If you didn’t attend our fabulous Vive La France event, you may not be aware of the digital Touch Screen we have installed outside La Tropezienne cafè. This fabulous new device gives us the ability to keep our whole community in touch with what’s happening in MILFORD, local businesses, offers from local businesses plus public transport using buses, ferries and rail.

AND it’s Covid 19 friendly – a sanitiser is incorporated into the machine.
It’s easy to use and what’s even better is you can download an app from it to get 24/7 access to ALL the information on your mobile. Image that… sitting at home wondering what’s for dinner then going to our Milfordshops app, looking up a deal from a local eatery, then in no time you’re there, enjoying our friendly Milford hospitality. Simple – isn’t it!
We’re interested in making this the best community device, bar none. But we are going to need your help to make it happen. So, here’s some of the ways you can assist:

• Local Clubs, Schools and Organisations:-
    o Apply through our milfordshops website for a listing.
    o Then just keep sending through the interesting things you are doing and we’ll upload them on the “WHAT’s UP’ panel.
    o The more – the better!
• Businesses run from home or just outside our town centre:-
    o Join the association as an Associate Member and enjoy most of the privileges’ of our Business Improvement Program (BID) members.
    o Expose your business more to locals through the Touch Screen.
    o Apply through our milfordshops website – www.milfordshops.co.nz

I’ve already had great interest in the project. I know for sure you will be able to follow the activities of our great community helpers, Milford Rotary, through our community digital Touch Screen. Get your information up there soon!

Council 10 Year Long Term Plan (LTP)
Yeah! Yeah! Boring… I get it. But please take a few moments to really take a look at what is happening to the rates you pay. Does Milford get a fair shake? Having been in this role for over 10 years, I don’t think so.
Have you read your latest rates demand to see where the money is going! I did and funny thing is what your rates demand says money is being spent on, is quite different to the glossy handout that council send with it.
I’ve been party to so many LTP’s I’ve lost count. Maybe that’s the reason they occur so often. To give you some Milford examples read on. The Wairau Estuary project has been discussed since 2014 and basic agreement has been reacted with the local board – but being a community-driven initiative, needs 80% community funding and only 20% council. Yet a new toilet block at Milford Beach reserve that council have a standard, quite functional design for and cost of $560k, has been replaced with a one-off design costing over $1m.
Hmm… if the standard toilet block was built wouldn’t there be some money for our boardwalk. Common-sense would say yes… but it comes from a different pot of council money. How come we pay into one big pot and then when we want something done with our rates money – we can’t. “No money left in that particular pot”
Another project from the Milford Centre Plan 2015-2035, of ‘Walking Routes & Cycleways’ (page 12 of the plan on the Auckland Council website), got some steam up during lockdown last year, had $60k allocated to it for Auckland Transport to review, but has been canned, because council has run out of funds – our funds! Seriously! This plan only needs a small amount of signage, costing much less than $60k and it’s all GO!
So, there you have it ….if you are interested in what’s happening with your rates. Maybe you need to put in a submission like me. It may make a difference if enough people speak up about Milford projects. (Visit: www.akhaveyoursay.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz).

Murray Hill, Manager – Milford Business Association,
manager@milfordshops.co.nz  | 021 950 463,
www.milfordshops.co.nz  facebook milfordshops  Instagram milfordnz youtube MilfordshopsTV