Voters decline Point Chevalier and Royal Oak mainstreet programmes

Point Chevalier and Royal Oak will have to wait for another chance to become part of Auckland City’s mainstreet programme after receiving insufficient votes in recent polls of local businesses.

The result of the polls, which asked local businesses “Do you wish to establish a mainstreet programme?”, were very close but did not reach the 60 per cent of votes required for Auckland City to mandate a separate rating system for local businesses in Point Chevalier and Royal Oak.

In Point Chevalier, nearly 48 per cent said they would like to establish the programme. In Royal Oak 49 per cent agreed with a mainstreet programme.

Auckland City has 16 mainstreet programmes. They each market their combined businesses as a unit and promote a community sense of place. Increasingly, local villages and town centres are having to compete with big shopping malls and are in danger of losing both customers and their community spirit.

The mainstreet programme itself is based on five main aspects: organisation, design, heritage conservation, promotion and business development. The programme is financially supported by levying a separate rate over a designated mainstreet area.

Auckland City’s community planner, Di Stewart, says this will not be the last chance for Royal Oak and Point Chevalier to become part of the mainstreet programme.

“They will both have another opportunity to institute the mainstreet programme in their area. We will be keeping in contact with Point Chevalier and Royal Oak.”

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