Palmerston North city councillor Leonie Hapeta: Please shop local and support our city

Palmerston North city councillor Leonie Hapeta says the next Economic Growth Committee will discuss the airport’s plan for the next financial year. Photo / Kevin Bills Media

Opinion

Retail in May 2023 looks very different from a year ago. The environment has changed. Some shops in the CBD do not want to have their doors open all the time because items get stolen and the staff get harassed by some individuals.

Covid-19 is still present in our community, but no one is talking about it. However, our staff and customers are getting sick and then they are coming back to work because they need to earn a living. Things are tough out there.

Rents are high, expenses have gone up and we all have to pay for this. The general message from retailers is: please shop local and support our city.

The following items are on the agenda for the next Economic Growth Committee meeting:

• Palmerston North Strategic Transport Networks – this outlines the roading hierarchy for the city;
• Te Utanganui Master Plan – this is the major project for the city to do with freight, both inward and outbound;
• Tamakuku Terrace project update – the housing project in Kelvin Grove that is being run by the council;
• Streets for People project update – the inner-city streets project;
• Palmerston North Airport Statement of Intent – this outlines the airport’s plan for the next financial year.

I chair the Economic Growth Committee. If you have any questions about the agenda for the June 21 meeting, email me at leonie.hapeta@pncc.govt.nz.

This is the last councillor column in this series as councillors Vaughan Dennison and Roly Fitzgerald did not respond to the invitation to take part. Councillor columns will return in August.

• Leonie Hapeta is a Palmerston North city councillor.