Business Improvement District

Auckland Council held a meeting last night to encourage commercial landlords and their tenants in the Henderson and Lincoln Road areas to form a Business Improvement District (BID). The context of this suggestion is that the Henderson area is experiencing a downturn in shopper numbers and general foot traffic through retail and outlet stores.

So Council wants commercial landlords to sign up to yet another levy applied to their rates to fund this Business Improvement District concept, whose job it would be to lobby Auckland Council for improvements. Isn’t this what we pay Counsellors to do? Council representatives did most of the talking and facilitated multiple discussions on how people could be attracted, to work in and visit Henderson, and in particular, the central shopping area.

In the middle of the discussion Council mentioned that 700 to 1000 jobs are going from Central Henderson, (something that’s been on the cards for a while), as Council relocates all Auckland Transport staff, (currently residing in the existing Waitakere Council building), to the expensive and structurally problematic Council high-rise in the CBD. Following on from this there is a big possibility the property arm of Council will end up giving special cheap deals for rental office space in the building they are vacating, in an attempt to offset the costs of it standing empty.

All this is another example of Council’s lack of internal communication, combined strategies and most importantly understanding of market forces. Why would any landlord voluntarily pay an additional rate levy in an attempt to improve business activity in and around Henderson when Council is about to deliver the biggest crushing blow to Henderson’s commercial well-being in a very long time. To call Auckland Council duplicitous is an understatement, it’s more honest to accept they’re just plain stupid.

Council staff may have been disappointed that having written to 1200 Henderson and Lincoln Road area landlords inviting them to this meeting about improving Henderson’s lot, only 12 turned up!   NO WONDER.

I don’t think it’s voter apathy, I’m pretty sure it’s that most people are disillusioned with, in Angus Cathcart’s words, Auckland Councils woolly corporate speak.

I am not against the establishment of a Henderson and Lincoln Road area BID, large pressure groups especially representing landlords can apply significant pressure on behalf of their members. But this is a duplication of a Counsellors job and our community should not have to pay twice, for political representation.

PS: Hope all the unfortunate Auckland Transport staff being forced to commute to the CBD, use the train, as Council is trying desperately to reduce the number of cars on Auckland motorways