Rotorua Night Market to remain in council hands and stay in city centre

The Rotorua Night Market has been a hit with locals for 15 years. Photo / NZME

Rotorua’s Night Market will remain under council control and continue on Tūtānekai St after a tender process failed to identify a preferred alternative operator.

In January, the door was opened to potential private management of the market when the council sought expressions of interest to run the long-standing Thursday night event.

The tender also opened the door to move away from the city centre, with 10 potential sites available.

The council moved the market to Kuirau Park as a trial in October, citing concerns about traffic management and health and safety.

This was abandoned in December after pushback from vendors and the public, and after a council vote initiated by councillor Robert Lee.

At a meeting last week, councillors voted to keep control of the market and to keep it at its current inner-city site, with the decision made public today.

Four proposals were received to take over the management, but councillors decided that none met council objectives.

Each required either ongoing council funding, significant infrastructure investment, or a move away from the inner city. None aligned with the council’s aim of reducing the roughly $200,000 annual cost of running the market, nor with a strong public preference for its current location.

Rotorua Night Market at Matariki. Photo / Ben Fraser

A recent council survey found that between 71% and 78% of residents, vendors and nearby businesses supported keeping the market in the city centre.

Council community experience group manager Alex Wilson said the trial move and the exploration of external management options had “really cemented” what the community and businesses wanted from the market.

“The decision to keep Night Market management within council gives us the ability to continue to support and grow other benefits that relate to the market.”

Council investigations have shown the market’s economic benefit to local shops and hospitality businesses amounts to an average $3000 increase in card spending during market hours.

The council aimed to work with vendors to find “further efficiencies” to reduce costs, and there would be some fee increases.

“The Rotorua Night Market will continue to provide a fantastic gathering spot on Thursdays for locals and visitors alike,” Wilson said.

Reg Hennessy, owner of Hennessy’s Irish Bar on Tūtānekai St, was one of the original drivers behind the night market 15 years ago.

He was pleased to see some “common sense” from the council.

“It’s great to see that they are not going to be removing something that brings such vibrancy to the city centre on a Thursday night.”

He said his bar had been noticeably busier in recent weeks, with an uptick in international visitors drawn in by the market atmosphere.

“They hear there is a night market on and think that sounds good and wander in.

“They wouldn’t do the same for Kuirau Park.”

Hennessy’s Irish Bar owner Reg Hennessy. Photo / Ben Fraser

He was confident of the market’s long-term financial sustainability.

“From what I can see, it really shouldn’t take much to get the market viable financially.”

Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.