After spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on consultants' reports plus as much again on staff time the Hastings City Centre Plan was adopted.
But very little has since been done to change and improve the CBD.
On Wednesday, August 26, a mayoral CBD symposium was held to talk about the community's concerns about its CBD. Commendable, but long overdue.
The CBD issue will not be solved overnight, but is an accumulation of many actions or lack of actions by the council, particularly the sale of Nelson Park.
Bold actions are required by the council and community. One solution is not the answer but many small planned actions. These have been lacking in the past.
Some of these bold actions should include:
1. Making the Hastings CBD more compact
The key inner-retail core to be Heretaunga St, between King St and Karamu Rd.
Ever since K Mart and Nelson Park decisions our CBD has grown all over the place and de-focused our city centre.
Heretaunga St outside this inner-retail core would be re-classified as outer retail.
The two areas; inner and outer retail would have different rating levels.
This would allow the retail operators to concentrate in the inner-retail core giving a full and tight shopping precinct, with other retail type operators in the outer retail core, rather than being salt-and-peppered throughout the CBD.
We have just been through a detailed District Plan review and the Hastings CBD was not fully considered in this.
Was this another missed opportunity?
2. The development of a "buy local" campaign
The Hastings Business Association should develop a "buy local" campaign to encourage locals to shop and spend with our local retailers.
This would bring awareness of the economic benefits that buying locally brings to the community.
Create jobs locally and build community resilience - the Hastings District Council should be at the forefront of the "buy local" campaign by ensuring they spend more with the local businesses than they currently do. More encouragement and use of local businesses to do council's work should be a priority of council's day-to-day operations.
3. Ensure the NZ government charges GST on all goods purchased on the internet
All local councils and MPs should be publicly calling on John Key and the Government to move more quickly to ensure a level playing field exists when it comes to GST on all purchases made overseas.
For NZ to be more proactive on this like the Australian government.
The current system is unfair to the NZ retailers and is costing local jobs.
In 2014, overseas purchases by internet estimated to be $1.1billion (doubled in the last four years), current total NZ retail quarterly spend $14 billion.
4. Parking
Hastings District Council has had $1 million in its budgets for a new CBD parking area for the last six-plus years.
I have raised potential opportunity sites but to no avail. Because of a lack of planning or an unwillingness to make a decision, nothing has been done.
This has been an opportunity lost as the potential cost of property may now have increased.
5. Support the Hastings City Business Association
For any community to move forward it is about building strong and trusting relationships.
One of the most important in the Hastings CBD is that between the Hastings City Business Association and the Hastings District Council.
This must be strengthened, nurtured and fully understood.
6. Don't be afraid to try new things
This is where the business association can be the ideas springboard that can work together with the council if required on such things that involve council such as free parking, etc.
Council seems prepared to spend very large sums on consultants reports, etc, but is found wanting when it comes to physically doing anything.
This must change.
Be bold and do something.
-Wayne Bradshaw is a Hastings district councillor.
