Safety and car parking in Whangārei’s CBD are key concerns for local businesses, which are calling for urgent improvements.

A Mayoral Inner City Taskforce was set up amid central business district (CBD) shops closing and the businesses not being replaced.

The taskforce was hosted by the Whangārei District Council but included a range of key organisations, with six different workstreams.

A survey by the business and hospitality sector highlighted a sense of urgency for change, with 86% of the businesses that responded saying the local environment was getting tougher.

Just 16% were positive about their trade in the past six to 12 months, with 41% negative and the remainder neutral.

Perceived safety and social behaviour were key concerns, while car parking was also a worry for CBD businesses.

More events and activation were supported by 81% of survey responders.

There was also support for more marketing and promotion, discount cards, initiatives to reduce homelessness, a reduction of empty shops and a CBD parking strategy to increase foot traffic.

The survey was conducted in late March and early April, attracting responses from 59 businesses in the CBD, Town Basin and Okara Park.

Mayor Ken Couper said an Inner City Taskforce meeting on Tuesday discussed ways to help address key concerns.

Police and hospitality businesses had agreed to work on an alcohol accord to ensure the area was safe, especially later at night, he said.

Better co-ordination of intelligence – including body cameras worn by City Safe officers, police data and the CCTV system owned by the council – would result in better prevention of and response to problems.

Couper said a wellbeing centre was also being looked at, as a place where people who had problems with addiction, mental health, homelessness or unemployment could be referred for help.

Details about how this would operate were still being worked out.

As for car parking, Couper said the council did not yet have the technology to make the best use of available parking.

At its full council meeting on Thursday, the council agreed to tender a 10-year contract for parking services, which would manage ticketing and enforcement, and could introduce new technology to tell people where parks were available.

Couper said the council would also consider other options, like free parking for shoppers.

A proposal in July last year to hike parking fees was not well supported.

Couper said improving the CBD was about much more than just council changes: if people wanted a vibrant city centre, they needed to support it and take part in activities.

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.