By Alka Prasad of Local Democracy Reporting
Māngere town centre’s executive team and retailers are taking strategic steps to improve the retail space, starting with finding a town centre manager.
Executive committee chair Lara Dolan says the team is collaborating with the Māngere Flea Market Trust and currently advertising for a town centre manager to start the much-needed refresh of the retail space.
“A positive and attractive image is crucial to make the town centre a preferred Pacific shopping destination,” Dolan says.
“The centre has been through some changes lately and has a new governance board,” Dolan says.
She says a new town centre manager will be in charge of achieving a yearly plan decided by the town centre’s executive committee and retailers.
“Retailers come together with the committee to set up a plan for a year, and the town centre manager’s job will be to achieve that plan,” Dolan says.
She says Māngere town centre receives its main funding from targeted rates for Auckland Council’s Business Improvement District (BID).
The proposed target rate for Māngere Town Centre Business Association is $345,570 for 2024 to 2025.
Safety, security and the image of the town centre are retailers’ and the committee’s main priorities, Dolan says, on top of illegal dumping which “has been a problem for many years”.
“Currently, rubbish bins are placed in the middle of car parks and are uncovered. This setup attracts illegal dumping, poses safety hazards and is visually unappealing,” she says.
But the team is working with a waste management company to find a solution.
“We are collaborating with our waste contractor, Auckland Council and retailers to develop a coordinated waste management plan,” she says.
“Bins are not going to be visible, so hopefully we’re going to stop the dumping.”
She says the team would ideally construct or upgrade waste disposal areas to be fully enclosed, which would keep the bins out of public view but adequate funding is needed.
Dolan says the town centre is also working with a security firm who are patrolling the town centre at no cost for a temporary trial.
“Once the initial trial finishes, the town centre will be paying for their services.”
“Hopefully we’re going to get on top of rubbish so Māngere town centre will look beautiful again,” Dolan says.
