Richard
Moore's Straight Talk Columns
It's
time to wheel out our creative side ...
13/7/2010
THE
loss of immediate government funding is a blow to the idea of the
cycleway running down the coastline in the Bay, but it is by no
means a fatal one.
Instead
of moaning about the situation, our municipal and tourism chiefs
should be already planning one themselves - all it takes is a preparedness
to realise it isn't going to be easy, rolling up the sleeves and
getting stuck into it.
Nothing
worthwhile is handed to us on a platter and instead of bleating
about being let down by Government, our civic leaders need to harden
up and take a leaf out of the book of Western Bay, our rural neighbour,
and go it alone.
Or
at least join forces with Mayor Ross Paterson and his mob to create
a joint Bay-wide cycleway.
Apart
from the proposed track between Tauranga and Waihi, I'd like to
see one between Mount Maunganui and the Papamoa Hills.
It
could run along the beach's edge and would safely link the businesses
and communities along the coastal strip. I can think of fewer things
that would be more fun on a summer day than riding from Papamoa
towards the Mount, securing the bikes at a regular cycle station,
going for a pizza or pasta at Milanos, or walking further down to
Bayfair.
Likewise
heading from the Mount down a beach cycleway to the Papamoa Hills.
It
would also encourage people working in any of those linked areas
to perhaps hop on to a bike and cycle to their job rather than drive.
Yes,
it would cost money but the long-term benefits would add to Tauranga's
attractiveness as a tourist destination.
Yes,
come and swim at our beaches, visit Waimarino Adventure park, hire
out our Blokarts, walk around the Mount then dine at the cafes,
go out dolphin spotting and fishing, but also hire a bike and ride
along a beautiful pathway, stay a few days at our motels, eat at
our restaurants.
It
is estimated that a tourist on a bike spends about $400 a day in
the areas they travel through. That is money Bay businesses could
well do with.
In many regional areas of New Zealand local authorities are creating
a brand for themselves. Take for example Carterton. The little Wairapapa
town is ``putting the art back into cARTerton'' by investing in
outdoor removable art. Interesting pieces of art - painted on to
large sheets of plywood - are being attached to buildings around
the place.
It
may not sound like much but when you think that they want to extend
the range of art from seven pieces to several dozen all of a sudden
it becomes an attraction.
And
after a while cARTerton becomes a destination just for the artworks
themselves. It's thinking outside the square and it's successful
thinking too.
All
it takes is vision and a bit of political will.
*******
You
don't have to be a genius to see downtown Tauranga is ailing as
a destination. And, equally, it's pretty obvious that the centre
of the city is dying as a place for retailers.
The
cost of car parking is a big turnoff for people wanting to shop.
Even if the costs are not high they are more than the free and plentiful
parking at places like Bayfair, Fraser Cove and Bethlehem.
The
Tauranga council rakes in squillions a year in parking fees and
will say it cannot afford to offer free parking. But can it afford
not to?
People
are not coming into the city and numbers have dropped so dramatically
- possibly by 40 per cent - revenue from parking has already been
hit hard. Estimates are that parking fees are down around $700,000.
The council needs to act quickly and back its struggling inner-city
retailers by offering free parking in its carparks to anyone who
buys an item in one of the downtown shops. It could also have free
street parking while still retaining the time limits to ensure a
good flow of new customers.
A
city needs a strong heart and that centre needs people and excitement
- as the Jazz Festival shows - and ours seems to have lost its beat.
Making
the waterfront and downtown areas more family friendly should also
be high on council priorities, giving a boost to both shops and
eateries in the city. Street entertainment on weekends would help
draw families in to wander around and then visit the Art Gallery.
It's hardly surprising that place isn't used to its potential when
fewer people are going into the city itself.
Tauranga
has a great harbour that divides the city from the Mount and Papamoa
and more use should be made of the waterway.
A
new ferry service is needed to carry people between Salisbury Wharf
and Coronation Pier - it would be a fabulous trip for both locals
and visitors.
And
when cruise ships dock the passengers can be taken into the city
area to enjoy shopping and restaurants in town, or just enjoy a
pleasant outing on the water before checking out the Mount and its
offerings.
Come
on guys, get creative!
|