Kaitaia business boom

The Kaitaia Business Association (KBA) is planning its business awards and says the town's Business Improvement Development project (BID) has resulted in an increase in sales and new businesses opening up.

The BID project, through a local authority and business community partnership, is funded through levies to be paid by Kaitaia businesses through their rates, with monies providing a base for the business association to carry out projects to improve the district's business growth.

The group has already included the provision of close circuit television cameras in Kaitaia CBD as one of its current projects.

KBA committee member Christine Snelling says this is the first time the business awards have been held since Kaitaia was successful in its BID application.

"The success is an example of the collective spirit and commitment to working together that exists here," Christine said.

KBA says sales are up in the region by 6.4 per cent to September 2012, with over a 30 per cent increase in house sales.

A number of new businesses have also started up.