Ed Said - Not so sleepy Mangawhai

Bears, bats, skunks, snakes, some squirrels, bees and Mangawhai – which is the odd one out?

Obviously Mangawhai is going to be everyone’s answer and you would be right now, but until recently, like a number of small coastal towns, and the aforementioned animals, Mangawhai too spent the winter in hibernation.

To me though, this winter shows that this trend has ceased to be and the growth we have all been acknowledging for some time is real. While some eateries recognise a lower level of custom over the winter offers a good break for either two days a week or a whole month of R&R, others are reporting steady trade not just on weekends but also on a daily basis, as are retail outlets.

When doing our usual rounds delivering the Focus to various distributers, shops, baskets and outlets it is now not uncommon to find all parking spots full in Wood St. This is mid-morning on a winter Monday.

It is inevitable we tend to fall into a slothful mode for a month or two this time of year principally due to shorter days and inclement weather slowing motivation. This can be somewhat akin to hibernation, but we still have to show up for work, school, do regular shopping and attend our various clubs for sport and exercise.

The ‘Monday-ising’ of some public holidays has been a big plus for places like Mangawhai and running into school holidays maintains the momentum.

With couples moving here permanently and approaching retirement age, Mangawhai also has the advantage of attracting extended family members for weekend visits or stay-overs adding to more usage of local parks, walks, the Museum, Bennetts and MAZ plus, of course, revenue.

Together with the growing populace, the announcement of Mangawhai Central is very timely and we have yet only seen a very simple plan of what may eventuate. However having tried to picture how it will work I envisage a lot of open spaces. Don’t get me wrong, open spaces are nice but this is an area of some 300-plus acres – a big tract of real estate.

Under-utilisation is also very expensive and generates neither business nor employment, both leading criteria for a growing population. I don’t mean tenement-type housing, I mean a Westfield mall-type situation in which the construction will provide jobs for probably hundreds and the resulting businesses provide employment for hundreds more.

This is only surmising, of course, and there are a lot of hoops to be jumped through before the first sod is even turned. No doubt in coming years Mangawhai Central will be the source of much discussion, both pro and con, as it progresses. I guess it will take precedence over

the waning wastewater system debate, but then, again, how will that cope with this new workload?

Hmmm… still plenty to talk about.

Rob