Opinion: The North Shore is Auckland’s untapped opportunity to host big events

North Harbour Stadium can host up to 25,000 people and is a prime venue for larger events, says Terence Harpur. Photo / Photosport

THE FACTS

• Millions of dollars are spent on events across Auckland every year, such as Diwali and the International Comedy Festival.
• Last year’s Takapuna Winter Lights Festival brought $2.5 million of consumer spending to the suburb.
• Auckland Council recently decided to continue with the same operator at North Harbour Stadium.

Council budgets come into effect this month and with that there is an opportunity to invest in the wellbeing of our communities.

We need this now more than ever, with recent global events causing uncertainty and crisis fatigue. Now is the moment to invest more equitably and strategically in areas that have been consistently underfunded.

We need to see a greater emphasis on “spreading the love” through event investment so different areas of the city, and the small businesses within them, can share in the benefits that come with hosting local events.

When councils invest in community events, they promote wellness and connections through shared experiences. It breaks down barriers in communities and brings them together for social cohesion.

Small local businesses absolutely deserve this. They’ve been through a rollercoaster of challenges and triumphs over the past few years. Community events bring in people from different corners of the city, and they’re arriving prepared to spend and support local.

Funding is a direct way for councils to support their residents with social wellbeing, as well as support local businesses – it’s a win-win.

Auckland, in particular, needs more focus on supporting the North Shore with event funding and basing events there.

We see millions being spent on events in the central city and South Auckland. For instance, the Moana Festival, Diwali, the Lantern Festival, music events, rugby, league, Auckland FC, theatre shows, arts festivals, the International Comedy Festival. They’re all central and receive council funding and support.

Meanwhile, the north of the Harbour Bridge has very little event support in comparison.

At the end of this month, the Takapuna Business Association is staging the Takapuna Winter Lights Festival, a popular event that attracts people of all ages from all parts of Auckland.

Since the first Takapuna Winter Lights Festival in 2019, event numbers have continuously soared. What started with a modest 5000 attendees in its inaugural year has grown to more than 50,000 attendees last year.

This kind of growth signals the need for more events like these on the North Shore. Recent Kiwibank research revealed a shift in how Kiwis are spending, with many preferring to spend their hard-earned money on experiences over physical items.

Last year, consumer spending in Takapuna over the four-day event was more than $2.5 million. Compared with the year prior, that’s a 20% increase in consumer spending.

Terence Harpur is the CEO of the Takapuna Business Association.

It’s the small local vendors and businesses on the North Shore that benefit the most from these events. Some 86% of local businesses said they felt the event had a very positive impact on the Takapuna region, and 66% said the impact of the event was very positive to their business.

We’re grateful to the council for providing some funding ($44,000) to the Takapuna Winter Lights event, but when you compare that to other events, it’s not a huge amount and can only get you so far. We’re lucky to have some incredible sponsors who see the positive impact this event has on the precinct.

Over the summer, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited reported $31.9 million made from events between November and March. But when you look at the figures listed on their website, there are very few events listed in the North Shore, let alone funded to the same levels.

Our North Harbour Stadium can host up to 25,000 people, but we rarely see any major events being hosted there. This is such a lost opportunity and is a prime place to host larger events on the Shore at a venue that already has the facilities and infrastructure ready and waiting to host them, and a North Shore population keen to attend.

Recently, Auckland Council decided to continue with the same council operator at the North Harbour Stadium, despite community calls for a new direction – was this the right move? Only time will tell when we see what kind of events are programmed into this venue.

With the governing body of council cutting funding to Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s events budget, going from $15m to $8m a year, and cuts to support for regional event funds and local board funding, the council really needs to be more considerate with the areas it decides to invest in. As I said earlier, it needs to “spread the love” to all areas of Auckland, not just the central city.

I encourage decision-makers to recognise the untapped potential that exists north of the bridge. The North Shore has the appetite and track record to host successful, community-driven events that deliver real economic and social benefits.

We are a major part of this “super city” with more than 400,000 residents (bigger than Wellington) and need to get our fair share of funding and support from the council.