“If Covid-19 is looking positively contained by Monday, Cabinet needs to seriously consider also moving Auckland into ‘Level 1.5’. As it stands, Level 2 would still present crippling barriers to many Auckland businesses and consumers,” says Takapuna Beach Business Association (TBBA) chief executive, Terence Harpur.

The TBBA has released Paymark transactional data showing retail spend in the North Shore metropolitan centre fell by nearly two-thirds in a seven-day period, with just four and a half of those days during Auckland’s Level 3 lockdown. The association expects the current week’s results, showing seven days at Level 3, will be much worse.

Takapuna’s latest Marketview data shows the amount spent in the week ending 16 August was down a total of 64.4% compared to the same week last year.

Spending in Takapuna on Food, Liquor & Pharmacies was -4.8%; Hospitality & Accommodation -76.3%; Fuel & Automotive +0.0%; Clothing, Footwear & Dept. Stores -80.4%; Home & Recreational Retailing -73.1%; and all other -53.1%.

“Stepping down to the next alert level must safeguard the general public, but it also has to support our SMEs which are the lifeblood of our town centre and achieving an open economy,” he says.

Mr Harpur says it’s clear with Auckland’s latest lockdown that hospitality operators and apparel retailers, for example, are suffering enormously while the likes of liquor stores, dairies and supermarkets are trading comparably, if not better in some cases.

He notes the country’s overall ability to contact trace has vastly improved since April. Businesses are sporting their QR codes and over 1.3 million Kiwis have now downloaded the Covid Tracer app. The community is also more aware of personal protection, including wearing masks and regular sanitising of hands.

“Record keeping by businesses is no problem. It’s more that if Auckland moved down to Level 2, restaurants, cafés, bars and retailers would re-open but the physical distancing requirements would force many to operate at a fraction of their usual capacity. Level 2 also encourages people to work from home, which again doesn’t support town centres like ours.

“Capping numbers on our big hospitality operators and seating all patrons, while taking away tables and chairs in restaurants and cafes, could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. We’re calling for a much more workable and practical ‘Level 1.5’ for Auckland. It would be a lifesaver for many local businesses,” says Terence Harpur.

www.ilovetakapuna.co.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media