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Upper Hutt CBD – Revitalisation
- Hellen_Swales
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
Upper Hutt, 18th August 2025
Authorised by Hellen Swales - hellenformayor@gmail.com
Apologies for the late delivery of this BLOG.
Introduction
I’m acutely aware that Upper Hutt’s Central Business District (CBD) has been a concern for many in our community for some time and has been a consistent theme in the Upper Hutt Councils Annual Community survey.
At the Council meeting on 30 October 2024, I asked officers whether we have a strategy in place to address areas where we are not meeting community expectations or satisfaction in the delivery of services. Too often, we survey the community but see very little change as a result. I will be following up when the next survey results come to the Council table to see whether the dial has shifted and whether we are making genuine progress with regards to the CBD.
I believe, council and community, know there are issues with absentee building owners and a noticeable deterioration in the CBD’s presentation.
As a council, the options to directly address this are limited, but the challenge remains: how do we encourage building owners to tenant their premises rather than leave them empty? This is a conversation that has been had around the Upper Hutt City Council table, and it’s one which needs to remain on our agenda, not just talked about but also actioned.
Gisborne District Council submitted to the Annual Conference of Local Government New Zealand calling for “tackling unoccupied buildings as a priority” and for legislative change to give councils the power to take action. Upper Hutt City Council supported the remit(proposal) from the Gisborne District Council. Since supporting this council have also been investigating the possibility of introducing its own updated bylaw. In my opinion, the current tools are not sufficient to achieve positive outcomes in addressing derelict and unoccupied commercial buildings.
Here is an example of one section of this bylaw. Refer to the below link for the entire bylaw.
This Upper Hutt bylaw has references to the Local Government Act 2002 which also, in my opinion, is ineffective in supporting a positive outcome for council and our city.
The Challenge
Upper Hutt is not alone in facing this issue, Whanganui, South Wairarapa, and Gisborne, to name just a few, all feel they are equally ineffective in achieving better outcomes for their cities. Many are all well aware of the consequences of these unoccupied buildings:
Unoccupied or deteriorating buildings negatively affect local economies and tourism in key centres, undermining the key roles councils play in attracting new businesses and visitors to their communities.
That unoccupied buildings can result in increased vandalism and antisocial behaviour, including litter and sanitation issues.
With a proposed rates review on the agenda for Upper Hutt City Council, this is an ideal opportunity to put on the table a conversation about introducing a Business Improvement District (BID) programme or a MainStreet programme. There are many proven examples across New Zealand of how these initiatives have successfully revitalised CBD and boosted economic activity.
In Auckland there are currently 51 BIDs, representing over 25,000 businesses with a combined capital value estimated at $72.7 billion. Through the Business Improvement District (BID) programme, Auckland Council works with business districts to improve the local business environment and grow the regional economy. This programme creates a relationship between the council and business associations, which are separate entities.
Reference: https://bid.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/
Mainstreet Programmes have a similar brief to BIDs in that they too are independent of council and are funded through a targeted rate on building owners.
The first Mainstream program was in Wanganui which started in a time when things where on the decline for them in 1991.
Here is the Mainstreet Whanganui mandate from its website: -
We were established in 1991, a time when Whanganui's CBD had grown increasingly tired and was in serious economic decline. 30 years on, the economic outlook has vastly improved, and perceptions of our city have changed significantly - with Whanganui regularly topping the list as New Zealand's most beautiful city.
Mainstreet Whanganui is a not-for-profit town centre management organisation representing the Whanganui CBD. We work to promote local businesses and make our central city as vibrant and attractive as possible.
From our outset, Mainstreet has been a catalyst for change in Whanganui, both as an advocacy group supporting local businesses, and as a grassroots organisation, carrying out beautification works and managing events in the central city.
For Upper Hutt, I would take the opportunity to have this conversation to establish a BID or a Mainstreet programme as part of the rates review. These initiatives must be led by the business community, not imposed from the top down.
Upper Hutt had a similar programme back in the early 2000’s called Experience Upper Hutt. Unfortunately, council stopped it in 2012 even though it had the approval of local businesses.
I’m not prepared to spend more ratepayer money on consultants for CBD design. Over the years, we’ve already had reports from at least three — Hames Sharley, Kobus Mentz, and Isthmus. The last thing we need is yet another report provided from external consultants, when Upper Hutt is more than capable of telling its own story and shaping its own future.
I see council’s role is to provide, in partnership with local Building and Business Owners:
 | Infrastructure & Placemaking: Streetscapes, lighting, signage, parking, parks — the things businesses can’t build themselves but need to attract customers. | |
| Events & Activations: Markets, festivals, and seasonal promotions that bring people into commercial areas. | |
| Business-friendly Policy: Streamlined consenting, reduced red tape, and clear communication. | |
| Promotion & Marketing: Destination branding for the town or CBD, often run in partnership with a business association. |
The heart of our city should be vibrant, welcoming, and full of life. This is a theme of conversations I have heard from many in our city.
This isn’t just about physical improvements, it’s about changing the story of the CBD from “a bit quiet” to “the place to be in Upper Hutt.”, a destination to spend time in.
These ideas would need the support of building owners and business in order to drive any framework in revitalising our CBD. The council can support either a BID, or Mainstreet programme, that provides the opportunity for building and business owners to work with the council. Such an approach would encourage collaboration to achieve greater local outcomes.
I see this as a unique relationship where communication and professional cooperation are valued.
How I believe this could be approached.
With a realistic, budget-conscious approach to shift perception of the Upper Hutt CBD and build momentum over time. Purse strings are tight, both for council, business owners, building owners and community, but I believe the following could be achieved.
From Quiet to Vibrant - Reimagining Our CBD
1. Quick Wins (0–12 months) Fast Visible Changes
Pop-up activation: Encourage short-term leases for pop-up shops, art displays, or community uses in vacant spaces (low rent incentives with landlords). Our community has amazing talent from all throughout our community, engaging ideas using local talents.
CBD events calendar: Run regular, small-scale events e.g., night markets, food truck events, live street music that give people a reason to come after hours.
Beautification blitz: Budget-friendly improvements like better lighting, flower planters, and repainting tired façades in partnership with building owners.
2. Medium-Term (1–3 years) Growing Together
Anchor attraction: Support one or two standout businesses or experiences (e.g. destination dining, artisan market) that make the CBD a drawcard and as a springboard for all of our local businesses
Public space upgrade: Redesign key areas like pedestrian alleys or squares to make them more inviting, safer and people friendly.
Business mix strategy: Partner with building and business owners to target missing services, like more hospitality, specialty retail, or entertainment venues.
Parking Accessibility: Encouraging a parking review with the support of the community along with building and business owners.
Local and Regional Promotion: In collaboration with Upper Hutt Council, promoting Upper Hutt as a Vibrant destination for shopping and Vibe.
3. Long-Term (3–5 years) Changing the Story
Consistent branding: Promote the CBD as the “Heart of Upper Hutt” with coordinated signage, marketing, and events.
Mixed-use development: Encourage upper-floor residential living to bring more people into the CBD day and night.
Transport and access improvements: Make it easier to get into and around the CBD for all.
Extended Promotion: Expanded promotion of Upper Hutt outside of the Wellington region.
In Summary
This approach uses low-cost, partnership-driven initiatives to build visible improvement quickly, while laying the groundwork for bigger changes. Every initiative keeps momentum going, so perception shifts from “tired and empty” to “alive and worth visiting” and puts the direction and pace back in the hands of those who know our CBD best.
Upper Hutt Council simply do not have the budget at present to take on new projects. Instead, we must encourage out-of-the-box thinking and build partnerships that deliver real wins for our community.
Authorised by Hellen Swales: hellenformayor@gmail.com
