North Canterbury News: March 17, 2022
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OUR TOWN KAIAPOI<br />
<strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>March</strong> <strong>17</strong>, <strong>2022</strong><br />
Kaiapoi businesses resilient<br />
By DAVID HILL<br />
Kaiapoi businesses remain<br />
resilient as the impact of Covid<br />
19 beginstobite.<br />
The town’s retailers have<br />
survived natural disasters and<br />
bounced back aftertwo Covid<br />
19 lockdowns, but ‘‘dark clouds’’<br />
are loomingonthe horizon.<br />
Waimakariri district<br />
councillor Philip Redmond says<br />
while recent economic datahas<br />
been positive, the outlook is<br />
looking increasingly<br />
challenging with the<br />
combinationofCovid<br />
uncertainty, risinginflationand<br />
the war in the Ukraine all<br />
takingatoll.<br />
‘‘Up untilnow the retailers<br />
have been pretty resilient, but I<br />
think theycould find it tough<br />
over the next few months.<br />
‘‘People couldchoose to avoid<br />
going out and doingthe things<br />
they normally do, and with the<br />
price of fuel and inflation<br />
higherthan it has been in<br />
recentmemory we could be in<br />
for ahit.’’<br />
But Cr Redmondsays there is<br />
plentytobepositive about in<br />
Kaiapoi with the success of the<br />
Kaikanui AqualandNZaqua<br />
play park thissummer and<br />
plentyofexcitingprojectsinthe<br />
pipeline.<br />
Work is under way on the<br />
Kaiapoi stormwater ‘‘shovel<br />
ready’’ project, the councilis<br />
consulting on theproposed<br />
Kaiapoi Community Hub, the<br />
<strong>Canterbury</strong> Motorhome<br />
Association is developing a<br />
caravan site in the town and<br />
there are several major projects<br />
under going feasibility studies.<br />
‘‘It’snot all doom and gloom,’’<br />
Mr Redmond says.<br />
‘‘But there are some dark<br />
cloudslooming and hopefully<br />
they willpass quite quickly.<br />
‘‘Another positive is that it’s<br />
election yearand councillors<br />
will comeupfor ajob review<br />
later in the year.’’<br />
Tech Medicsowner Aaron<br />
Lovelace saysoverallthe town<br />
seems to be OK, but the town is<br />
reeling from the loss of events<br />
and businesses are dealing as<br />
best they can with staffbeing<br />
forcedinto isolation.<br />
‘‘Things are up and down.We<br />
are hearing of businesseswith<br />
staff gettingCovid, so it’s<br />
definitely having an impact.<br />
‘‘It’sapity the events have<br />
been cancelled, but noone<br />
wants to responsible for having<br />
asuperspreader event.’’<br />
Mr Lovelacesays the<br />
combinationofuncertainty and<br />
risinginflation meansbusiness<br />
ownersare ‘‘holding their cards<br />
close to theirchest’’.<br />
While therehas been strong<br />
demand for IT services, with<br />
more peopleworking from<br />
home, Mr Lovelace says<br />
sourcing supplies is proving to<br />
be aheadachewith asix to eight<br />
week delay.<br />
All Together Kaiapoi (ATK)<br />
coordinator Linda Dunbar says<br />
all eventsare on hold for now.<br />
‘‘Hopefully it won’tbetoo<br />
long before somenormality can<br />
resume.’’<br />
Among the Kaiapoi events<br />
impacted are the annual<br />
15<br />
River town ... Popular Kaiapoi events such as the Waitangi Day<br />
family celebration (above) and Children’s Day (below) have been<br />
casualties of Covid19.<br />
PHOTOS: FILE<br />
WaitangiDay family<br />
celebration and the Kaiapoi<br />
FunRun, runbyATK, and the<br />
Reflections Community Trust’s<br />
Children’s Day,which have<br />
been cancelled.<br />
TheKaiapoi Promotion<br />
Association’s efforts to bring<br />
back the Kaiapoi River Carnival<br />
have beenput on hold.<br />
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Thursday,August 2, 2018 | Issue808 | www.ncnews.co.nz<br />
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