Lower Hutt seeks its own Cameron Brewer

Newmarket's Cameron Brewer

Lower Hutt is taking inspiration from Auckland shopping district Newmarket, in an attempt to breathe life back into its inner city.

The Hutt City Council has agreed to fund a retail coordinator for the CBD, to be in charge of injecting life back into the area.

Mayor David Ogden says the new position is in response to his concerns about businesses trickling out of the inner city, with around 24 shops currently vacant. He says recession is part of the problem, but many businesses are also moving into nearby Westfield Mall.

Ogden would like the new retail coordinator to create a similar sort of profile as Cameron Brewer at the Newmarket Business Association.

"He is a real personality, he's constantly in the national news. A lot of it centres around his abilities and his personality. He can come down and work for us anytime - I think we've actually asked him once - but he doesn't want to leave Auckland."

The man himself says he's chuffed that mayor David Ogden has publicly suggested the Hutt CBD needs someone like him, but says the city council won't have any trouble finding anyone.

"Congratulations to the Hutt City Council for putting up some money to employ a local business advocate", said Brewer today. "However it won't be me. I only left Wellington eight years ago. One thing's for sure, Hutt City Council will get dozens of great applicants given the flat job market."

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZHERALD.CO.NZ