SPEND LOCALLY
I refer to Bryan Vickery’s letter of 29 September which encourages South Taranaki residents to spend locally. Bryan correctly argues that our local retailers must continue to provide good service and be attractive and inviting. However, we need to build on those attributes.
We need to look at how we can target which new (retail) businesses to encourage to come to South Taranaki. Over the past couple of decades, there has been a noticeable decline in the choice of goods available in town. We still have great specialty shops, but we should attract more to fill our retail gaps and give residents and visitors a reason to do more of their shopping in Hawera. Sure, op shops fill a need in the community, but they don’t bring new money into the town – they are merely recycling our collective, pre-loved stuff. Also, and I think my observation is shared: there is a frustrating decline in the choice of foods in our supermarkets.
Now that we are through the GFC, the first exciting blush of the online shopping revolution and the downturn in the dairy markets, it is time to re-think retail, to create a strategy which draws both residents and visitors alike into town, to enjoy shopping, to spend money in our cafes, to make the Hawera CBD a shopping destination.
The Council’s plans for the CBD are a wonderful first step, but now we need to marry-up that re-development with a robust retail strategy that will take us to the next big retail revolution. Wendy R London
Hawera
EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES
Michael Barnett, the high profile chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce was the guest speaker in Hawera last week. His presentation highlighted the exciting opportunities Hawera had in response to Auckland’s housing crisis and Jaffas seeking a change of lifestyle. Barnett also gave tips on how a town, like Hawera —with great amenities--could better market itself, especially to tourists. He related how he had worked with Whakatane years ago to make it a tourist attraction, and that no progress was made until locals had a change of attitude. Previously visitors were seen as an inconvenience: less parking, and strangers using public toilets. So it begs the question: does Hawera really want visitors, and are we a friendly town? In my opinion, the answer is yes, but we could all do
SEABED MINING
Matthew Prestige fails to mention the hundreds of pages of scientific data concerning the plume, size and effects of the plume and analysis of sediment deposits and possible effects, that is not available to Iwi unless they sign a confidentiality agreement with Trans-Tasman Resources, which literally deprives them of their moral rights. Ngati Ruanui’s advertisement is mostly about the very issues that TTR wants to be kept secret and if Iwi sought clarification by agreeing to a confidentiality agreement, there would be nothing they could do with the information if they did not like what the data contains. All eight Iwi in the Taranaki region have declined to sign away their rights and I think they have every right to be wary and ‘emotional’ about a proposed secretive experimental industry on their doorstep.
Kerry Riley
Waverley
WRITE TO US
We welcome letters to the editor, 250 words or less preferred. Published at the sole discretion of the editor and they may be edited. Include your address and phone number (not for publication). Send to Taranaki Star, 55 Regent St, 4610 or PO Box 428, Hawera or email to star@dailynews.co.nz. Deadline: Fridays 4pm.