OPINION article by Anna Campbell
Wednesday, 19 February 2020
..........Where do you sit on the debate around traffic closure in the Octagon?
I have to admit, I have been sitting on the fence for a while, but as
they say, those who sit on fences get sore bottoms, so I have weighed up
the pros and cons and formed my opinion.
One of the great things about Dunedin is that we have retained our
central city retail, complete with locally-owned boutique shopping
experiences.
These days, wherever you travel in the world, much of retail is
dominated by large global chain stores and soulless malls. Shopping in a
mall in China doesn’t feel too different from shopping in a mall in
France.
Visitors to our city comment on our boutique fashion and interesting shops, something we locals take for granted.
Running an independent retail business is not for the faint-hearted.
Like many businesses, retail can be seasonal, which means you literally
have to bank the good months in order to get through the down-season.
Increasingly for Dunedin retailers, visiting tourists and cruise
ships mean the months of January, February and March have become
critical to their whole year’s success. Drops of revenue of 50%, as
quoted by some retailers during the ‘‘Octagon trial’’, will impact their
whole financial year.
I have heard it suggested that if retailers are finding it tough,
maybe they should move out of the Octagon. Unfortunately, as those in
business know, such decisions are never so simple; many will be signed
up to multi-year rental leases and given the confusion around the trial
and what it means for the future, it would be hard to find a willing
business to enter a sub-lease arrangement.
I would be heartbroken to see business closures because of revenue
decreases this summer, but this may be the reality for some who are
faced with declining income and fixed expenses.
It’s hard to understand this volatility when you are on a salary
which comes into your account every week regardless of your performance.
Those in small business though understand it too well — in the words of
my chairman, ‘‘Anna, cashflow is more important than your mother’’.
(Sorry, Mum.)
To the council, I admire what you are trying to achieve, we love our
city and we love it when we have a bright, sunny day and that
indescribable ‘‘Dunedin vibe.’’
I understand the sentiments that are behind wanting to enhance that
vibe and to create a city less dependent on vehicle travel. Our reality
though is that we have a much smaller population than many cities who
have successfully achieved such pedestrian areas and although it pains
me to say it, our climate is simply not conducive to multiple outdoor
events throughout the year.
Finally, in memory of my father’s lifelong career working to support
the health of the elderly in Otago, it would be remiss of me not to
acknowledge our need to support everyone that lives in this city.
We do have a high proportion of elderly citizens, and I would love
Dunedin to be a city which does all that it can to support what they
need to access our city centre.
If even one elderly person has failed to leave their home through
fear or confusion about the changes, we have failed in our duty of care.
I enjoyed dancing in the Octagon, I love our city and sometimes love
our weather — but the party is over. DCC, it’s time to listen to your
citizens: quit the trial.
•
Anna Campbell is managing director of AbacusBio Ltd, a Dunedin based agri-technology company.
Full article https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/octagon-changes-%E2%80%98trial%E2%80%99-more-ways-one
