North Canterbury News: January 28, 2021

Town eyes visitor opportunities
By DAVID HILL
Kaiapoi businesses
anticipate abusy year, after
an uncertain 2020.
The Kaiapoi Promotions
Association (KPA) hopes to
cash in this year on the river
town’s growing popularity as
adestination for
Christchurch and Selwyn
residents.
With the recent opening of
the Christchurch Northern
Corridor cycleway and the
freedoms being enjoyed
under alert level 1, KPA
business manager Martyn
Cook is keen to press on with
projects delayed by Covid­19.
The Destination Kaiapoi
Collective, ajoint initiative
between KPA and local
businesses to promote the
town, was ‘‘stalled through
Covid’’ but will have a
renewed energy this year, Mr
Cook says.
‘‘It’s still an important
initiative because, despite
the local economy surviving
well through the Covid crisis,
there’s alot of data
suggesting it won’t continue.
‘‘It’s an initiative to put
something in place to help
our businesses to be seen,
particularly in
Christchurch.’’
KPA plans to continue
working alongside
Enterprise North Canterbury
to implement the new
Waimakariri Visitor Strategy
and to push for funding for
the proposed Wheels to
Day trippers ... Kaiapoi’s popularity as adestination is likely to grow this year, with more visitors from
Christchurch and Selwyn.
PHOTO: DESTINATION KAIAPOI
Waipara cycleway project.
Conversations have also
begun with Environment
Canterbury to reinstate
mountainbike tracks around
Kaiapoi, which could bring a
new group of visitors to town,
alongside the new northern
corridor cycleway.
‘‘We see cyclists all over the
place now, so there are plenty
of opportunities for this to
grow to support our
businesses,’’ Mr Cook says.
KPA will be watching the
Waimakariri District
Council’s Long Term Plan
process with interest,
particularly conversations
around the future of the
Hilton Street site used for the
Kaiapoi Christmas Carnival.
‘‘The council is looking at
proposals for that site and it
has stipulated that it wants a
village green or market space
as part of that proposal.
‘‘Once we know what space
we’ve got, we can fill it the
best way we can.’’
The KPA is also looking at
adding an event for Kaiapoi,
with the prospect of a
buskers’ festival in April.
‘‘We’re looking at acutdown
version of the old
Christchurch Buskers’
Festival, featuring local
Canterbury street
performers, which people
will be familiar with from the
Santa parades and other
community events.
‘‘All Together Kaiapoi does
an awesome job at running
events, so we are looking at
how we can augment those
events and, in particular, the
big ones.’’
Mr Cook sees the Kaiapoi
River Carnival, abuskers
festival and the Kaiapoi
Christmas Carnival as
potentially being three iconic
events for the river town, with
many smaller events in
between.
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The North Canterbury News, January 28, 2021
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