Editorial Scott Stevens Issue 450 If the Frankton arm of Lake Wakatipu was not so shallow and allowed big old steamers like the Earnslaw to get all the way up to the beach without getting stuck, Frankton could likely have been the CBD of the Wakatipu district. Originally, in the 1860’s, it was Queenstown Bay’s deep water that defined it as the heart. It became the heart but was never the centre. Frankton is the centre. Sunny, flat, vast and convenient. Today, in 2014, the local population, no longer reliant on lake transport, have embraced Frankton as the centre of the Basin and therefore it thrives as a shopping and industrial hub. However as far as tourism is concerned, Frankton is in my opinion nothing more than an arrival and departure point. For a short term holiday maker, why would you need to visit the local lawn mower shop or hardware store? What a tourist wants is what the Queenstown CBD offers. Cafes, bars, restaurants, beautiful lake views, boutique shopping. In other words picture perfect excitement and entertainment. Of course both business districts will disagree with me and claim to be everything to everyone, or close to. And fair enough because Frankton is worthy of a visit from a tourist and the Queenstown CBD has things to offer locals that Frankton does not. So while the announcement that resource consent has been granted for a supersized supermarket in Frankton is fantastic news, the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce’s announcement that they will lead a drive to improve the Queenstown CBD is equally grand. To be quite frank, the CBD is tired, shabby and in desperate need of some love. It is embarrassing when you take a step back and look closely at the picture. It is far from perfect. Exactly what the Chamber of Commerce propose will come out in due course, but what I would like to see prioritized for a start, is adequate street cleaning and rubbish collection. Should a shop owner be allowed to stack their pile of cardboard boxes and general rubbish out for collection at any time of the day, regardless of actual pick up time? Take a walk down Beach or Camp Street and see what I mean. It’s all good if the Chamber want to advocate for a downtown conference centre as part of their master plan for CBD revitalisation. It is their job as a business development organisation. But I hope they don’t lose sight of the simple things that can make a world of difference. Put yourself in the shoes of a high value visitor. What would they think of the general level of presentation? There is a well-known saying “look after the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”. A similar phrase could be used in the case of the Queenstown CBD. Take care of the little things - striving for the perfect picture, and more business will follow. lwb.co.nz
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 07:00:00 +0000
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