The reinstated Kerikeri Business Association's priorities include bringing back the town's hugely popular street party (and, yes, that is a dancing unicorn). Photo / Peter de Graaf
The reinstated Kerikeri Business Association's priorities include bringing back the town's hugely popular street party (and, yes, that is a dancing unicorn). Photo / Peter de Graaf
Installing a town-wide CCTV system to deter crime and bringing back the hugely popular street party - those are the two top priorities for the reborn Kerikeri Business Association.
For the past two years Kerikeri hasn't had a functioning business association and its business owners have lacked a collective voice,even though it's now the most populous town in the Far North.
That, however, is about to change.
Mortgage adviser Sarah Curtis was appointed Kerikeri Business Association chairwoman at a special meeting conducted last week on Zoom, along with treasurer Jancy Stott and secretary Tracy Wakefield.
Another six committee members will be appointed this week. The next step will be a membership drive.
Curtis said the association hadn't done anything since 2019 though membership invoices were sent out in 2020.
"It was such a mess."
It wasn't clear why the association had fizzled out but the Covid pandemic, and the cancellation of two street parties due to rain and the virus, may have been "a bit overwhelming".
The reborn Kerikeri Business Association is chaired by mortgage adviser Sarah Curtis. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The reinstated business association would have two immediate priorities, Curtis said.
One was a new CCTV system. The existing system was inadequate, outdated and had limited coverage.
She met Focus Paihia's Gary Lucas last week to learn how that town had set up a state-of-the-art CCTV system paid for by assets seized under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act.
Though operational only since December, Paihia's CCTV system has already led to arrests for high-profile crimes such as last month's robbery of Focus Paihia's town custodian.
Curtis said a camera system was needed not just for its ability to solve crimes but also for its deterrent effect.
Another priority for the renewed Kerikeri Business Association is a CCTV system to deter crime, like the state-of-the-art system installed late last year in Paihia. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The other priority would be to bring back the hugely popular street party, started by bed-and-breakfast owners in 2009 to persuade runners in the Kerikeri Half Marathon to stay an extra night.
Pre-Covid it pulled crowds of more than 4000 people, making it easily the biggest night of the year in Kerikeri. The business association would work with concert promoter Jackie Sanders to secure entertainment.
The main street would be closed off as in previous years but there would be ticketed entry for everyone, instead of koha at the gate and separate VIP areas as in the past.
"The street party will be back. We all need a party and it's great for all businesses in town," Curtis said.
Other organisations such as Our Kerikeri were already doing good work and a renewed business association would support their efforts, she said.
"The business association was the missing piece of the puzzle. It will give us a voice in Northland again which we've been lacking. We are much stronger as a collective."
The group can be contacted via kerikeribusasc@gmail.com. A website and Facebook page are in the wings.
■ Quality, town-wide CCTV would have been invaluable in a number of recent incidents in Kerikeri. They include the vandalism of a new sculpture at Kerikeri roundabout and a suspicious fire at Calypso Takeaways, which closed a number of businesses for several days.
