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The chair of the new association is Josh Hubbard, who grew up in Warkworth, has worked in the area and recently completed a degree at Auckland University.
Josh says that while the BID campaign was a catalyst for setting up the new organisation, the association will have a broader focus.
“We will be issuing a media release in three or four weeks time which will set out members’ concerns about the BID process, give some background on why the association has formed and the direction that we want to go,” he says.
Josh says there’s been a good response to the membership application packs and he confirmed that the association would represent the interests of the retail section, not just the industrial area.
“A lot of the issues, particularly those regarding Auckland Council, affect both commercial and industrial businesses alike. We see the association having a stronger advocacy role.”
Although the new association’s application pack has an anti-BID focus, Warkworth Area Business Association (WABA) chair Dean Sampson says he doesn’t believe the new organisation will have an impact on the BID process.
“To be honest I haven’t heard much about it,” he says. “We’ll be carrying on doing what we do. I guess you could say that it’s a bit disappointing, but everyone has the right to do their own thing. Whether or not it confuses people will depend on how much they want to push the issue.”
WABA believes that a properly resourced BID will give Warkworth better representation, particularly with Auckland Council, as well as providing a collective approach to marketing, business growth and town improvements.
If successful, the BID will impose a compulsory levy on commercial property owners and businesses within the designated BID boundary, which incorporates the whole of the retail area, as well as the Woodcocks Road and Hudson Road industrial estates.
Every registered business within the boundary area that pays commercial rates is eligible to register to vote on the BID, with registrations closing on January 15.
The postal vote will be conducted from late March to mid-April.
To register, go to: warkworthbusiness.co.nz/#!register-/cluw
