i-SITEs
Council operates and maintains 3 visitor information centres (i-SITEs):
Bay of Islands located in Paihia, Far North located at Te Ahu in Kaitaia and Hokianga located in Opononi.
i-SITEs contribution to
- Tourism to the district is acknowledged
– in action –
Hokianga i-SITE
What we did in 2013/14
A long term lease has been entered into with Opononi Four Square operators at the Hokianga Economic Development Centre (HEDC) building in Opononi.
This follows on from the Four Square being temporarily located in the HEDC after a fire destroyed their previous premises in July 2013. Community consultation has been undertaken and an alternative option for accommodating the Hokianga i-SITE agreed.
What we plan to do in 2014/15
Far North Holdings Limited have purchased the property and will be developing it further, including a new building for the Hokianga i-SITE, located on the upper car park. It is anticipated the facility will be open for business this Summer.
CHALLENGES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
– where are we now? –
- Hokianga i-SITE located in Four Square building reduced retail and visitor numbers.
- The financial crisis has affected visitor numbers and spend.
1 Please refer to the i-SITEs section of the Long-Term Plan (LTP) 2012/13 and the Annual Plans 2013/14 and 2014/15 for further information on priorities