What businesses think of council
The Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce wanted to know what its members were interested in ahead of this year’s council elections. So it asked them. Some of the feedback it received in its survey was astonishing.
From calling for a full secondary sewerage treatment plant to the introduction of Te Reo in school curricula (a central government responsibility), Hutt Valley business people had views on everything.
A common theme was a desire to see reform to how the council levies rates.
One called for ’’better rating differentials between residential and commercial properties’’ so that commercial property owners and, through them businesses, were not paying disproportionately.
Another recurring concern was around transport within the Hutt Valley and the Wellington region, with many interested to see the Cross-Valley Link road take shape.
One business person, concerned about the future impacts of climate change, said there was no need for more roading and that it was time to make public transport more reliable so staff members could confidently use it.
They went on to propose a tram- train system be implemented all the way from the Hutt Valley to Wellington Airport, similar to one used in the German city of Karlsruhe.
Some wanted to see more effort put in to making the Lower Hutt CBD more attractive and user friendly, including a suggestion that High St between Margaret St and Andrews Ave be closed off to become a pedestrian precinct so cafes and restaurants could be attracted to set up there.
Another respondent wanted a stronger link between Queensgate and the rest of the CBD, suggesting there could be an overbridge to ‘‘connect the ‘dying’ old heart of the city’’ with the mall.
Such an overbridge could link Dowse Square to within the mall, near Farmers.
The mall brought many visitors to the city and it was time to move past knocking it, they said.
Upper Hutt business people also took part, with one asking the Upper Hutt City Council to stick to its knitting, stating that ‘‘council should keep well away from property development - it always ends in tears and the ratepayers lose money’’.