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The Chamber of Commerce mission is to inspire and influence business vitality.
We do this by positively influencing the environment in which businesses operate and by providing "opportunities, products and services" that will improve the success and vitality of business.
Submission on WDC Draft Waste Minimisation and Management Plan - click here to open. (April 2011)
Submission on WDC Draft Annual Plan 2011-12
(including Cycling Centre of Excellence - scoll down this page for more information)
Chamber Submission - click to open. (April 2011)
Latest news - SPARC have announced Cambridge as the preferred option for the Cycling Centre of Excellence. Discussions with project team will continue until a decision is reached on 6 May.
Time for local businesses to have a say on Council Annual Plan
Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce has a number of concerns regarding implications on both business and residential rate increases. It is certainly acknowledged that balancing the needs and wants of our communities is not an easy task.
However, now is the time that Te Awamutu needs to stand up and question whether spend is equitable throughout the district and our ratepayers are getting a ‘good deal’. It’s also a case of balancing the immediate basic infrastructure needs versus investing in bigger assets which may ensure a long term economic benefit to the region.
Points of interest in our mind are items such as:
- Surety of water supply to Te Awamutu
- Completion of the Heart of Te Awamutu upgrade - still areas of Alexandra Street are not paved while hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on a small section of Shakespeare Street in Leamington
- Installation of security surveillance cameras around the central business district and town entranceways (budgeted in the recent town upgrade but funds used elsewhere)
- The poor state of seal around the central business district
- Cambridge wastewater system and treatment
- The proposed Cambridge Swimming Complex
- Possible build of a Cycling Centre of Excellence
In each of these cases, Chamber is looking to identify benefit to our community, ideally through a positive impact on business capability or social benefit – do we take the pain of extra spend on assets in return for longer term benefit, or maintain the current status quo?
Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce will be completing a submission to the Draft Annual Plan and we urge everyone to take this opportunity to voice your thoughts.
Chris Smith,
President Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce
Submissions close on Friday 15 April.
Proposed Cycling Centre of Excellence
Reports detailing the projected economic benefits of a Cycling Centre of Excellence based in Waipa are available here:
The report commissioned by the project group details projected income from staff, visitors and cyclists to be based in the region.
Benefit to Te Awamutu is likely to be from a strengthening of the current cycling community, increased use of local velodrome, visitors and tourists attending events and staff moving to the district. The ongoing annual economic benefit is thought to be $11.5 million.
Currently one of three finalists, the successful winner of the bid will be announced in the next few weeks. “At the moment there’s a chance we may lose this opportunity because we’re not included in the draft annual plan,” says project trustee, Rob Waddell. “We need as many people as possible to fill in the submission forms so we can turn this around.”
Rob believes the benefit to Te Awamutu includes increased use of local facilities because of the number of athletes using the centre of excellence and also a benefit from BMX and mountain bike activity not mentioned in the report.
To send your own submission - open 'Overall Summary of Project' above and complete submission form.