District promotion needs more focus before more funds

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Ashburton mayor Neil Brown is not convinced doubling the budget for district promotion would be money well spent as it “isn’t working”.

“We’ve been telling our story for 15-odd years and people still don’t know about what we have got here,” Brown said.

He was weighing in on the proposal to double the district promotion budget, and a 0.4% rate increase that went with it, following the Ashburton District Council taking district promotion in-house.

The proposal didn’t get enough support and the council will continue with a budget of $197,000 in the 2023-24 year.

The council will need to “do what we can do” with the existing budget Brown said and will take the time for “a complete refresh” on district promotion ahead of the long-term plan (LTP).

Brown wanted to assess how it will work before throwing more money at it.

“We are not doing it right and we need to have a complete fresh look.”

When the council decided to take district promotion in-house earlier this month, it was also proposed the budget return to pre-Covid levels, from $195,000 to $375,000 per year, but councillors wanted to see more evidence of how that increased budget would be spent before committing to it.

The budget, funded 50% from the general rate and 50% that targeted on businesses in Ashburton, Methven, and Rakaia, was cut in 2020 when the Covid pandemic had closed international borders.

A business case presented at the budget workshop on Wednesday failed to convince the majority to increase the budget.

With support wavering for the full amount, deputy mayor Liz McMillan proposed a revised increase of $85,000 to cover some of the priorities outlined in the business case.

That too failed to garner support, a 5-4 majority against it.

That leaves the budget at $197,000, a figure economic development officer, Simon Worthington, said “doesn’t go very far at all”.

With borders reopening and tourism numbers improving, he believed an increased budget was needed to target that tourism growth as the current promotion “looks old and tired” compared with other competing districts.

There was agreement district promotion was critical but the majority against the budget increase couldn’t justify it without taking the time to understand the scope of the role the council has only just taken on.

The budget could still be increased in future but not before the councillors get together and workshop with key stakeholders what the district needs from its district promotion so that the dollars make sense.

Brown proposed that work takes place in time to consider a revised budget in next year’s long-term plan.

What they said:
Tony Todd
: Fully supported the increase as “in the scheme of the overall budget, it is quite minute” and it needs to show Ashburton is more than a pit stop.
Leen Braam
: Supported the increase and pointed to the Balmoral Hall being “an old building that doesn’t do much for the community” yet it had $464,000 allocated in the budget.
Richard Wilson
: Against the increase as “now was the time to review” district promotion before committing to a bigger budget without confidence in the direction.
Lynette Lovett
: Opposed the increase as there were “too many aspects to look at if we want to do this correctly”.
Russell Ellis
: Wanted “more information than we have at the moment” before considering an increase.
Phill Hooper
: Against as he had questions about the district promotion direction and was mindful of the overall budget picture.