| Change is inevitable and it’s exciting A local once said to me very early in my tenure as Manager of what was One Warkworth, “If I can’t park right outside the shop in Warkworth then I won’t shop there.” When I asked her where she liked to shop, she told me, Albany! It seemed a long way to drive to shop especially when I doubt she could park in front of the store she wanted to anyway. I went to the official opening of the new motorway last Friday and was lucky enough to have been driven along it before it opened. I knew what an amazing and beautiful road it was. I also knew that it was going to take a lot of traffic off our local, surrounding roads. I have been interested to see what a change it has made to our traffic both around town and in places like Woodcocks Road already. The traffic has dropped considerably which has made it safer for children attending Mahurangi College. I do believe that for all of us as locals, even though we have a bright new shiny motorway to take us to Auckland, we have a responsibility to support our local businesses who have always supported us. We may not always be able to park exactly where we want to sometimes, but shopping and buying locally keeps the money in town. Local businesses help with sponsorship of your school team, of our community festivals, and shopping locally keeps locals in business and employment. Of course, it goes without saying, by shopping local you will save on petrol too! The Mahurangi Winter Festival of Lights coming up on the 15th of July, and I would love to see lots of businesses lighting up their shop windows and/or putting a vehicle or float in the Parade. All you need to do is turn up at the Paper Plus carpark between 5- 5:30pm and you’ll become a part of the well-loved festival. This year there will also be the switching on of a wonderful new and permanent lighting installation along the river at 7pm. It’s going to be a real local attraction that will keep visitors returning and something more we can be very proud of. We have a wonderful and vibrant town, let’s all do our part and work together to support and celebrate each other.  Murray Chapman Manager, One Mahurangi Business Association murray@onemahurangi.co.nz www.onemahurangi.co.nz Support Local, Buy Local, Employ Local, Love Local! |
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