Our Place and other services on council’s chopping

village to stay, and the CBD would be a much less vibrant place without it.

Glenn Miekle, owner of High Tide bar — an Our Place original tenant — said the decision would come at a “pretty hard time”.

If the village closed, he would be out the cost of doing up his container, unless he could move it elsewhere.

It was “fair enough” that ratepayers would not want to pay to keep Our Place going, but he believed it could become financially sustainable if it was halved in size. “It really is a great little community space that does attract people to the CBD.”

It provided small premises for emerging businesses to test their idea in the market before potentially moving on to larger spaces in the city.

Miekle said the perception that tenants were getting handouts was false.

“We all pay rent every week.” He said his business had done well council

Source: Tauranga City Council in Our Place and, in his view, getting rid of the village would make the CBD “even more of a ghost town”.

Rawiri Mckinney opened his new music promotion business, Riff Raff Promotions, in the village in February and said he would be disappointed if he had to find somewhere else.

The former music teacher, who works with school bands, believed Our Place had the potential to be an “absolutely amazing” music venue, if it was done up a bit and marketed differently.

“Downtown Tauranga really needs something like that.”

Mount Made Ice Cream owner Glenn Stubbs — another original Our Place tenant — said it would be “a bit of a bummer” if it closed.

“It’s been pretty good down there for us.”

With all the construction in the CBD, he reckoned Our Place would have become “busier and busier”.

On New Year’s Eve events, staff have recommended cutting

Reduce New Year’s Eve event funding ($444,000) Remove budget for tropical display house in Robbins Park, withdraw service ($61,000) Remove budget for hanging baskets in CBD, withdraw service ($89,000) Closure of Our Place site

Events framework funding ($200,000) Council-organised events ($100,000) Historic Village functions and events ($40,000) Emergency management community education budget ($25,000) Harbour encroachment budget ($50,000) Potential budget for energy, carbon and sustainability management and advisory services while fresh approach considered ($100,000) Waterline education programme ($45,000). —