10 Wairarapa Midweek Carterton Wednesday, June 1, 2022
High hopes for High Street
Carterton
STEWART WILLY A quirky and artisanal vibe is drawing shoppers to Carterton’s High St — giving the town a boost after a rough couple of years. Covid-19 hit Carterton’s retail and hospitality sector hard, and some shop fronts were shuttered due to their earthquake-prone status. Carterton Mayor Greg Lang acknowledged it had been a tough time for businesses. “The low point was the fire on High St at the end of last year, which affected properties that had already been earthquake strengthened and were occupied by businesses,” he said. But, with a range of new businesses opening their doors, and a new vision for the town centre, Lang is excited for the future. This vision, Lang said, includes “four pillars” for the CBD: for it to be connected both physically and socially, to have a “green heart” with green spaces, to embrace the town’s quirky and eclectic feel, and creating a shared recreational space [“like a lounge room”] for the people of Carterton. Lang said he had been meeting with businesses, building owners,
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Shoppers hunt for bargains at the Salvation Army shop in Carterton — beside a mural welcoming visitors to the town. PHOTOS/STEWART WILLY
developers and investors to progress this “exciting vision” for the town centre. “They’ve all been completely onboard so far,” he said. “We have a strong vision, one which shows who we are, where we have come from and what we aspire to be, and this is resonating with people. “Carterton is known for the arts and our eclectic and artisan vibe. We are embracing our quirky feel and creating that shared space [for the community].” Employment in the Carterton District has grown more strongly than
for the rest of New Zealand since 2020, according to figures from economic consultancy Infometrics. Growth was 1.02 per cent in the year to March 2021, 10 times the national average. Many of the new jobs in Carterton were in retail and recreation. New outlets in town included Little Africa, Purrfect Paws, Owl’s Attic, Kāinga and Barbershop Jordy. “I’m excited to welcome new businesses to town and to see the community’s vision come to fruition. There are endless opportunities, and our central location is advantageous,” Lang said. One of those new businesses is an op-shop
run by animal welfare charity HUHA, which worked to re-home and rescue animals in peril, founded by Carolyn PressMcKenzie. The new op-shop, opening this month, is to move into the space left vacant by the Carterton Pharmacy, next to New World. “We’re feeling very, very welcomed,” PressMcKenzie said. “It’s lovely being in a community that has such a heart. We’ve talked to a lot of the locals who identify Carterton as a great destination for thrift shopping.” This was shop number four for HUHA, and PressMcKenzie said it opened up possibilities for the charity. “It’s going to be fun. The stock will be rotated around the different
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shops, so there is always something new.” Another upcoming edition to the town centre is a newly commissioned mural, which will appear on the wall behind the fire site — joining the new food truck and live music venue there. Behind the counter at Almo’s Books, Go Carterton business group chairman Steve Laurence said it felt like Carterton had turned a corner. “Since Anzac Day, it’s felt busier. We’re seeing more people travelling around again. “Most businesses are doing reasonably well and, while it looks like there are empty shops, these are buildings being brought up to [seismic] spec. “There’s practically no more usable space.” Laurence pointed to the return of the Daffodil Festival this September, after two years of cancellations, as another sign of better times ahead. “As the weather gets better, you’ll see more shops being refitted and reopened. This is a growing town, and there are good opportunities here.”
CAPTION: Now cleared, the site of last year’s ÿ re will soon feature a new mural.
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