Dawson Shopping Centre Achieves High Grades

Media Release
18 December 2008

Dawson Shopping Centre Achieves High Grades

Dawson Road shopping centre has achieved top marks with all 16 shops in the centre receiving A grades for food safety.

After last year’s grades of ten E’s, two B’s and four A’s shop owners were challenged by Otara councillor Arthur Anae and Dawson Road town centre manager Audrey Williams to get better food standards grading.

Dawson Road shopping centre is one of 12 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) supported by Manukau City Council.

For approximately six weeks Cr Anae and Audrey Williams worked one-on-one with each shop owner, to give them the understanding of the vision for the centre and assist in improving food hygiene standards.

As each shop achieved an A grade they were given poster sized certificates to place in their front windows. This provided an incentive for the surrounding shops to also reach that standard. Earlier this year, when 14 outlets in the town centre got A grades more work was done with the other two to also bring them up to a high standard.

Manukau Mayor Len Brown says it is great news that all Dawson Road food outlets have A grades.

“It’s a significant achievement and one that will pay off by bringing in customers. This shows what a real focus on improving standards can do.

“We’ve put real effort this year into encouraging food outlets to raise their standards and get A grades. This is part of our focus on a clean, tidy and proud Manukau.

Dawson Road town centre manager Audrey Williams says the business association has big plans to make the Dawson Road centre a better place to shop.

“We are smaller compared to other town centres but we are going to do our best to provide a safer, healthier place for the community. We are also focusing on improving the shopping centre by improving car parking, creating murals and other upgrades.”

Next year the centre is planning to host a range of activities, for example ‘Dawson’s Got Talent’, a karaoke and dance competition for under 14 years.

ENDS

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