Amberley. Enterprise North Canterbury report 2017

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1 Amberley Enterprise North Canterbury report 2017

2 Background Enterprise North Canterbury is a council controlled organisation of the Hurunui District Council and is tasked with Economic and Business development in the region. Our work includes working in-depth with individual towns to identify the needs of the business community and create a plan for the community to act on. We have independently interviewed business owners, developers and councilors in the Amberley area. These interviewees are long term residents and are all passionate about their area. We asked a series of questions around the needs of business owners in the area, looked at common themes and suggest action points for the community to pursue in order to address the themes that emerged. Summary of Action Points In order to meet the needs of the business community in Amberley, Enterprise North Canterbury recommends the following steps: 1. Establishment of a forum of business owners in Amberley. This would be a conduit for business owners to meet and discuss issues, to share knowledge and to problem-solve. This would include business owners of all types and industries. 2. A permanent council representative as part of the forum to ensure good communication between council and businesses. 3. A portfolio case manager to be established at council this would be one point of contact for developers and business owners looking to invest in Amberley. Business Statistics Amberley is a thriving township of around 1760 people (an increase of 52% since 2001). Up until 2011 business numbers were stable at around 165, but the numbers of employees were decreasing steadily (From 600 in 2008 to 530 in 2011). After the February 2011 earthquake business numbers increased notably (198 businesses in 2015) and employee numbers began to rise again (570 employees in 2015).

3 However, in 2016 employee numbers dropped 10% (to 520) and the number of businesses dropped 4% (to 189). It is likely that this is due to a slowdown of demographic change coupled with a long-running drought impacting the purchasing power of customers. It is hoped that with the drought now ended, business will return to an upward trend. Numbers showing the impact of the November 2017 Waiau Earthquake do not exist yet, but our business interviews indicate that Amberley businesses were affected in the following ways: Immediately after the earthquake, there was a reduction in travel which led to a reduction in income for businesses based on SH1 Because of the closure of SH1 people are now planning for a longer journey north. This has led to many people making their first stop in Culverden rather than Amberley. The November 2017 earthquake coming at the end of a long-running drought was difficult for some Amberley businesses but most were in a strong enough position financially to cope. The Hurunui continues to experience an extremely low unemployment rate (1.7% compared to 5.0% for New Zealand). While this is good for the region it can make sourcing suitable staff difficult. The three largest business types in Amberley (by employee numbers) are Health Care and Social Assistance Retail Public Administration The three largest business types in the Hurunui (by employee numbers) are Agriculture Accommodation and Food Services Construction

4 Amberley Interviews Over a period of several months we did in depth interviews with 15 Amberley people covering a range of business-related topics. Those interviewed included business owners, developers and councilors. We aimed to interview business owners who were established in the community, but ran a wide range of business types, sizes and ages. This was to try and gain as broad a view as possible and to discern common themes amongst different business types. Positive Themes Overall, Amberley businesses feel they are doing well and owners are feeling positive about the future of their businesses in Amberley. Owners feel that the number of new businesses that have established in recent years shows confidence in the prospects of the town, and this is reflected in the Brackenfields complex which is now nearly full. Hospitality has increased in Amberley and business owners feel that there is still room for further growth. The consensus is that the Amberley Business community will continue to grow over the next few years and that there is a good opportunity to take advantage of a rise in retiree numbers in the town. While some businesses have had a difficult time due to droughts and earthquakes, business owners (overall) feel that spending is on the rise again. Business owners also feel that Amberley is becoming more of a destination and this has meant that weekends have been very busy. There was a lot of positive feedback regarding the newly established Amberley Promotions team and the Destination Amberley promotion they have led, along with their good communication amongst the business community. It was noted that there is a good number of younger business owners who are showing great potential to be leaders in the business community. Challenges and Opportunities While there was a lot of positivity amongst business owners, developers and councilors, there was fairly consistent feedback that aspects of communication in the town could be improved. There were several threads to this: It was felt that communication between the council and business owners was, at times, inadequate. Business owners would like to know what council is planning, thinking and doing. Council would like a better insight into how businesses are faring. It was felt that council was not consistent in information given particularly when establishing a development or new business it seemed that different information was provided and different requirements were stated depending on who you got hold of. It was felt that business owners did not communicate well enough between themselves. While the new Promotions Team had made a significant difference, a larger forum was needed so that all business types could be included.

5 There was also a lot of concern about the old buildings on the Brackenfields site. It was felt that these buildings were an eyesore and that the developer had not lived up to the agreement to remove them. High rent was a concern for business owners. They felt the rent levels for premises in Amberley was unrealistic and was preventing growth in the area. Some felt that the rent levels coupled with the difficulties in meeting council requirements had stopped some interested parties investing in the area. Many felt that more should be done to beautify the town. There were many other individual ideas from business owners and they deserve consideration. We believe that a business forum as mooted above would give these voices an appropriate platform. Next Steps 1. Organise a meeting between all businesses and councilors interviewed along with the Mayor and CEO of the Hurunui District Council 2. ENC to facilitate this meeting and present the findings of this study 3. Open floor discussion 4. Agree and prioritise action points 5. Determine who will be involved in progressing actions 6. Determine timelines Conclusion Amberley has proven to be a community of passionate people who want others to succeed as much as they do themselves. All would like open conversation with local council to know what s going on in their area and to have a voice when it comes to planning and development. It is felt that the collaborative model demonstrated by the Amberley Promotions team is a good one and that the whole business community and council should follow that model. This would provide a forum for business and council to work together. Business owners feel that there is plenty of scope for further business development in Amberley, but that there is a disconnection between business, council and the wider community. The strong theme to come out from this study is a desire from the business community for better knowledge sharing and an opportunity to work collectively to grow Amberley. Michele Wilson Business Support

6 Information Sources References Statistics NZ Business Demography Statistics Statsmap Regional Economic Activity Web Tool Interviewees Hannah Thomson and Julia Teutenberg Bax and Berg Jenni Dobbie Ruby Six Kate Florance Beauty and You Craig Patterson North Canterbury Vets Pip Sutherland Super Liquor Marilyn Ward-Carter The Blue Dairy Robbie Bruerton Amberley Engineering Andrew Bruerton Local Developer Penny Cairns Amberley Connector Julia McLean Amberley Councilor Gerard Bassett NC Hire Geoff Shier Amberley Councilor Julie Cann Out of the Blue