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Hi neighbours,
Do you have a vehicle that is taking up space and becoming an eyesore? At AAA Auto Parts we dismantle and wreck cars. We will pay top cash whether your car is dead or alive!
* $300 - $3000 for small cars
* $700 - $10,000 for 4x4 utes, vans, 4WD, trucks and buses
* Same day … View moreHi neighbours,
Do you have a vehicle that is taking up space and becoming an eyesore? At AAA Auto Parts we dismantle and wreck cars. We will pay top cash whether your car is dead or alive!
* $300 - $3000 for small cars
* $700 - $10,000 for 4x4 utes, vans, 4WD, trucks and buses
* Same day removal
* Free quotes over the phone
We will beat any prices in the market by 10%.
Support your local business.
Give us a call on ** 0800 50 00 01 ** and we will be happy to have a chat.
On June 30, almost all 50km/h streets in the CBD - including the likes of Karangahape Rd, Symonds St and Quay St - will fall to 30km/h. Fanshawe St, Hobson St and Nelson St drop to 40km/h, while Federal St and Elliott St, which are shared with pedestrians, will be 10km/h. An interactive map … View moreOn June 30, almost all 50km/h streets in the CBD - including the likes of Karangahape Rd, Symonds St and Quay St - will fall to 30km/h. Fanshawe St, Hobson St and Nelson St drop to 40km/h, while Federal St and Elliott St, which are shared with pedestrians, will be 10km/h. An interactive map released earlier this month shows almost every major road in the CBD will see speed limits drop as part of Auckland Transport's (AT's) Safe Speeds programme. While road safety advocacy organisation Brake NZ supports the lower speed limits, it wants them introduced more frequently beyond the confines of the city too. "We would like to see this rolled out much more widely in the future," the charity's director Caroline Perry told. "[We want lower limits] in a lot of our communities, suburban centres, around schools and childcare centres - all those areas that global best practice tell us we should have those low 30km/h speed limits for the best chances of safety and saving lives in those areas."
Many rural roads in the Rodney and Franklin districts will see reductions, while changes will also be made to limits on about 100 other roads across the Auckland region on Tuesday. But it's in the inner city that speed limit changes will be most pronounced, with almost every single major road to be affected. "We support these lower speed limits… the World Health Organization says where people on foot and bike are mixing with motorised traffic, it should be 30km/h limits or less," Perry said. "It makes sure if the worst happens, and you're involved in a crash with someone who's a pedestrian or a cyclist, they have the best chance of survival. The reduction in speed makes a big difference." In 2016, Christchurch City Council implemented a 30km/h zone of its own in its CBD. The impacts were notable - a 36 percent reduction in crashes resulting in injury in the two years to March 2018, compared to the two-year period prior. Perry says while the safety impacts are obvious, it's also made the inner city "more liveable and more accessible in terms of people feeling safe to go out and walk and cycle". "That's what we really want in our urban centres," she said. In 2018, 54 people died on Auckland's roads and 595 others were left with serious injuries. AT says it wants to see that number drop to zero by 2050.
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Hello neighbours,
I am looking for handy man with his own vehicle and tools to assist me with maintenance repairs on my rental properties approximately 1 day per week. Must have experience. The properties are located in South Auckland. Would suit a semi retired person or someone who has … View moreHello neighbours,
I am looking for handy man with his own vehicle and tools to assist me with maintenance repairs on my rental properties approximately 1 day per week. Must have experience. The properties are located in South Auckland. Would suit a semi retired person or someone who has experience in property maintenance. Please call me on 021321610 to discuss further.
Cheers, Dave
Waitematā District Health Board has been asked to apologise to a woman after failing to identify tha…
Well, don't wait too long! This issue is packed with good reads and amazing offers from our friends and partners. We take a close look at urban farmer Freeman Farms, and visit an Auckland coastal garden that the owner waited three long decades to create as well as a Dunedin garden where … View moreWell, don't wait too long! This issue is packed with good reads and amazing offers from our friends and partners. We take a close look at urban farmer Freeman Farms, and visit an Auckland coastal garden that the owner waited three long decades to create as well as a Dunedin garden where they’ve grown flowers for nearly 50 years. We're still on the hunt for our Houseplant Hero, thanks to our friends at Yates and Kings Plant Barn. Nominations are now open for our 2020 Ryman Healthcare Gardener of the Year too! There’s a feature on walnut growers in NZ, highlights of new roses coming out this year and of course, details on how to get yourself $20 worth of free bulbs from NZ Bulbs.
Hi Neighbours, Not being able to water the garden might not matter in winter, but current drought-related restrictions will step-up if there's not a lot of rain. How will you be affected? Read the story below:
Hey no power in Espalier Drive, Henderson. Any idea what's the reason?
The funeral for fallen police officer Constable Matthew Hunt will be held at Eden Park in July. A d…
"The more you read, the more you will know. The more you learn, the more places you will go." Dr Seuss
If your kids are looking for a good read for the upcoming holidays, check out Time's 100 Best Children's books of all time.
The six hotels due to open shortly are:
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• The new-build 194-room Sudima on the Wellesley/Nelson St corner by Hind Management;
• The new-build five-star waterfront 190-room $300m Park Hyatt, Halsey St on ex-Team NZ sailing base by China's Fu Wah;
• … View moreThe six hotels due to open shortly are:
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• The new-build 194-room Sudima on the Wellesley/Nelson St corner by Hind Management;
• The new-build five-star waterfront 190-room $300m Park Hyatt, Halsey St on ex-Team NZ sailing base by China's Fu Wah;
• Travelodge Wynyard, a 154-room property advertising its opening date as October;
• QT Auckland, a 150-room hotel opening in a former Viaduct Harbour office building;
• The 104-room Hotel Britomart near the waterfront by Peter Cooper's Cooper and Company;
• The Mercure Auckland Queen Street, a 96-room hotel spanning eight stories in an existing building.
Humphries said it won't be till 2022 that a seventh huge hotel - the 303-room five-star Horizon between Hobson St and Nelson St by SkyCity Entertainment Group - is due to open.
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Imagine watching the Milky Way from an underwater hot spring hammock in the mountains. Read more on Stuff.co.nz by clicking the link below.
Many thought that the lack of international travellers would mean that Kiwi families would fill their shoes – at a fraction of the cost. But the reality is that it's still not that cheap. We have some ideas to get you started, read about them in our story below. Have you booked a getaway for… View moreMany thought that the lack of international travellers would mean that Kiwi families would fill their shoes – at a fraction of the cost. But the reality is that it's still not that cheap. We have some ideas to get you started, read about them in our story below. Have you booked a getaway for the school holidays? Where are you going? Did you find it was more affordable or not?
There's an eerie feeling still around Massey's Reynella Drive, where police officer Matthew Hunt was…
It’s Four Square’s 96th Birthday - but you get the birthday cards!
Spend $25 or more at your local Four Square and get one of three free collectable card games! Hurry instore before they’re gone! Offer ends July 12, while stocks last.
T&Cs apply.
Auckland CBD retailers say trade in the city has been picking up slowly as workers trickle back to work in downtown offices. But they're picking profit margins to remain low as students study from home and international visitors are shut out. Heart of the City estimates that about 140,000 … View moreAuckland CBD retailers say trade in the city has been picking up slowly as workers trickle back to work in downtown offices. But they're picking profit margins to remain low as students study from home and international visitors are shut out. Heart of the City estimates that about 140,000 people typically worked in Auckland's CBD before Covid-19 struck. During lockdown, Auckland's empty city centre lost about $5 million per day. While more than half of the workers are now back at the office, the prolonged absence of university students is having a big impact, says Viv Beck, Heart of the City's chief executive. "The student population is very important to the city centre economy, and I think there will be a range of businesses that will be noticing their absence," Beck told.
Foot traffic and retail trade in Auckland city centre is down between 20 and 30 per cent compared to this time last year. Trade had been improving week by week, and Commercial Bay had provided a much needed boost in visitors, but Beck said the city centre needed students to return to their university campuses and more workers to their offices to ensure a quick economic recovery. International visitors accounted for approximately 19 per cent of all spending in Auckland city centre last year. Without them, the city centre is looking to domestic tourism - including visitors from outside of Auckland - for a much-needed boost. Beck says retailers are looking to use events and attractions to encourage Aucklanders to come into the city. "We're definitely noticing people are interested in coming in for weekends, to stay here and do a whole variety of things, and we're promoting a variety of offers. We've got Restaurant Month coming up - it's really thinking about [leveraging] things that make the city unique that draw people in. "We certainly looking to attract more people from around the country and, Aucklanders, if they can't travel, there's opportunities for them to come into the city centre and do things that they might not have in their own local locations," Beck said. "We're very actively trying to make sure we get our core customers back and that we attract new ones, and that we do things that are vibrant and interesting to give people reason to come." The opening of the downtown retail district Commercial Bay earlier this month had attracted more people back to the city. It drew more than 250,000 visitors in its first week, beating expectations.
Auckland Art Gallery was also ahead on sales figures after reopening post-lockdown, Beck said. Auckland's High Street is one of Auckland CBD's once-busy streets facing reduced foot traffic and spending. The manager of one High St clothing retailer, who wished to remain anonymous, told trade in the boutique was down about 40 per cent. He said High St today was a stark contrast to what it was earlier in the year. "There are a lot fewer tourists - that's the big thing, and what High St is usually full of, and definitely a lot fewer workers as well - they don't really want to hang out or spend time lounging around anymore, which is a big difference to what we're used to."
The shop attendant said foot traffic on High St was about half of what it was. "There was a bit of a spark when Commercial Bay opened up and the weather was really nice - that was a really good time for us but it quickly turned around again. It was a spark of hope, and then it died," he said. "Over the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of talk about people coming back to work but I'd say working from home is going to be the new norm, so that's not the greatest [reality] for places like High St." The man said that like many stores on High St, he was holding on to hope that a transtasman bubble would begin soon. About 60 per cent of the store's business was from international visitor, he said. Organised tours of cruise ship passengers typically arrived every couple of days, he said. Retail analyst Chris Wilkinson said a handful of High St retailers had relocated to Commercial Bay but its scale meant that it had been competing with other areas of the city for foot traffic. "It's only natural that there will be a temporary displacement for a while, people will be going into that area to discover the new stores and hospitality environment," Wilkinson said. Commercial Bay would become "self-sustaining" once the new PwC office tower opened next month and 10,000 workers moved in, Wilkinson said. "At the moment it's really relying on pulling people from other areas." Unlike many analysts, Ben Goodale, chief executive of retail marketing agency Quantum Jump, believes trading levels and shopper numbers will recover and return to what they were. He doesn't believe today's level of consumer activity is the new normal. "It's a short-term problem," Goodale said, it's "the perfect storm". "You've got no tourists, no overseas students, companies who are being slow to return to the office, everywhere you go in central Auckland the roads are being dug up so it's a nightmare to get around, the Council have also taken away lots of on-street parking which mean grab-and-go shoppers find it really hard, and a lot of people are still nervous about public transport, there's also a bit of a Covid hangover going on about how people feel about the mismanagement of our border controls in the last week - it doesn't exactly boost consumer confidence. "All of that will shake down and it will return to normal, it's just that for all of that to return to normal we are looking at next year." Goodale said malls, with their ample parking, would likely have recovered more quickly than city centres. "Retail, generally, is going really well, alot of CEOs of retailers I'm talking to are reporting that sales are good, and in some cases, they are seeing year-on-year sales growth. "Retail has definitely bounced back," he said. "It has been performing much better than a lot of analysts have suggested it would." "There's no silver bullet here except the time it takes for those audiences to come back. "If you're in the city and you sell goods focused on tourists, you're not going to be selling much for the next six months, and there's nothing you can do about that." Some retailers were likely to temporarily downsize for the rest of the year. "It is tough, especially for independent retailers, but there's no easy solution unless they can change the business model."
Goodale said Auckland city centre's daily drop in trade of about 20 per cent was not a bad result. "We're only two weeks on from level 1 and outside the CBD a lot of retailers are trading over and above what they did last year.
"We're in amidst a global pandemic and New Zealand has actually been coping with it well - businesses have managed to transit somewhat through it and now we're at a level where we're able to freely trade internally."
Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said suburban retailing, and malls, were having a "slightly easier time" than city centre operators.
Does New Zealand have too many shops?
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New Zealand has more than 27,000 retail businesses - and some-37,000 shops - but will there be enough spending to sustain them all? Harford doesn't think so. Approximately 6700 retail businesses are at risk of closure over the rest of this year and as many as 17,000 could eventully shut up shop as a result of Covid-19, according to the latest Retail Radar report. Just 10,000 retail businesses are understood to be in a stable financial position.
The retail sector is beginning to undergo a period of consolidation as executives assess the viability of keeping certain stores in their network open. South Island department store group H&J Smith has announced it will close some of its stores, following similar moves by Bunnings, Smiths City, Michael Hill, The Warehouse, Max Fashions and Ingrid Starnes. "We will see the number of physical stores decline over the coming couple of years and we've seen lots of closures be announced already over the last few weeks and we'll certainly see consolidation of store footprints." The sector is expected to shed 15 per cent of its jobs over the next 12 months, the equivalent of about 60,000 roles. Harford just how many shops would close depended on just how deep New Zealand's recession would be.
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