive and we look forward to the next steps of our partnership.”

The development is part of TPW’s investment related to a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

In 2018, a settlement package worth $105 million was made with Heretaunga Tamatea (which represents 43 hapū and 23 marae around the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay area) as part of its Treaty of Waitangi claim.

The announcement comes amid a housing crisis in Hawke’s Bay compounded by Cyclone Gabrielle, which sadly destroyed or damaged many homes in the region.

One of New Zealand’s most iconic beach-side holiday parks will continue to welcome thousands of holiday makers while remaining in local ownership.

Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust’s commercial entity today announced its purchase of the Mahia Beach Motel & Holiday Park, securing an asset that is pivotal to the Wairoa and Mahia community and local economy. This beautiful piece of land is enjoyed by both national and international holiday-goers.

Tātau Tātau Commercial Limited Partnership Kaihautū (Chief Executive) Aayden Clarke said it was important to acknowledge that the 3ha of residentially-zoned beachfront property will continue to provide affordable accommodation for holidaymakers.

“This is a slice of paradise on the east coast has been incredibly popular for generations of whānau as well as national and international tourists.

He signalled future upgrades to the property, located at 43 Moana Drive which currently is an operating business consisting of a mixture of 24 accommodation units and 150 powered and non-powered camping sites.

“This is a mokopuna investment for us, meaning we have a long term outlook to the Motel & camp ground.

“We are committed to making improvements to the holiday park and adding additional value back to the community through upgrades which will enhance the quality of stay for customers.

“At the same time we see other opportunities that complement the existing use,” Mr Clarke says.

Tātau Tātau Commercial Limited Partnership was established to protect and grow the commercial assets on behalf of its shareholder Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust and the seven Kāhui (Beneficial entities).

Lewis Ratapu, Chief Executive of Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust commented, “Tātau Tātau are thrilled to be the new custodians of the iconic property.

“It is very important that our people and all visitors can access affordable holiday accommodation, something that is getting harder to achieve as coastal land increases in popularity.

“We are always looking to support further growth in our wider community and to secure a significant site like this is exciting. This asset benefits all of our seven Kāhui, and obviously is of significant importance to one of those Kāhui, Rongomaiwahine.”

Rongomaiwahine Iwi Trust CEO Terence Maru acknowledges the collaborative mahi that has been done with the Tātau Tātau commercial organisation.

“There is so much potential to partner and deliver outcomes to our people while growing capability within our organisation,” Mr Maru said.

Former owner operator Isobel Creswell says ““whilst it was very difficult to let go of this park, I’m very happy it has gone to good hands. This campground now stays in NZ ownership and continues to be a holiday park for generations of families for years to come”

Isobel has been a key stakeholder of the Mahia community for 3.5 years providing affordable accommodation for all walks of life and attracting tourists to the small East Coast settlement.

Mr Clarke said it was important to highlight that “a key part of our Tiriti settlement is the evolution of Mana Motuhake of our whānau, hapū and Iwi o Te Wairoa, and this acquisition is part of exactly that.”

When it comes to a favourite part of Waiaroha for DGSE as architectural designers, it’s the simple things that standout.

Ezra Kelly was the Project Principal from concept design onwards and he says the fins attached to the large water storage tanks are a stand out for himself and the DGSE team, which also included Alex Heperi as Cultural Lead and Project Representative and Stefania Ruiz as Documentation Lead.

“The fins to the tanks which act in part to ‘hide’ as much as you can 10 million litres of tank, but also add to the narrative by representing water/mist around the hills.”

With over 30 years in practice, Ezra says the Waiaroha project will be memorable from the overwhelming sense of collaboration across all parts of the project.

In my 30 years of practice this project represented the best experience of collaborative design, not just from within the core project design team – but amongst artists, client and most significantly mana whenua.

He adds that the most meaningful space for his team is the Mahau (the entry porch). “Seeing It in use at the opening event showed that Waiaroha had a broader use than simply education.

“Te Whare Waiaroha has been designed with whakairo, traditionally carved mahau representing the whakapapa of wai according to local iwi Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga which welcomes whānau into the whare from the marae atea.

Within the overarching narrative of the journey and Whakapapa of water – the education building was essentially the forest, given life by the water. ‘Ki Uta, Ki Tai’ from the mountains to the sea was the narrative woven through the site with the education centre representing the domain of Tane Mahuta, Atua of the forest.

The architectural design intent of the building was based on a forest canopy providing a sense of connection and transparency between the interior and exterior spaces.

Tane, also known as Tane nui a rangi was responsible from ascending to the upper most heaven to obtain the kete of knowledge which was also visually interpreted into the design of Te Whare Waiaroha.

Hawke’s Bay businesses played a vital role in the nearly $100 million investment to ensure Hastings District residents have safe drinking water. Just seven years on from the Havelock North water crisis in 2016,

Hastings District Council has delivered a major infrastructure project that includes two major water treatment stations, four large water storage tanks and seven small community drinking water set ups. Council could have stopped there but over a Friday night after work drink, project manager Graeme Hansen and landscape architect Shannon Bray of local firm Wayfinder pushed the boat out from a typical boring infrastructure project and sow the seed for a world-first Water Education Discovery facility.

Stunning carvings are a feature of Waiaroha Council was already part way through the project, which started when local 3 waters and civils business Drainways undertook a watermain upgrade in Havelock North, which was the start of de-commissioning the drinking water bores that were compromised and over 5000 people falling sick. As director of major projects at Hastings DC Graeme said that Friday night chat went well beyond the scope of a water infrastrcuture project.

The vision of Waiaroha was a desire to reframe our thinking about water, not only from an infrastructure sense, but also in a more holistic way. “If you reflect on our current approach to 3 waters, we don’t interact with it in any significant way other than to see it come out of a tap as drinking water, push the button on your toilet as waste water and to wash it down the drain as stormwater. “We spend little time reflecting on where it came from, what we do to it on its journey from source to end use, and of more significance, where we are going in this climate changing world.”

He says blending engineering, science and Matauranga māori principles created an opportunity to make water and the process of water more visible and to Tanks and the water treatment plant encourage reflection on where we have come from, sometimes looking back to move forward.

“What we have now is a state-of-the-art water processing and treatment facility but it will be interesting to see what state of the art looks like in 10, 20 and 50 years time. “I’m confident young minds and the next generation will surprise us in this area and this project is hoping to provide that catalyst and opportunity.

Graeme admits it was also a risk that was supported by council chief executive Nigel Bickle and elected members.

“Nigel’s support was unwavering support as was that of the mayor and councillors and especially with a vision that looked to challenge the norm and encourage lateral thinking about water.”

As an engineer Graeme had to open his eyes to water being more than it flowing from the tap and better understand the principles of Atuatanga, Rangatiritanga, Kaitiakitanga and Manaakitanga, which was led by Hira Huata.

Graeme says Hira provided guidance and accountability for this project as the principal cultural advisor, ensuring the Waiaroha values were fully embedded in the development of council’s thinking, through to the tangible elements of the centre.

It has been a journey of enlightenment and awareness raising to truly work on a project of co-design and testament to what can be achieved,” he says. Graeme said the many businesses involved, should be incredibly proud of what has been delivered.

“For those involved in imagining, designing, building and delivering the Waiaroha project, it’s important to reflect on the significance of what has been achieved and be proud of your role in it. “

When you think of Apple and innovation, you’re probably thinking of Steve Jobs and the iphone, but Hawke’s Bay is the home of another apple innovator, but of the eating kind.

Prevar developed the PremA96 apple variety (cultivar) that has become a global sensation under the brand name Rockit™, a pint-sized apple that has rocked the conventional snack food category through the work of Hawke’s Bay based business Rockit Global who own the brand. Prevar, formed in 2004, is a private joint venture company owned by the apple sector between New Zealand Apples & Pears Incorporated, Plant & Food Research (New Zealand) and Apples and Pears Australia Limited.

Prevar chief executive Tony Martin has ambitions of ensuring many more premium New Zealand apple brands or “number one hits” propel New Zealand’s PREVAR chief executive Tony Martin global apple market share from around 1% to 5-10 percent. PremA96, its first international number one is now sold in over 30 countries, and grown in eight – such as New Zealand, the US, the UK – and is regarded as a premium high value apple variety, not a commodity apple such as Royal Gala.

At any point of time Prevar has around 200 new varieties in stages of R&D that are narrowed down with only the best of the crop making it into full production.

In 20 years Prevar has commercially licenced 17 varieties and entered into a total of 33 license agreements. It holds more than 170 trademark registrations across the globe. Tony says the Prevar business is centred around four core areas – consumer insights-driven innovation, a world-class breeding programme (with Plant & Food Research), customer-centred commercialisation, and industry & category Leadership.

He says that although the New Zealand industry remains at the forefront of innovation and premium quality in the global industry, it is constantly challenging its thinking and pushing the edges of innovation, to maintain and enhance its competitive advantage as a value creator.

“We are an innovation company and I think it’s important to recognise that a big chunk of our revenue is reinvested back in to R&D so that we stay at the forefront with the best products.  Each year in June, apple growers and marketers are invited to an open day to see the latest varieties on offer.

“We’re owned by the industry, so it is an open forum and everyone can try the apples and put in an expression of interest. When we see a big opportunity for an apple to be globalised then we will look at prospective licensees ambition, markets.

“We’re owned by the industry, so it is an open forum and everyone can try the apples and put in an expressions of interest. When we see a big opportunity for an apple to be globalised then we will look at prospective licensees ambition, capability and capacity to grow as we know it takes immense resources to make new varieties a big success in international markets.

“We enter into a testing arrangement and the prospective licensees get some trees to plant, which are monitored over a number of years,” he says.

Apples with the greatest chance of global success are actively promoted and agreements are reached via commercial negotiations. Groups of individual companies may get together to create a marketing entity to license the new variety or it may be licensed with larger integrated growing, marketing and export corporates so as to fully maximise the opportunity, which in-turn helps bolster ongoing investment in future varieties.

“What we don’t want to do is spend lots of money developing a great variety, get it to the start line and then it doesn’t get maximised to its full potential,” he says.

Presently several millions of dollars are invested each year with Plant & Food and its world leading breeding programme  and the more number one hits, the more money can be invested to stay ahead with the latest innovation.

“It gives us more opportunity to do different things such as look at really distinctive product characteristics and new breeding technologies to expand our reach and create more jobs across the industry and higher returns to growers in New Zealand. It gives us a chance to look at potentially replicating what we do in New Zealand in offshore markets.

Identifying a new global sensation starts with understanding what the market wants and then looking at how to create a product that appeals. So far, the success rate is about one in 50. “The product concept is primarily market driven, so we look at where we see
an opportunity for a particular type of apple.

For example, with PremA96, it was a snack apple for health conscious parents to buy for their kids instead of an unhealthy option while Dazzle™ is a sweet, crunchy red skin apple that appeals to an Asian consumer base.”

Akin to a wine maker or a craft beer brewer, the breeders mix and match genetic attributes to develop a new variety. “We review the genetic material and cross different “parents” and then we observe the performance of the tree and the fruit to determine what other tweaks or additions need to be made.”

“There is an element of crystal ball gazing too as we are developing a new product that takes many years to get into full production. What we think is popular today in terms of flavour characteristics might not be popular to a consumer in 2040.

Tony says the next generation of apples with strong consumer interest may include a greater focus on the functional health benefits. “We all know an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how many people know why?

“We are exploring new varieties that offer a better nutritional composition that is high in the likes of fibre and vitamins, so this will be a new dimension to add to the product brief.

Imagine a ‘fit apple’ that not only keeps the doctor away but enhances your wellbeing and your performance physically and mentally. This might not be too far away.

“We want Hawke’s Bay to continue to be the premium fruit growing region and innovation hub, not only in New Zealand but in the world. We’re very fortunate to have an incredible team of scientists based right here in the Bay that are the very best in the world at what they do.

“A key driver of our business is we bring out the best innovative stuff from New Zealand and to genuinely scale the industry and to get a better returns to grower as competition around the world is fierce. For every global hit the royalties created are invested back into research and development to keep the New Zealand industry at the forefront.

The more success Prevar has in developing new apple cultivars with its shareholder partners that are then licensed to reputable growers and exporters both in New Zealand and globally, the greater the economic returns will be to Hawke’s Bay and the wider industry. We grow the best apples in the world here. Yeah.

And we wanna maintain that. And that will always be in exporting our premium varieties from New Zealand to key offshore markets and growing our some of our other varieties closer to consumers. Both of these are really important parts of our growth strategy. If we can grow from 1% market share of the global industry to 5% or 10% then we’re going to have to do things a bit differently from how we have grown the industry so far,” Tony says.

Two large water tanks in Hastings city had the potential to be a big eyesore, so when Graeme Hansen from Hastings District Council invited local landscape architect Shannon Bray to a meeting about how to dress it up a bit, no-one would have ever thought of what has become a world first.

“Graeme rang one morning and asked whether I could come and talk with him about a new water tank the Council needed to install in town. “He was concerned about the size and wondered what my thoughts were on how we might be able to mitigate it. We talked about ways to integrate the tanks into buildings, or to plant trees around the perimeter of the
site. But we were both keen to explore less conventional methods to visual screening.

The discussion turned to why the tanks and treatment plant where needed (an infrastructure solution to the Havelock North crisis in 2016), and how maybe there was an opportunity to use them as a positive response to that event.

The idea sparked to tell the story of water.

“Graeme tasked us (Wayfinder) to put together a storyboard to showcase what we’d discussed. Over the following week we developed a vision document that outlined the concept, giving it the working title of ‘Water Central’ until we were gifted the name, Waiaroha, by Ngāti Kahungunu.

Te mauri o te wai, the life essence of water
So easily taken for granted by the simple turn of a tap, but becoming one of our most complex problems
Imagine a place where we could all come together to learn and respect water
Where spirituality and the meaning of water could be explored
Where the value of water is explained
Where the journey of water can be better understood And where everyone can engage
We call it [Water Central] – an educational and immersive facility that focuses on water in its entirety and is integrated with Hastings Water Infrastructure.

Shannon says that the Wayfinder approach is that ideas are born through exploring the values of a project or place. The original discussion for Waiaroha was about questioning what the tank and the treatment plant were for, why they were needed, why did they need to be where they were.

“We do this with all our projects, we aim to dig to the bottom of the rationale to find out the core values and explicit requirements. From that we can then start to develop the most appropriate design outcomes.  The initial request was to find a way to mitigate the presence of water tanks but this then turned to the opposite of hiding them to using the water crisis in 2016 and turn it into a positive.

The infrastructure was a direct and deliberate response to a nationally significant crisis. We needed to be clear about that response. When you put it this way, delivering what we delivered is obvious – it couldn’t have been anything else.

When the idea was pitched to the Council water team, their immediate reaction was of nervous energy. They wanted curtains so they could close the view down when they were doing maintenance. But when we explained the vision, they understood and realised that they too needed to be visible, accountable, and actually proud of the work they do. It was remarkable how quickly they came on board.  Shannon took on the role holding the project vision and being the ‘facilitator of clever people’.

He did most of the vision writing and storytelling in terms of the original concepts, and assisted Graeme in telling the story to Council.

The Wayfinder team, including Lizzie Burn and Megan McBain, led the master planning for the process and also engaged with mana whenua to come up with the design story, collaborating with the architects, DGSE to develop the building location, footprint and narrative. They also worked closely with the tank and treatment plant engineers to help get them across the vision and respond their designs accordingly.

Finally we worked with the remainder of the engineering team, with Stitchbird (who developed the educational elements), and with the project manager to see it all come together.  As for the final outcome …

“We couldn’t be happier. Projects like this come around very infrequently. To have such a strong vision and a client willing to see that vision so clearly delivered is rare.

“When you have been involved in a project for so long (this occupied a space in my brain for over four years) it’s so rewarding to hand it over to the community and see them love it, use it how it was intended, and talk proudly of it as if it were their own.”

Bricks and mortar retail is no longer the main reason to go into the CBD’s of Hastings, Havelock North and Napier.

The continued growth of online shopping is reshaping our CBD’s to be the heart of our cities as a broader mix of living, working and play areas. Councils and private developers such as Wallace Developments and entrepreneur Michael Whittaker have invested many millions to revitalise our CBD’s in recent years. Hastings District Council has recently completed a 10 year revitalisation plan for the Hastings CBD which culminated in spending $60 million redeveloping the historic Hawke’s Bay Opera House complex – now called Toitoi.

As well as an arts and culture hub it has attracted new hospitality offerings such as Craft & Social, Cellar 495 and Long Island Delicatessen, joining the other more established Fun Buns, the Common Room and Brave. Hastings’ first ever hotel, Quest, has also just opened.

The council has also revamped pocket parks and bought buildings to be replaced by lane ways, improving connectivity between Heretaunga Street and side roads. The investment has in turn attracted new businesses into the city such as Datacom, Fingermark, AskYourTeam, along with luring the region’s economic development support agencies such as Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce and Export HB from Ahuriri, Napier.

The Tribune complex has also become a major feature of the CBD and other buildings that are being redeveloped include the former Breakers restaurant, now called H Central and the Westpac high-rise complex.

Council also went through a resource consent application to covert the old Farmers Transport building in Queen Street into apartments. In June and July there was a flurry of resource consent applications for Havelock North, perhaps to get in before the new development contribution rates come into effect.

A Quest hotel is proposed for Joll Road, a new commercial complex on Havelock Road and stage 3 of the mixed-use retail, hospitality and offices in Joll Road.

Colliers Hawke’s Bay Director Danny Blair is the Bay’s leading commercial deal maker, having been involved in many significant sale and lease deals across the region’s CBDs. Danny says Hastings, Havelock North and Napier CBD’s are all close to commercial office capacity and the region is facing a significant shortage of premium office space. He says the renaissance of Hastings has provided renewed confidence thanks to quality developments such as Tribune Development, 101 Queen Street East as well as major investment by council. “Hastings has certainly turned the corner and there’s some great examples of quality development that we can showcase to prospective tenants.

“The biggest issue however is car parking for staff and it makes it significantly harder if you’re pitching to businesses with large workforces.” Napier, which lost some momentum due to a drop in tourists, is now also showing promising signs with Colliers negotiating the Wallace Developments purchase of Dalton House and Vautier House, the largest office setting in the region at 8400m2.

Danny says this project is a game-changer for Napier, invigorating its commercial landscape and adding to the city’s vibrancy. Te Whatu Ora Hawke’s Bay (formerly the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board) will be the anchor tenant, taking up over 2100m2 of office space. “This has created some really strong interest from other prospective tenants and we believe it will be filled quickly. Havelock North continues to transform as a high-end retail, hospitality and professional services precinct and Danny expects some exciting new developments to be announced in the next twelve months. “

Joll Road has changed dramatically already and a Quest Hotel resource consent has been lodged and local developers have also acquired the properties from BNZ to Westpac
on Te Mata Road with an eye for an exciting multi-million dollar complex. As our CBD’s transition and expand the CBD business associations will be looking to ensure their retail and professional service members benefit as well as ensuring visitors get a positive experience.

Hastings Business Association’s acting general manager Emma Sey is excited about the future of her CBD, and although there has been growth in online shopping, nothing can replace the experience of going into retail stores like Thomson Suits and Hutchinsons Furniture. “I have no doubt that online shopping growth will continue to impact CBD’s, retailers in particular, however that doesn’t replace the experience of visiting a store to browse and view items, nor does it replace the strong desire to support local businesses within local communities.

“I still see CBD’s offering more boutique retail options, alongside eateries, services, health & beauty; they will all still have their place in the future,” she says.

Napier Business Association general manager Pip Thompson has the same sentiments and a vision for a CBD that is more accessible as well as offering more inner CBD living. Pre COVID19 Napier was the CBD of choice for many locals, especially with a wider mix of national retailers, but with tourism being a major casualty of lockdowns, more building lease signs went up. Unperturbed Pip and Napier City Council are looking at the many positives including the welcomed return of cruise ships and major events.

“We can expect CBD offerings to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs and preferences of consumers. “For example, keeping our variety relevant, ensuring businesses are well supported so that they stay in the CBD. More indoor/outdoor dining, as well as more experiences and experiential shopping.”

“A CBD that is accessible to everyone, no matter where you live and work and we would love to see more permanent living options such as residential spaces and co-living arrangements, and serviced apartments, allowing people to live and work in close proximity to the CBD.” Pip says.

Havelock North Business Association lead Emma McRobbie says the village CBD experience is ever-evolving and sees an opportunity to enhance further using technology and encouraging innovation. “The significance of the physical CBD remains, offering unique experiences and fostering a sense of community. “By integrating technology, encouraging innovation, and adapting to changing consumer preferences, there is an opportunity to create CBD’s that becomes an immersive hub of activity thus drawing people in.

“Exploring concepts such as more permanent living arrangements, community spaces, and engaging events can help ensure that the CBD remains a vibrant and essential part of people’s lives,” Emma says. All three associations are funded by a targeted rate or levy which is administered by councils. Napier also receives some top up funding while Havelock and Hastings pitch for funding support for promotions and events. They also advocate for their members on issues such as parking and streetscape enhancements.

For Pip, the area that needs most of an overhaul is Ocean Boulevard Mall, which she says is completely vacant and is a high value, high traffic area that negatively impacts on vibrancy in the CBD. Emma in Havelock would like to see a major overhaul of the central public toilets and CBD rubbish bins.

“Ensuring clean and accessible public facilities is crucial to providing a positive experience for both residents and visitors. By investing in the improvement and modernisation of these amenities, we can enhance the overall appeal and functionality of our CBD, creating a welcoming and convenient environment for all.

In Hastings, Emma Sey would like to see landlords enhance their historical buildings in the western blocks of Heretaunga Street, while also saying it’s time for a focus on Stortford Lodge – an area that sits outside of the associations mandate.

“The west-end of Heretaunga Street has some beautiful historical buildings that do need landlord attention which would benefit the entire CBD and the landlords themselves as work put it would give them a broader range of tenant options. While outside of our associations zone, Stortford Lodge coming into the main CBD is an area that requires some attention and beautification.

As the region recovers from Cyclone Gabrielle and an expected tightening of discretionary spending the associations are looking to roll out promotional campaigns to keep foot traffic and consumer spending up. Hastings will continue to roll out its ‘Discover Hastings’ campaign to encourage both locals and visitors into the CBD.

“We’ll also be working closely with partners to help promote the many key events on offer over the next few months including the ongoing Hastings 150th celebrations, Blossom Festival, HB Arts Festival and more.”

Napier has already held a successful campaign to get more people into the CBD following the cyclone as well as a series of events such as themed business breakfasts and street food events. “We launched ‘We Are Open’, which was designed to promote our city’s recovery post-Cyclone Gabrielle using our membership and the community.”

Havelock North has also finished a ‘support local’ campaign and will launch a hospitality promotion to showcase the diverse culinary experiences available.

“Looking ahead, we intend to launch a domestic tourism campaign, inviting visitors to explore and enjoy our vibrant CBD.

“Lastly, as the year draws to a close, we plan to implement a ‘Gift Local’ promotion that will encourage residents to support local businesses during the holiday season. As CBD’s are more activated both during the day and evening, it is hoped that some of the safety issues are overcome, something all three CBD advocates hope for.

Other challenges they face include high cost of living impacting consumer spend, seven-day staffing and streetscape maintenance.

“As Havelock North continues to grow, the need for more car parking spaces becomes increasingly apparent. Addressing these infrastructure concerns is crucial to enhance the overall accessibility and functionality of the CBD, providing a more pleasant experience for residents and visitors alike.”

Our CBD’s are in good heart, with strong commercial tenants as well as retail and hospitality offerings.