Editorial: Retailers must look for silver lining

OPINION: Rumours that Palmerston North strip club Firecats is relocating to Broadway Ave had retailers in the street understandably worried.

They were already anxious about the impact the extended Plaza will have on their businesses; having a strip club move in next door certainly wouldn't help their situation.

Most people would agree that Firecats, or any strip club, should be on the periphery of the central business district. It's accepted they are perfectly lawful establishments but, rightly or wrongly, they convey an image of sleaze that is offensive to many. In any event, it seems the rumours are without foundation; Firecats isn't going anywhere.

The speculation among Broadway retailers was likely fuelled by serious concerns about the street's survival. When one's livelihood is on the line, sensitivity is heightened and it's easy to become despondent. But Broadway's future needn't be gloomy.

While the conventional wisdom might be that a much bigger Plaza is the death knell for Broadway Ave retailers, it could actually be to its benefit.

If, as expected, The Plaza brings more shoppers to Palmerston North from places like Whanganui, Levin and Dannevirke, all the city's retailers will be better off. Broadway might get a smaller slice of the retail pie, but if the whole pie is bigger the city will be better off than it was before The Plaza was redeveloped.

The entire city should be leveraging off The Plaza's expansion and market Palmerston North as a regional retail hub. There are challenges facing Broadway, and retailers there are pulling together well to plan how best to meet them. But there are also opportunities.

The Plaza expansion is a fantastic development for Palmerston North, but the city must also recognise the importance of having a thriving Broadway Ave as well. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Retailers in Broadway need to develop a clear vision of what they want the street to be, and continue to work closely with the Palmerston North City Council in determining its future. It has strengths The Plaza simply can't compete with; it needs to identify them and accentuate them. Broadway offers a different and arguably more pleasant shopping experience than a mall. People will continue to go there, and the more people we can get shopping in Palmerston North, the brighter Broadway's future will be.The Government's plan to increase the driving age from 15 to 16 was long overdue. New Zealand's rate of road deaths among the 15 to 19 age group is appalling, and disproportionate to countries where the legal driving age is higher. Too many 15-year-olds simply don't have the maturity or even the physical development to drive safely. It might inconvenience some parents, but at least their child's chances of surviving his or her teens will increase.

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