Sunday market hiatus looms as operators depart

Takapuna’s Sunday market may temporarily close from the end of August, when the existing operator’s lease ends.

Any gaps in trading until a new operator took over should be kept as brief as possible, the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board urged Auckland Council property arm Eke Panuku after learning of the possible hiatus.

Eke Panuku’s northern priority location director, Kate Cumberpatch, told the board last month it hoped for a quick transition to a new operator. “But I don’t think it matters if we have a few weeks or a couple of months between markets, we’ve had that before.”

After Covid breaks, the market had bounced back, she said.

Board chair Toni van Tonder responded: “There’s a big difference between a couple of weeks and a couple of months.”

Members underlined the importance of the market to Takapuna’s vitality and its flow-on effect to other businesses. George Wood said Takapuna people he had spoken to were anxious about what was going to happen. And businesses were keen to see people drawn through to Hurstmere Rd.

Operators for more than 30 years Trish Keith and Ess Jenner gave notice on their lease in May, citing concern about the reduced space and access for stall holders in the Waiwharariki Anzac Town Square space which Eke Panuku is delivering. The square is on track for completion in August. The board, as landholder, signed off on Eke Panuku seeking expressions of interest for a new market operator on a five-year term.

The board requested that Eke Panuku come up with lease conditions that would deliver a weekly, open-air market of quality goods, including fruit and vegetables. Current stallholders should be given booking priority, provided they met conditions, and entertainers should be encouraged on site.

They thanked the outgoing operators for their contribution to the community.

The board had heard earlier in its meeting from local resident Gary Walker, who operates the smaller Britomart market and has a honey stand at Takapuna. He had reviewed the access plans Eke Panuku had put to the outgoing operators and predicted chaos.

Expecting 70 to 90 stallholders to gain access to the square for unloading via a service lane would be too hard, he said.

A quick transition of operators and expansion to Hurstmere Rd was needed, he said.

Board deputy chair Terence Harpur backed the overflow idea but said Auckland Transport requirements to close the road cost $5000 to $6000.

To deal with this, the board asked Eke Panuku to install traffic-management measures entering Hurstmere Rd, to allow low-cost closing for market and other events.