devonportflagstaff.co.nz
FOR MARKETING THAT SEL LLS Linda Simmons 027 459 0957 No.1 BAYLEYS DEVONPORT 2021/2022
October 6, 2023
Heritage tug laid up as coffers dwindle... p3
Cops blame local joyriders for car-theft surge... p5
A LT O G E T H E R B E T T E R
Interview: Defence snapper Chris Weissenborn... p16-17
New DBA broom questions value of popular events Crowd-pulling events Friday After Five and Fashion on the Wharf are being reviewed, as the Devonport Business Association refocuses its promotions under a new chair. Venture capitalist Rob Vickery, who was elected unopposed at the DBA annual meeting last week, is unconvinced that funding for the two-yearly Fashion on the Wharf is justi-
fied. “My intention for events like that which are quite niche... is that they fund themselves by sponsorships rather than BID [Business Improvement District] money,” he said. The benefits of the annual Friday After Five summer street party, providing entertainment and food stalls on a closed-off Clarence St, were also being assessed, he
said. It was popular with locals, but it did not necessarily return much to businesses, many of which were closed during the event. Vickery wants to enhance Devonport’s status as a must-visit Auckland destination and a place in which to do business. Playing up its village-like charm should To page 7
Actor branches out ahead of one-woman show
Live action... Actor and playwright Elisabeth Easther (centre) visited the Restoring Takarunga Hauraki Trust nursery, meeting the group’s co-chair Anne McMillan (left) and nursery worker Libby Boyd, in readiness for staging a one-woman play about a pioneering conservationist. Story, page 37. The trust held a successful open day at the nursery last Sunday.