HDC invests approximately $2 million per year in Hastings CBD through targeted rates, grants to HCBA, and events spend. That investment has grown 25% over four years. WestSide's dedicated share is unchanged.
| Mechanism | 2021/22 | 2024/25 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings CBD Marketing (HCBA targeted rate) | $293k | $317k | +8% |
| CBD Hastings targeted rate | $320k | $317k | — |
| Security Patrols / City Assist | $399k | $452k | +13% |
| Events spend | $652k | $985k | +51% |
| Combined annual CBD spend | ~$1.66m | ~$2.07m | +25% |
| WestSide dedicated spend | $0 | $0 | 0% |
All figures confirmed from HDC Annual Reports 2021/22–2024/25 and LTP 2024–2034. This is not a new pattern — it is four consecutive years of the same result.
Approximately 36 commercial building properties on Heretaunga Street West pay into HDC's CBD targeted rates annually. At an estimated $5,000/building, that is ~$180,000/year into the CBD rated system.
WestSide does receive Security Patrol / City Assist — we acknowledge this and state it clearly. A proportional geographic share of the $452k patrol budget is estimated at ~$45k.
This is the gap between what WestSide pays into the CBD rated system and what it receives back in marketing, events, place-based investment, or business association support. The $140,000 ask is just 3.7% above the net deficit — effectively a break-even investment.
WAM commissioned a data analysis of all 200 posts published by @hastingscitynz between December 2024 and February 2026. Every business mentioned by @handle in captions was recorded, geocoded, and assigned to zone (East or West, split at Railway Rd / Hastings St intersection).
Key findings from the analysis:
Heretaunga Street West appears once in the 238-page 2024–2034 Long Term Plan — as a photograph caption on page 89.
It does not appear in:
This has persisted across two consecutive Long Term Plans (2021–2031 and 2024–2034). This submission is the first formal attempt to place WestSide into HDC's planning framework.
The Draft Annual Plan 2026/27 contains several initiatives that WAM's ask directly supports or extends. We draw council's attention to three in particular.
The Hastings Partners Programme ($95,000 new line item). The Annual Plan introduces a dedicated budget to "attract external revenue" through partnership. WAM is a ready-made partner: an active membership base, an existing digital platform, an events programme with measurable outcomes, and a heritage documentation project already underway. We are available to discuss how the Hastings Partners Programme could formally extend to the WestSide precinct.
The central city rail safety and streetscape project. Construction began February 2026 on the KiwiRail fencing, water feature replacement, and paving upgrade — physically on and adjacent to Heretaunga Street West. HDC is investing in the physical fabric of this precinct right now. Infrastructure investment without corresponding promotional and activation support means the western businesses least able to self-promote bear the disruption without benefit. WAM is the activation partner for this precinct during and after construction. We ask to be resourced as one.
The "Vibrant Place to Live, Play and Visit" community outcome. The Annual Plan's Economic and Community Development group explicitly lists "Planning urban centres and neighbourhoods (Place Based Plans)" and "Empowering communities to do things for themselves" as core activities. WAM is a community that has already done exactly this — built the Place Based Plan infrastructure, the marketing platform, the events programme, and the heritage record that HDC says it wants to fund. The community outcome is already being delivered. This submission asks HDC to recognise and resource it.
WAM has developed, without any HDC funding, the infrastructure the LTP says council wants to support:
The LTP says HDC wants to fund marketing platforms, community events, and heritage documentation. WAM has built all three. This submission asks HDC to resource what already works.
Ask: $140,000 per year as a dedicated WestSide line item in the Annual Plan, delivered through WAM against agreed outcomes.
This is not a reallocation of HCBA funding. We are not asking HDC to reduce HCBA's budget. We are asking for a new precinct budget that reflects the geographic reality of a CBD that extends west of the railway line. HCBA continues its work in the east; WAM delivers in the west — where it demonstrably already operates.
Suggested outcome framework for accountability:
WAM has existing infrastructure, membership base, and capability to receive and report against contestable funding. We are not asking HDC to build anything new.
Mayor Schollum has signalled that the 2027–2037 Long Term Plan will examine "smarter ways of delivering services." WAM is a working example of that model: community-built, community-governed, outcome-accountable, and operating at a fraction of the cost of equivalent council-delivered programmes. Funding WAM now allows HDC to pilot and evidence this delivery model ahead of the next LTP cycle.
The $140,000 annual investment operates as a two-part budget with a deliberate declining-subsidy model. HDC's contribution is not a grant to be spent and forgotten — it is seed capital that activates matched private investment from the businesses themselves, with HDC's share reducing as businesses build capability and ownership of their own digital presence.
HDC's $140,000 triggers a matching $140,000 from WestSide businesses paying their share of membership fees. Every dollar of public money is matched by private sector commitment — businesses with skin in the game.
| Allocation | Amount | What it funds |
|---|---|---|
| Membership co-investment | $80,000 | Covers 50% of annual membership fees for paid-tier businesses. Businesses pay the matching 50% — approximately $80,000 in private sector co-investment. |
| WAM operations | $60,000 | 1.5 FTE — the people who deliver the platform, run the onboarding programme, manage digital assets, and upskill business owners. |
| Total HDC investment | $140,000 | Matched by $80,000+ from businesses. Total programme value: $220,000+ |
WAM's membership platform operates four tiers across the 152 businesses on Heretaunga Street West. Tier access is earned — businesses fulfil prerequisite criteria before upgrading, ensuring the platform stays quality-controlled and the outcomes are real, not nominal.
| Tier | Fee | Businesses (est.) | What they receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed — free | $0 | ~76 (50%) | Directory listing, map position, W.O.R.K. brand kit, member badge. The on-ramp — every WestSide business gets found. |
| West | $98/mo | ~45 (30%) | Full listing, priority placement, editorial mention, monthly reach report, window sticker. The business is visible and represented. |
| Prime | $298/mo | ~23 (15%) | 12 managed Instagram posts/month, Reels and Stories, editorial interview, newsletter feature, weekly analytics. The business has a functioning digital presence, managed. |
| Elite | $698/mo | ~8 (5%) | Daily managed posts, Reels production, full DM management, paid boost strategy, influencer outreach, live analytics dashboard, monthly strategy call. Full-service digital agency delivery. |
HDC's $80,000 co-investment covers 50% of the annual membership fees for the ~74 paid-tier businesses. Businesses pay the matching 50% — approximately $80,000 in private sector contribution. Businesses who contribute financially have skin in the game; they show up, they engage, and they use what they are given.
WAM delivers this not as a passive directory but as an active agency-style programme. The model moves every business through three phases:
| Year | HDC co-investment % | HDC membership $ | Business $ | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 50% | $80,000 | $80,000 | Onboarding year — remove the financial barrier, get businesses on the platform, show results. |
| Year 2 | 30% | ~$57,000 | ~$133,000 | Businesses are seeing results and owning their brand. They increase their share as confidence grows. |
| Year 3+ | 0–15% | TBD | Majority | Self-sustaining — WAM operational costs covered by membership revenue. HDC contribution drops to advocacy and activation only. |
The model is explicitly designed to reduce HDC's financial exposure over time. Year 1 is the highest-subsidy year because it is the hardest — getting 74 businesses onto a new platform requires lowering the barrier to entry. By Year 2, results are visible, businesses are engaged, and the private sector contribution increases. By Year 3, WAM's operational costs are substantially covered by membership revenue and HDC's role shifts from funder to strategic partner.
| Outcome | Year 1 Target | How measured |
|---|---|---|
| Paid tier businesses onboarded | 50+ businesses (West, Prime, Elite) | WAM membership register, reported quarterly |
| Digital assets built per business | Directory profile + at least 1 active channel per paid member | Platform audit at 6 and 12 months |
| Instagram reach — @hastingscbd | +40% follower growth, 10k+ monthly reach | Monthly analytics report to HDC |
| Business owners trained | 30+ business owners through Phase 3 handover | Training completion records |
| Private co-investment unlocked | $80,000+ from businesses | WAM financial accounts at year end |
| Business sentiment | Quarterly WAM member survey — results shared with HDC | Survey data, trend over 4 quarters |
| Directory traffic | hastingscbd.nz — 20,000+ sessions/year | Google Analytics, shared with HDC |
WAM will provide HDC with a quarterly report covering each of these metrics, plus a full year-end review with financials. If targets are not met, the declining subsidy model provides a natural accountability mechanism — Year 2 funding is contingent on Year 1 results.