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26 June, 2009
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This is Auckland - The Official Guide 2009/10 Minimum 250,000 copies of the next Guide. This publication is distributed widely including onboard visiting cruise ships and is one of only a few publications presented to disembarking cruise ship passengers. |
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19 June, 2009
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Heard Park pedestrian crossing update Building the crossing has understandably caused inconvenience for neighbouring businesses, with high noise levels and disruption to parking. Work began on the project on 26 May and was to have taken three weeks. Regrettably delays were incurred because the contractor has had to cut through concrete roadway to extract the old kerb stones and cut through it again the relay them along the new kerbline. While the existence and scope of the project has surprised some businesses, Council advises that it sought consultation with surrounding businesses and property owners on the proposed crossing in a letter sent on 14 November, 2008. The letter included a detailed plan of the proposal (see plan here) and noted that it would comprise the following:
Notification letters were mailed to the same businesses and property owners on Wednesday 20 th May advising that the work was to start the following week. Council and contractors have been responsive to concerns from locals, and are attempting to complete the installation as quickly as possible.
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19 June, 2009  |
Swine flu and employee obligations The NZ Retailers Association has pubished an advisory sheet to help businesses prepare for possible outbreak of Swine Flu, and detailing employer obligations if employees are quarantined. These websites may also be helpful in your planning:
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| 22 May, 2009
| Pen-selling fraudster in Parnell John Peters, a Christchurch man who says he travels the country as a professional fundraiser, located himself outside Photogenics earlier this week selling pens for the Disabled Children's Trust. He moved away when asked to leave. Mr Peters sells the pens for $20 and passes on only $5 of this to the charities he supports. Many of the charities he says he is fundraising for do not want him doing this on their behalf. Disability Issues Minister Ruth Dyson told the House that Mr Peters was a millionaire property developer and by his own admission "he scams money off unsuspecting public by sitting in a way designed to make people believe he's paraplegic".
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22 May, 2009
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Rugby World Cup 2011 survey It's the first in a number of steps to help local businesses of all types and sizes gear up for Rugby World Cup 2011 and make the most of the opportunities to generate a commercial return. An online condensed version of the guide is currently available here. A more comprehensive Guide will be launched in September 2009 following input from businesses like yourself. Council invites you to take a five-minute online survey here. It's designed to help them understand what information local businesses want to see in the Rugby World Cup 2011 Guide to Business Opportunities or what tools might be useful. Surveys need to be completed by Friday, May 29. For further information, please email information@aucklandplus.com |
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| 24 April, 2009 | Have a Free Financial Check Up! Special offer for Parnell Mainstreet members WHK Gosling Chapman would like to offer Parnell Mainstreet members the opportunity to undergo a complimentary Financial Check-Up with Principal, Martin Richardson. The aim of the session will be to identify issues affecting the financial performance of your business as well as receive valuable practical advice for improvement.
Book your appointment today: Martin is available for one hour appointments on the 28th and 29th May 2009 at WHK Gosling Chapman (car parking will be provided). To secure yours please email sarah.carter@whkgoslingchapman.com. Sarah will then be in touch to set up a time and confirm your appointment. Appointments are limited. To get the most out of your session you will be advised to submit your latest financial statements for review before the session. Cost: No Fee (valued at $350)
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9 April |
Metrowater sewage line update
Meeting soon with residents and businesses 6 April letter to residents from Metrowater Re: Cheshire St Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Metrowater's sewer reticulation has been inadvertently filled with concrete. The affected manholes and pipes are at a depth of approximately 14m which makes it difficult to repair by conventional open trenching methods. As a quick fix solution was not available Metrowater has had to set up temporary by pass pumping at 3 locations in order to divert the flows while a permanent solution is being designed and implemented. Metrowater has now completed a thorough investigation of the sewer reticulation to determine the full extent of the concrete in the network which has revealed that 5 sewer lines and 2 manholes have some degree of concrete in them. Metrowater also engaged the services of a number of industry experts to find the quickest and most cost effective solution possible. A number of options have been identified, but unfortunately there are no quick fix solutions. Our programme, over the next 2 weeks is to attempt to drill the concrete out of the sections of affected pipeline using a specialist milling machine, which is relatively new to New Zealand . Should this trial prove successful then the removal of concrete from all the lines is expected to take between 4 to 6 weeks to complete. Should this technology not provide the results we require Metrowater will carry out a detailed geotechnical (soils) investigation to determine whether it is possible to install a new pipeline using drilling techniques. This investigatory work will take approximately 2-3 weeks from the time it is given the go ahead. Should the investigation prove to be successful the construction timeframe to obtain budget approvals and construct will be in the order of 2 to 3 months. We will endeavour to keep you informed of the progress on this job and would like to thank you for your patience while we work on this project. We will also try to limit the disruption and complete the work was quickly and neatly as possible. If you have any concerns please contact Mark Thompson on 624 4884 Yours Sincerely, Metrowater Project Management Team Leader |
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| 1 April | New meal & refreshment break legislation
Note that ‘work period' means the work day from start to finish including all breaks. For further info, see here. Such breaks are to be taken at times agreed with the employer and documented in the Individual Employment Agreement – or a document signed by both parties and attached to the Agreement. In the absence of any agreement otherwise, the breaks are expected to be taken at consistent intervals through the day. So if you don't agree and document any arrangement, you may end up with an unworkable timetable forced on you. Where the employee is in side charge of a business or where the usual time for taking the meal break coincides with the busy period for the business, it may be necessary to require the meal break to be taken at a time more convenient to the employer, and the employee will need to be available to interrupt the break if required. In these circumstances it is common for the meal break to be paid to compensate for the employee having to remain on the premises. For a fact sheet from the Department of Labour, go to
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27 March, 2009
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Good Friday, April 10 ... Public Holiday If you have any queries please call the New Zealand Retailers Association helpline on freephone 0800 472 472 or the Department of Labour on 09) 969 2950 |
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| 27 March, 2009 | Easter trading - and employment issues Good Friday (10 April) and Easter Sunday (12 April) are both non-trading days, as is ANZAC Day until 1pm (25 April). Unless a shop is specifically exempted, it is an offence to open on these days. Remember though that Easter Sunday is not a public holiday. Any employee who would normally work on that Sunday is entitled to their normal pay for that day unless you have made other arrangements or the Employment Agreement specifically deals with it. If you cannot trade and your employment agreements do not address the issue of Easter Sunday, you will have to make arrangements with staff who would otherwise have normally worked on that day. You might consider giving them 14 days notice to take annual leave, allowing them to swap a rostered day off, or the employee may choose to use an alternative day earned previously.
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| 13 March, 2009
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Easy networking will help you thrive Last week, I spent around two hours having my hair done at Coco Hair Design - including an hour receiving messages from outer space in my Martian helmet (tin foil hat to speed hair blonding). During that time I was a captive audience for my hairdresser, Ginelle Aspinall (pictured at left), who just loves being in Parnell. She raves about her favourite Parnell shops to her clients and knows that many a purchase has been made as a result of her recommendations. So here's this week's easy marketing tip - make friends with people in local businesses and make a point of referring customers to your favourite Parnell places! We all want Parnell to prosper. Wherever you can, drop in a good word about another Parnell business to encourage people to spend more time and money here. How about saying something like this as you're wrapping up a purchase:
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16 January, 2009
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Discounting in tight times - resist the urge! Have you ever been driving to work in the morning and heard one of your competitor's advertising discounted pricing on the radio? Or have you been driving past your competitors premises and seen a huge sale advertised? Or even worse, has one of your clients come to you telling you they can get a similar product from you competitor at a drastically reduced rate? It is very very difficult to resist the urge to race in to your business and immediately cut prices to stay competitive. The single most overused marketing strategy to bring customers through the door is discounting. While this can be an effective strategy, for most businesses it generates a price war that they cannot afford to sustain. We are in tight economic times, and reports are that retailers are not enjoying the traditional peak in Christmas sales. We have already seen major New Zealand retailers discounting heavily far earlier than in previous years to try and stimulate demand. The slow down in the retail sector then flows through to all those in the supply chain, and eventually everyone is affected. The automatic response where the volume of sales drops off is to drop the price of the stock to attract customers. There is nothing wrong with discounting strategies if that's what fits your business. If you are using it as a strategy to bring in cash flow by clearing obsolete or unwanted stock it may well be a good strategy. The important thing is to be careful - if you don't understand the effect that discounting can have then you can cause a disaster in your business and its profitability. Discounting creates a leverage impact on profits, which means that by discounting you are essentially giving some or all of profits away. The key is to understand the impact and just how far you can go. Consider the following examples; A business with a 30% gross profit margin who offers a 25% discount (certainly nothing unusual about that in today's market) requires a 500% increase in sales volume just to maintain its same position – and in almost all cases that's just not going to happen. The result generally is the business trading below its breakeven point and generating losses. And you can only do that for a limited amount of time. A business that trades with a 20% gross profit margin and offers a 10% discount needs a 100% increase in sales to maintain position. Again this will not happen. In effect the business has just given away a half of its profit and generally for little effect. How about a different strategy? If we look at things another way, and actually think about increasing the price rather than discounting. Using the above example of a 20% gross profit margin, but we increase the price by 10%, sales can afford to drop by 33% before we are any worse off. The key is that you need to understand the costs within your business and perform a break even analysis prior to making any rash decisions. You are far better off to think carefully, analyse the numbers and make your calls based on fact rather than gut feel. Discounting can be an effective strategy, but make sure you are not simply chasing sales at any cost. For information on how this may affect your business, contact your advisor. For more information contact - Chris Lynch 09 366 6008, 027 233 4002 chris@lynchphibbs.co.nz Source: Lynch Phibbs update Thursday 11th December 2008
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Down Market? That's No Excuse!
Pay greater attention to your customers Times are tough, right? These market problems seem to affect every business, everywhere. People are scared and the economy is paying the price. So what are you doing about it? Have you taken the easy way out and convinced yourself that you're helpless? Are you just 'riding out the storm'? Please tell us this is not your perspective. The truth is that, despite all the good things you've done so far, there are still many improvements to be made in your shop.
Let's face it. You're losing sales every day ... plenty of them! Want to make things better? Challenge yourself to identify five ways you can improve your results in each of the following areas:
Once you have received their responses, quickly assemble them into a short action plan and immediately let your people know. Then commit to tracking your results every day, even every hour. Stick to the plan and you will hit your targets. In fact, you may find yourself actually exceeding your objectives! Remember ... if you treat this seriously, they will, too!
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28 November, 2008
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Parnell Train Station update Previously, Parnell Mainstreet had made strong objections to ARTA's initial plan to place a Parnell Station above the old Carlaw Park site, below the very end of Heather Street . While ONTRACK is favourably disposed to relocating the Newmarket station building to the Mainline Steam site, it did not envisage it as the site for the new Parnell station because of its objections to the steeper gradient there. In a recent letter to ONTRACK CEO, William Peet, Lee wrote: “Such a working station at Parnell would attract patronage serving both the Parnell village business district, visitors to the museum and Domain whilst also having good access to the University via walking and cycling opportunities through the Domain. …There is strong agreement on the idea of relocating the Newmarket heritage station building to the site approximately 150 metres northwest of thee Mainline Steam sheds. I have been advised that ARTA (Auckland Regional Transport Authority) has undertaken preliminary engineering assessments of potential sites for the station and has identified that a station located near the Mainline Steam site would comply with both ARTA and ONTRACK station guidleines.” Countering earlier objections about locating a station on the steeper gradient below Mainline Steam, Lee made reference to other steeper gradients on sections of line throughout the NZ rail network that have a number of platforms built on them. We look forward to hearing ONTRACK's response and are very pleased to have ARC and now ARTA championing an ideal solution for the train station planned for Parnell.
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8 August, 2008  |
Parnell Train Station update The issue of the Parnell train station came before Council's Transport Committee this week – but only as a status report revealing that little progress has been made to date. A report from Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) on the preferred location was expected in March, but this has been delayed while behind the scenes discussions continue between ARTA, ONTRACK and the ARC on two alternative sites. Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) plans to develop a new station at Parnell, and they say it has the potential to become the fourth busiest on its network. According to sources, both locations for the Parnell train station are problematic - the ONTRACK land site has what is considered an unacceptable gradient (1 in 40) and the Carlaw Park would most likely require a build-out over the train bridge, at high expense. The Carlaw Park site is likely to be more viable IF it can be a co-development with the owner of the adjoining Stanley Street property. Gradient issues at the ONTRACK site could, however, be overcome if the city-side rail bridges were raised. This site, favoured by Parnell Mainstreet for its closer proximity to Parnell businesses, could therefore be viable if raising the bridges proved to be more economical than developing a station on the bridges. |
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| 1 August, 2008  |
A tough 2008, but economic growth possible for 2009 Economic conditions deteriorated sharply in the first half of 2008. Drought, tighter credit conditions, a housing market in rapid retreat, and relentless increases in oil prices have crushed confidence. Growth in 2008 will be very low. Retailers are feeling the pinch from lower consumer confidence. Costs remain a major headache from most. We are cautiously optimistic that economic growth will recover in 2009 as drought effects wane, interest and tax cuts come through, and more mining projects come on-stream. Overview Retailers can expect the current very tough trading conditions to remain through 2008 with flow-on effects to wholesale, manufacturing and freight transport and distribution. Retail Trade
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1 August, 2008  |
Not getting pictures with your emails? If this email is arriving into your email box without photos and illustrations, you're not seeing it at its best! Open Outlook and go to Tools (tab in top menu bar) then select Options, then Security. Here, the third option down is Download Pictures. Click the Change Automatic Download Settings button. Then uncheck the box next to “Don't download pictures or other content automatically in HTML email.” Click the OK button at the bottom of this box, which will close this box. Click the OK button at the bottom of the Options box and this will close it. And that should do it for you! Easy!
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25 July, 2008   |
New Flexible employment law Research has shown that flexible working arrangements can benefit most businesses. Flexibility for both employers and employees enable employers to recruit and retain skilled staff. In today's tight labour market, flexible working arrangements are an even more popular option for employers. Since 1 July 2008, when the The Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 came into force, employees with caring responsibilities have a specific right to ask their employers for flexible working arrangements. The new provisions are another option for employees who need to balance work with caring for others. To be eligible for the right to ask for flexible working arrangements, workers must have worked for their employer for at least six months and be caring for someone. If they meet these minimum requirements, they can request flexible working arrangements that help balance their work and care. How these arrangements are worked out is entirely up to the employer and employee. Employers, in good faith, must consider and decide if the flexible arrangements can be catered for. They must also respond to employee requests within three months and employees can only apply once in any twelve month period. The new provisions will not have any effect on existing flexible working arrangements and this can be left in the hands of employers and workers to manage between themselves. For further information visit: www.dol.govt.nz/flexiworking
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11 July, 2008  |
Dedicated left turn lane requested at top of Parnell Road Following changes to light phasing introduced last September to make the crossings safer for pedestrians, drivers wanting to take a left turn into St Stephens Ave have been frustrated at the seemingly reduced opportunities to do so. This situation is exacerbated when the green arrow to turn left coincides with a red light to go straight ahead - and a car wanting to do the latter is at the head of the queue.
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11 July, 2008
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And yet more rubbish Having your recyclables collected commercially is cheap!
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4 July, 2008  |
Is the price of commuting getting you down? Find someone to carpool with online! With the skyrocketing price of petrol, people are finally looking at more cost-effective and environmentally friendly ways of commuting to and from work. Traffic volumes on our motorways are down considerably, so people must be taking public transport or car-pooling in to work. If you'd like to carpool (or rideshare as its also known) but haven't found anyone in your neighbourhood to team up with, there are a number of new websites which can help you. Here are a few which look good: Parnell Mainstreet knows of a Botany Downs resident looking for a rideshare into Parnell. Anyone else commuting in from the area and willing to rideshare, please contact us on 379 0606. |
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27 June, 2008 |
Census shows who lives in Parnell Statistics NZ has just released the community profile info based on the 2006 Census, so you can now get to know Parnell people even better! Statistics New Zealand divides Parnell into Parnell East & Parnell West. Parnell East is the area east of Parnell Road/St Stephens Ave, from Cowie Street in the south to Point Resolution and running down to the sea and Bloodworth Park. Parnell West is the rest of Parnell, from George St in the south and bounded by Stanley St and The Strand in the west.
The snapshot above confirms much of what we already know: Parnell East has a higher density of families, while Parnell West, with more than double the population, is where the younger singles and couples live, with fewer children. Frustratingly, the Community Profiles provided don't give actual statistics or figures for most categories analysed - most info is in bar charts. You'll have to delve deeply through the online table builders if you want the numbers.
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20 June, 2008
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Do you have too much rubbish for your blue bin? Rubbish collection along Parnell Rise and Parnell Road is on Thursday nights. Your blue bins will be emptied only every second week, starting July 3. Parnell Mainstreet will include a reminder of these dates at the top of this newsletter to help ensure that these exceedingly large bins do not end up living on the pavement. Commercial collections: Council's new recycling collection regime is unlikely to work for businesses that generate large volumes of recyclable waste - and dumping your boxes on the footpath each night will no longer be an option as this will incur a fine! Council advises that businesses whose paper and cardboard waste exceeds the capacity of the recycling bins provided should make other collection arrangements with private operators. There are a number of commercial waste collection options available to businesses. If you need to make arrangements for regular collection of recyclable waste here are some of the larger operators in this area:
Other rubbish contractors can be found in the Yellow Pages under:
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June 13, 2008
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Blue recycling bins bring new rubbish management regime The offer of extra bins is for businesses and residents currently paying the annual waste charge. The additional recycling bins will only be provided IF they can be stored on the premises prior to collection day. And that's the problem - the new bins are so large, most businesses will have a problem finding a place for even one of them on their premises. At yesterday's City Development Committee meeting, Council made it clear that it is not in the business of recyclables collection from commercial activities. Council advises that businesses whose paper and cardboard waste exceeds the capacity of the recycling bins provided should make other collection arrangements with private operators. Paper and cardboard must now only be put in the recycling bin for collection – not left loosely on the kerbside. Businesses and residents leaving loose material on the kerbside will be contacted by council waste officers as part of an education programme. Persistent offenders could face a $400 fine for illegal dumping if they do not comply with the council's tidy streets policy. (At present, businesses habitually dump boxes on the footpath every night of the week. This has never been legitimate! Paperchase is only contracted by Council to pick up boxes on official rubbish nights - once a week. On other nights, boxes are collected by City Council to clear footpaths. This unofficial Council service has led most to believe that cardboard waste can be legitimately dumped on the footpath every night. So, thanks to Council's generosity, we're now in for some real trouble as businesses are "retrained." )
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30 May, 2008  |
Repairs to The Ridge While work is in progress, parking spaces have been blocked from 381 to 395 Parnell Road to make way for scaffolding and parking for the project. The bus stop, previously located outside Esque at 381 Parnell Road, has been relocated just down the hill , outside Pan Asia and Murdoch McLennan Antiques for the duration. Businesses behind the scaffolding are to get some temporary signage to improve their visibility in the meantime.
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4 April, 2008  |
Parnell has a new Community Constable Introducing Constable Tai Rossi Constable Tai Rossi has been assigned Parnell as part of the newly appointed four-man Community Action Team team, and he's already on the beat in Parnell. Tai says the team's focus is on tackling ongoing issues within their neighbourhood areas and educating people on common problems so that they can deter and prevent crime, for example safeguarding employee handbags in shops to prevent theft and not leaving valuables in parked cars. The team will mostly work from 8am to 4pm, and have night patrols until 2am from Thursday to Saturday. Locals will soon see them on foot, patrolling the streets of Parnell. Their random neighbourhood patrols will increase the police visibility in the area and help deter criminal activity. Parnell residents and businesses can consult the Community Action Team to help them tackle and prevent ongoing crime issues (contact at Auckland Central Police Station ph 302 6400). However, people are advised to dial 111 for emergencies where an offender is present or where life or property are threatened and to dial 555 to report non-urgent or non-threatening situations or to report a crime that has happened. Parnell Mainstreet urges business owners and residents to report any incidences of crime, even after the event, so that a record is maintained and any patterns of offending can be spotted and tackled by the relevant police department.
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29 February, 2008 |
Internet access for Parnell visitors Pronto Print now offers Internet access Pronto Print has just installed an Internet facility for Parnell visitors to use. This will be a great service as Parnell's other public Internet access service is 15 minutes walk away at the Parnell Community Library at 545 Parnell Road. Pronto Print's computer station provides fast, secure Internet access with Internet time sold on pre-paid cards - so customers can come back and use up their balance. Cards are sold in 15 min/30min/60min denominations Pronto Print also offers a memory stick if any printing of internet info/email messages is required. Contact Pronto Print, at 122 Parnell Road, phone 373 5557 (opposite Mink - corner Heather St and Parnell Road).
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22 February, 2008  |
Council makes progress on Heard Park Council is well aware of a number of issues needing further attention following the recent upgrade of Heard Park - the neighbourhood park at 170 Parnell Road. Parnell Mainstreet was pleased to receive the following update from Council this morning: Park cleaning Lawn
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22 February, 2008  |
DiMare hosts film wrap party Laundry Warrior stars enjoy hidden Parnell courtyard Di Mare Cafe hosted a dinner for the cast and crew of Laundry Warrior a few weeks back including stars Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Jang Dong Gung, Danny Huston and Tony Cox. (Pictured: Rush (partially obscrured), Jang & Bosworth.) The $52m film is about an Asian warrior played by Jang, who is forced to hide in a small town in the American badlands. He meets the town drunk played by Rush, and a circus knife thrower played by Bosworth, both of whom have powerful secrets. Laundry Warrior was written and directed by Sngmoo Lee, and is being produced by Barrie Osborne who also produced Lord of the Rings. |
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