Business improvement district expansion

BALLOT OPEN NOW

Building a stronger Onehunga

The Onehunga Business Association is currently holding a ballot to expand the Business Improvement District (BID) boundary. The current BID in Onehunga focuses on the town centre and many businesses are missing out on the benefits of being part of the association.

This independent ballot is being coordinated by Election Services and gives eligible businesses and ratepayers the opportunity to have their say on the ballot.

If you think your business should be included in this list please contact the OBA.



Download the OBA ballot brochure

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The timeline for the ballot is:

Monday 26 February - Voting packs posted to eligible voters (businesses and ratepayers in the BID expansion area).

Wednesday 28 February - Voting packs emailed to eligible voters (businesses and ratepayers in the BID expansion area).

Tuesday 26 March - POLLING DAY - Voting closes at midday. Results will be available as soon as possible.

April - If a 25% response rate to the ballot with 51% in favour of the BID expansion is received, then report the result to the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board so they can present this update to the ten year budget.

Monday 1 July - The enlarged BID expansion will be implemented from this date.

>> If the ballot is unsuccessful, then the expansion process is concluded on polling day.

Map of the proposed boundary

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Download a higher resolution version of the map.

Events

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21 Mar

Onehunga

GRAND OPENING: Puna Mahi Onehunga + Yates Exchange
$0.00 Members
$0.00 Regular
0.00 CPD

What are the Onehunga BID benefits to your business?

Local economic development:

Onehunga's look & feel - making Onehunga a more appealing place to work and visit

Business directory for all OBA members

Professional local networking connections.

Crime prevention programme:

Regular and coordinated security patrols throughout the district

CCTV network expansion throughout the district

Graffiti management

Illegally dumped rubbish management

Brand and promotions:

Inclusion on Onehunga social media

Access to the Onehunga website

Promotions of Onehunga to wider Auckland community

Internal communications - monthly digital newsletters

Events:

Member events including workshops and networking

Access to community-focused events

Advocacy services with central and local government with a focus on:

Local economic benefits for business

Transport

Effects from building development on the district

Physical landscape and environment

Zoning of property - commercial vs residential

Sustainability:

Waste audits

Extensive recycling information

Inorganic waste collections

Food waste collection service

What is a Business Improvement District (BID)?

A BID generates funds by charging a targeted rate to all commercially rated premises within a defined boundary. One hundred per cent of this targeted rate is returned to the business association running that BID. The funds are managed by a committee of local businesspeople and landlords from a combination of retail, commercial and professional sectors, representing the needs and wishes of the BID.

Because revenue raised through a BID must be used to improve and maintain the area in which it was raised, expanding the boundary means resources can be allocated across the new Business Association district. More members means more budget, which means more can be done, and faster.

The Auckland region has 51 BIDs and you can learn more about them by visiting the Auckland Council BID website.

What will this cost me?

If the OBA expands then the targeted rate will be $1 million dollars. To gather this, the OBA uses a proportional value method to calculate the rate. This means the captial value of the property within the BID programme boundary area shares the fees.

For the OBA, you can use the formula below to estimate your BID targeted rate:

Property's capital value x 0.00063348 = targeted rate


Please note: Where a single property has multiple tenants, the prospective target rate would likely be passed onto each tenant (by the ratepayer) as a percentage of the area occupied by the tenant.

Who manages the money?

The OBA is responsible for managing the money with oversight and strategic planning by the Executive Committee (made up of volunteer members).

The budget is set 18 months in advance and is presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) prior to the year.

Funding sources

Aside from member fees, the OBA also receives income from other sources.

Following are the outlines of the indicative income and expenditure for the first two years of an expanded BID.

Frequently asked questions

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A successful ballot will require at least 25% of all ballot papers to be returned, and of those, a minimum of 51% votes must be in favour of the OBA expansion.

Voting is based on the principle of 'one entity - one vote', an entity being a commercial property ratepayer and/or a business/tenant. The polling agent (Election Services) will combine the eligible business voter list and Auckland Council ratepayer data to form the BID eligible voting list.

The OBA has decided to undertake the voting process online (where an email address is held) or via mail to an address. The voting packs will be distributed by Election Services as part of their processes to ensure a democratic voting process.

Business rates are a regional tax collected by Auckland Council and then redistributed across greater Auckland. The BID targeted rate is a specific levy against only commercial properties within a defined geographic area. This money is to be used specifically for projects which enhance the local business area and support business activity. These projects are managed by the OBA.

Absolutely not. The OBA will establish a new strategy reflecting the make-up of our members and different priorities. We will focus our crime prevention activities particularly in the new area. For example, we plan to enhance our CCTV network, working alongside Safer Cities to produce a three-year plan for delivery and they will help us to find delivery supplier. Another is promotion - yes we want to promote retail shopping but other businesses in Onehunga include services and light industrial and we want Onehunga to be the first place they think of.

No, over the last two years of talking to the wider community we have not met any objection once people understand the benefits of an expanded BID. We are happy to discuss any objections and see if we can make changes to help them.

We know that money is very tight at the moment but the value you receive by working together outweighs the cost for many businesses.

Endorsements of the OBA

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Everybody Eats

The Onehunga Business Association has been critical in the success of Everybody Eats operation in Onehunga. Before we decided to relocate to the area we contacted the OBA who were incredibly helpful and forthcoming with information, encouraging us to come and be part of this vibrant community. The support we have received since, from spreading the word to recruiting volunteers has been so important for us and we cannot thank them enough. The work they are doing to support the community is very impressive and we support their proposed expansion.

Nick Loosley
Everybody Eats

Onehunga Family Pharmacy

The Onehunga Business Association has supported my pharmacy since we established. It has provided me access to a network of local contacts, has engaged our wider community in strategic events and promotions and helps Onehunga town centre to be a great destination for our customers.

Ross Mudafar
Onehunga Family Pharmacy

Humphries & Associates

Onehunga Business Association has made a huge positive difference in the business community and in the wider community.
They have run various events a lot of which I have attended both in my professional capacity e.g. Business Networking Events and in a personal capacity i.e. The Culinary Crawl.
Particularly during Covid-19 lockdowns they were nothing but supportive and uplifting and made a huge effort to pass helpful information on to businesses in the area.
The OBA's work has made a huge difference in Onehunga in the past and their work continues to be vital to the area's future and business viability.
Angela Kirk
Humphries & Associates