One Mahurangi – Busy times for business

One Mahurangi Business Association is facing a very busy next six weeks. First, the positive news – on May 29, we began a six-course series of workshops on artificial intelligence (AI) developments and ChatGPT basics. The series has attracted widespread interest and will be held fortnightly until the final session on August 7. We are currently negotiating another series of workshops, this time over four sessions, on stress management and building business and personal resilience. It is proposed that this workshop series will commence after the completion of the AI workshop series. Once dates are confirmed, we will advertise the details across our usual platforms, such as our website and Facebook page.

We are also going to hold another Meet the Police session in the Woodcocks industrial area on Thursday, June 13 at ITSS Engineering. We have previously run two similar sessions, and there has been interest in a further meeting, particularly with the appointment of a new acting police sergeant. Security is still an issue, and we are currently working with the police on the location, operation and monitoring of new security cameras.

To cap this period off, the Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights is back and will be held on Saturday, July 6. We encourage everyone to come along throughout the day and enjoy a wonderful occasion. It grows in size every year, and the hospitality industry regularly has its best daily take for the year. There will be some new attractions so come along and enjoy.

The biggest issue facing us, though, is the Watercare proposal to route its new wastewater line through Elizabeth and Queen Streets. We have been working on two alternative routes, which we will present to the Mayor of Auckland within the next couple of weeks. We have also written to the Mayor outlining our total opposition to the Watercare proposal, for which we got unanimous support from all businesses on those two streets. We have also launched a petition, which will be widely available in the CBD and online for the community to sign. This will be presented to the Watercare’s chair and chief executive. Following that, we will embark on a national media campaign.

We would also encourage as many as possible to submit to Auckland Transport’s Regional Long Term Plan (RLTP). There are two important items in the RLTP that affect Warkworth – namely, funding for the construction of Hill Street and sealing of unsealed roads in Rodney. Any support that your submissions give to these two matters will be greatly beneficial in obtaining the requisite funding.