Amberley Concept Development Plan 2005 - Hurunui District Council

Amberley Draft Concept Development Plan(7)THEME / BRANDINGWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BRAND A COMMUNITY?Through strategic economic development plans, acommunity/town should work to portray one commonimage. This image, called a brand, should be reiteratedthroughout the community/town. The local amenities, retailstores, cafes and even schools should portray the brandconsistently. Everything that the community/town does can,and should, contribute to the brand. Much like Rotorua iscorrelated with boiling mud, bungy jumping is thought ofwhen Queenstown is mentioned, and art deco is associatedwith Napier, branding should identify a community, town,or district. Many communities/regions attempt to brandthemselves but do not have the support of all sectors. Inorder for branding to be successful, everyone needs to be onboard.At the public meetings, the discussions on a theme / brandfor Amberley mainly focussed around the following threetopics:RETREAT LIFESTYLEThe benefi ts of country style living with the bonus ofvillage amenities within a commutable distance fromChristchurch.- The air is cleaner, the temperature and sunshine hoursgreater- Friendly people – village community- Facilities available such as medical, banking and avariety of shops as well as many service, recreation &sporting clubs- Prosperous area with opportunities for businessdevelopmentA TOUCH OF CLASSCafé & vineyard culture with the highest quality offeringswithin a commutable distance from Christchurch.- The valley from Amberley to Waipara offers premiumconditions for growing fi rst-class quality grapesand olives. With high sunshine hours, gentle northfacing slopes and a wide range of soils, the WaiparaValley produces wines with unique and individualcharacteristics- Many superlative café, wineries and eateries offerexceptional dining experiences- Local produce is well utilised in fare offered – withopportunities to extend range- ‘boutique’ shoppingGATEWAY TO EVERYTHINGA wide range of activities, places to stay and ruralexperiences all within a short distance- Well positioned between Kaiköura, Hanmer Springs,Christchurch and the West Coast, Amberley is wellpositioned as the gateway to the Hurunui district (theplayground for Canterbury.)- Outdoor activities, lakes, beaches, mountains, rivers,forests, award winning vineyards & cafes, a variety ofaccommodation, the thermal reserve, vintage railway,fi shing, kayaking, horse riding, 4WD, rafting, skiing,motor X, tramping, shopping, …PROPOSED PLANSome very good suggestions have already been madeincluding Amberley School’s idea:“Lifestyle choice...choice lifestyle!”The way forward on this, suggested at the earlier publicmeetings, is to hold a competition inviting the public toidentify our brand.DECISIONS /IMPLEMENTATION PLANThe Ward Committee agreed that the best group to look atsuch a proposal would be the Amberley Leithfi eld PromotionAssociation (ALPA) in conjunction with the Council TourismDepartment.2005 Ward Committee / ALPA Liaison• Kevin Brookfi eldPage 32