Cinema closure upsets locals

By BRIDGET CARTER

Larger screens, better seats and mall convenience do not impress the moviegoers of New Lynn.

They say a theatre complex opening soon at WestCity mall in Henderson may be new and improved, but when the cost is losing their local cinemas, they can do without it.

Four of the New Lynn Village 8 cinemas will shut in five days, and the whole complex closes its doors in June.

The chief executive of Village Force Cinemas, Joseph Moodabe, says the New Lynn cinemas will no longer be viable, with films coming to Westfield New Zealand's WestCity complex in July and the establishment of a cinema complex at St Lukes next year.

The Westfield group had been keen to put cinemas in their malls for some time. "It will be bigger and better facilities all round. It is a win-win situation for everyone."

He said the New Lynn cinemas had been successful in previous years, but had been affected by the opening of IMAX movies in Queen St.

"There is no way that New Lynn would remain as a viable economic unit. The market is not big enough."

A Titirangi resident, Lorraine Barnett, said this was "business bullying" and she planned to fight the closure.

She said locals would have to travel twice as far to see films and public transport users would have to use two forms of transport to get to another theatre.

People chose to live in New Lynn because it was close to facilities like restaurants and theatres.

"What will happen to our Indian restaurant, the Handi, next to the complex, the special Tuesday meal and theatre tickets deal, great for families to enjoy an evening at low cost?"

She said she would boycott the new movies at Henderson.

New Lynn Community Board chairwoman Annette Goulding said residents felt they were between "a brick and a hard place."

She took her children to the New Lynn movies, but would rent videos if they closed - "I am damned if I am going to travel to Westgate."

New Lynn business spokesman Don Thomas said the cinema company did not understand the geographical nature of West Auckland.

New Lynn had a large catchment area. Those on the other side of Glendene ridge shopped at New Lynn and would not travel to Henderson.