The business association for Auckland’s city centre has “reluctantly” released a scathing survey that found store owners and offices believe homelessness, too few police, “neglect and disorder” and “frightening” anti-social behaviour are crippling their trade.
Among the most dire findings was 91% of operators saying rough sleepers and begging were affecting their business, and 81% believing the city centre was not in a good state to attract significantly more people and investment.
Heart of the City asked 102 business owners from in and around the Queen St valley area in late-September about the state of the city centre and what factors were hindering their financial success.
It found 72% of businesses were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the standard of Queen St’s cleanliness and 71% said Auckland Council and Auckland Transport’s cleaning and maintenance standards were not good enough.
One business owner said homeless people “defecate in the street daily”. Another claimed “drug dealers and other degenerate behaviour” behaviour created an “awful and often frightening experience” that put the public off visiting the city centre.
Reflecting on the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, Queen Street, one business owner said: “In my experience living around the world, very few cities recover once their central business district is taken over by homelessness, drug use and anti-social behaviour.”
Another observed that: “The general condition of the central city has reached an unacceptable level. The prevalence of vagrancy, together with unmanaged rubbish and litter, creates an impression of neglect and disorder.”
Traders’ attitudes to the council and the Government’s decision-making, spending and overall care for their prospects was also largely negative in the survey, which was conducted from September 23 to 26.
When planning projects and policies relating to the city centre, 77% of businesses believed the Auckland Council and the Government did not listen to their needs.
Not enough was being done to ensure existing laws and bylaws were being enforced by police and Auckland Council, according to 72% of respondents.
Heart of the City chief executive Viv Beck said the motivation for releasing the woeful survey results was to pressure the council and the Government to improve street conditions and the business ecosystem of the city before two much-anticipated infrastructure projects open.
“We are reluctantly releasing these survey results to get the step-change needed in time for the opening of the New Zealand International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link [CRL] in 2026.
“It is imperative that fast action is taken so businesses in all areas of the city centre can grow and thrive after a decade of major disruption. We are looking to central Government and the incoming council to work collaboratively with us to achieve excellence in our public spaces.”
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown told the Herald when presented with the survey results that there are “no simple solutions to complex problems” and insisted things have been improving under his governance.
“Personally, I wish more councillors lived in the city and were involved in business like I am,” Brown said.
“I sit on the city centre advisory group with friends who are retailers and building owners, [but] there’s no law against poverty.
“We’ve got the police back in the city in Federal St [and] council staff funded from my office budget are on the street, but they’re not police.
“The city is clean and the construction works are disappearing as the Convention Centre finishes and same for the CRL.”
While businesses were conscious of the possible lifeline the CRL would provide to draw foot traffic back into the central city, there was a concern from businesses that the city’s uninviting reputation will have become so entrenched by 2026 it would be almost impossible to change.
“The CRL is not a golden solution. By the time it becomes something that everyone uses, the CBD will have been destroyed,” one respondent said.
Another observed: “If we don’t end the tolerance of anti-social behaviour, especially the violence, the CRL will be a white elephant.”
In particular, 77% of the Heart of the City members believed more police were needed in the city centre before the CRL opens.
“One man smashed our window while under the influence, we still see him walking on Queen St on most days, but police wouldn’t investigate further or arrest him,” one shop owner said.
Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Sunny Patel said the Auckland Central Police Base on Federal St was officially opened in July and provides a public-facing presence back in the heart of the city centre.
Despite businesses feeling there are not enough officers on the beat, Patel said police have been working hard on increasing their presence in recent years and they have received encouraging feedback.
“Increasing our beat presence has had positive feedback and what the community is telling us that people’s feelings of safety have improved in the city.
“By no means is our work over. There are now a range of partner agencies working across the CBD for a range of wider social issues at play that don’t all sit with police.”
Patel also said that police would explore all lines of investigation available to take enforcement action when crimes are reported. However, the Heart of the City survey cites numerous anecdotal accounts of crimes going unpunished.
“Our message to retailers is to ensure they continue reporting to us. It’s essential to ensure we have the full picture and can prioritise prevention activities where there are trends emerging,” Patel said.
The controversial project to extend Queen St’s footpath and reduce car lanes to one each way was also a subject for feedback.
The pedestrianisation project was the subject of a High Court injunction in 2021 by a group of landlords and business figures along Queen St.
Among respondents of last month’s survey, 66% said streetscape development had not had a positive impact on their business or property, and 71% believed it was not money well spent.
Another grievance was Auckland Transport fining people $150 for driving in restricted access areas on Queen St, which 79% did not agree with.
“The risk of inadvertently entering a bus lane and receiving a hefty $150 fine only adds to public frustration,” one survey respondent complained.
When asked how to attract more people to the city, Auckland businesses consistently cited better parking, addressing anti-social behaviour, removing homeless encampments, more law enforcement and the completion of long-standing construction works.
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson said she understands the concerns of city centre businesses.
“We share the desire for a safe, welcoming city for everyone and agree with business leaders that Government leadership is essential,” Robinson said.
“We’ve repeatedly urged ministers [Chris] Bishop and [Tama] Potaka to change the emergency housing criteria so those most in need can access support and while recent steps are welcome, much more is required to truly address homelessness in Auckland.”
Robinson cited the Government’s call for greater discretion when officials assess emergency housing applications, as the number being declined rises, as a “step in the right direction”.
“But in our view, it is not enough to solve the problem. Until there is enough permanent, appropriate housing – and fair access to emergency options – homelessness will remain a growing problem.”
As the Herald revealed last month, the number of applications for emergency housing has plummeted nationally since the Government tightened restrictions in August last year.
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