Crunch time as Warkworth BID vote begins

The future management and promotion of Warkworth’s retail, commercial and industrial area is now in the hands of its landlords and business owners.Ballot papers on the question of whether or not to establish a Business Improvement District in Warkworth, funded by a targeted rate, were posted on March 30.

The outcome will be known soon after voting closes on April 20 and, if successful, the mandatory rate is likely to apply from July 1.

The BID message has focused on the need for the town to have a strong, professional and sustainably-funded organisation to lobby on its behalf.

Two main challenges in the years ahead will be the impact of the motorway bypass and the growth tsunami heading north from Auckland.

At an information meeting last month, BID representatives from Pukekohe and Onehunga shared their experiences.

“Setting up a BID is not a one-hit-wonder, but it is a way of moving forward,” Onehunga BID manager Amanda Kinzett said. “You will never please everyone because there are always some people who will be stuck in the past.

“But being in a BID presents a lot of opportunities for businesses, across a whole range of areas from safety and security to data-based reporting on events and campaigns. We also make sure Onehunga’s voice is heard by Auckland Council. In the last few months, we’ve made more than 25 submissions on local government issues affecting our members.”

Pukekohe BID manager Kendyl Gibson agreed.

“I’d say about half of what we do involves advocacy on our members’ behalf,” she said. “There is also a strong culture of accountability through annual business plans and Key Performance Indicators.”

Warkworth is proposing a targeted rate based on a flat annual fee of $250 plus a percentage (0.000418) of the property’s CV to collectively reach an operating budget of $180,000.

One participant questioned whether a BID plan could be proposed before the new organisation was formed. He believed it would be up to the new body to set both the rate and the agenda, which might not necessarily be what the Warkworth Area Business Association (WABA) was proposing.

However, Rodney Local Board member and meeting chair, Phelan Pirrie, said that was a very unlikely scenario.
He said the vote carried a mandate to carry out what was proposed prior to the vote.

“Of course this can be modified going forward,” he said.

WABA has spent nearly three years canvassing businesses on whether or not to promote a third BID attempt in Warkworth. Its advocacy has involved public meetings, surveys, written material, online material and face-to-face discussions.

Mr Pirrie congratulated the association on its campaign.

“The WABA volunteers have done an impressive and often under-valued job,” he said.