Latest / Best of Business / Sam MacDonald: Christchurch City Councillor on the prospect of a new Costco coming to the area

Transcript

Sam MacDonald: Christchurch City Councillor on the prospect of a new Costco coming to the area · Best of Business

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  Speaker 2: It looks like we know where exactly Costco wants to
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  Speaker 2: put its third store in New Zealand. They've picked Christchurch.
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  Speaker 2: That's not a surprise. We already knew that they wanted
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  Speaker 2: to go there. But now Christchurch City Council has been
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  Speaker 2: asked for feedback on a fast track submission to get
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  Speaker 2: this Costco built in the Garden City. Sam MacDonald is
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  Speaker 2: a Christchurch City Councillor.
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  Speaker 3: Hi, Sam. Hi, Heather. How are you?
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  Speaker 2: I'm very well, thank you. Now, whereabouts exactly is this?
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  Speaker 3: So this is just for anyone coming out of the
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  Speaker 3: Christchurch airport. You come down Memorial Avenue and it's on
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  Speaker 3: your right. So it's a big bit of land that
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  Speaker 3: has sat empty for decades. And it's now, it appears
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  Speaker 3: to be where Costco want to progress their fast track application.
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  Speaker 3: So look, we're pretty new to it all. We're sort
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  Speaker 3: of understanding it as we go, but providing a bit
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  Speaker 3: of feedback. But look, ultimately, it's just another good news
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  Speaker 3: story for Christchurch. Right.
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  Speaker 2: So what is the feedback that Christchurch City Council has
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  Speaker 2: been asked for?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I represent the area. So it's Avonhead, Isleham and Burnside.
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  Speaker 3: And largely it will be around the traffic implications for people. So,
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  Speaker 3: you know, obviously when we saw it start up in Auckland,
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  Speaker 3: there were the challenges around people getting to and from it.
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  Speaker 3: Seems to have calmed down now. But what we want
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  Speaker 3: to make sure is that actually our suburban streets are
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  Speaker 3: going to be still able to be used for suburban
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  Speaker 3: sort of uses. So any of that kind of stuff
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  Speaker 3: will just be worked through. And it's right that we
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  Speaker 3: give some feedback.
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  Speaker 2: And so what do you think the traffic implications are?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think you've got thousands of people that are
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  Speaker 3: likely to going to come to this on a daily
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  Speaker 3: basis because, you know, it's effectively another supermarket chain within
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  Speaker 3: the country and certainly within Christchurch. So the demand on
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  Speaker 3: the suburban streets will obviously increase. And look, that stuff's
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  Speaker 3: quite reasonable. It's just making sure that, you know, where
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  Speaker 3: we can do, we'll put people out onto Memorial Ave,
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  Speaker 3: the main one, as opposed to some of the back
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  Speaker 3: streets and just work through it. But look, overall, it's
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  Speaker 3: a really good thing for Christchurch. Can you imagine, can.
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  Speaker 2: You see anybody objecting to this?
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  Speaker 3: I wouldn't have thought so. You know, it wouldn't make
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  Speaker 3: sense because if you think about, and I've sort of
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  Speaker 3: said it publicly today, the cost of living crisis and
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  Speaker 3: cheaper groceries, actually this seems like another thing that will
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  Speaker 3: help that. So, you know, arguably it's a good thing
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  Speaker 3: for everyone in Christchurch and wider Canterbury.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and so what is the timeline? Have they specified
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  Speaker 2: how long they may take to get this thing open?
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  Speaker 3: Look, no, not at all. So certainly, I mean, I
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  Speaker 3: was asked a question by the media this morning and
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  Speaker 3: simply responded saying that council have had to provide feedback
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  Speaker 3: Costco haven't made any public announcements. It seems like someone's
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  Speaker 3: got wind of this somewhere along the line. So our
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  Speaker 3: planners are just working in with the government as they
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  Speaker 3: work through this sort of fast track application. I mean,
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  Speaker 3: I hope they progress with it. I think it's a
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  Speaker 3: good thing. But look, it's very early on. It just
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  Speaker 3: seems like someone's got wind of it earlier than perhaps
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  Speaker 3: Costco wanted.
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  Speaker 2: What's the first thing you're going to buy?
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  Speaker 3: I don't know. I mean, certainly the membership, actually. Oh, yeah,
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  Speaker 3: that's got a good move from you.
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  Speaker 2: Good move.
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  Speaker 3: Yep, that could do it. And then I see you
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  Speaker 3: can buy car tyres as well.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, yeah.
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  Speaker 3: Look, everything will be there.
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  Speaker 2: My answer, if you'd asked me that question, Sam, would
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  Speaker 2: be hearing aids for my husband. So, yeah, there you go.
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  Speaker 2: Not trying to influence anybody right now via the radio. Sam,
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  Speaker 2: look after yourself. Always a pleasure to talk to you.
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  Speaker 2: Sam MacDonald, Christchurch City Councillor.
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