Leon Kingi: Otaki Business Association Member on the state of the town after the opening of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway

Although some towns are feeling the pinch after the opening of motorways that bypass their towns, not all are struggling. 

More than 22,500 vehicles used to pass through Warkworth every day, but since the opening of the Ara Tūhono section of State Highway 1, businesses have reported a drop in business. 

However, Ōtaki has been thriving since the opening of the Peka Peka to Ōtaki Expressway in 2022. 

Ōtaki Business Association Member and Owner of Black and Co Quality Leather NZ Leon Kingi told Kerre Woodham that it’s opened the town back up to locals. 

He says that since they no longer have to avoid the traffic, more people are coming into town deliberately to shop and enjoy the local businesses. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerrywood and Morning's podcast from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
He'd be now before I went on my holes, before
we get back into the political discussion. I did just
want to touch on this one before I went on
my oles. I was reading about business owners and Walkworth
who are feeling the pinch since a new motorway opened
in twenty twenty three. More than twenty two than five
hundred vehicles a day used to drive through Walkworth on

(00:31):
State highwai I until the new motorway opened by passing
the town. Now there's concerned that Wellsford, the next town up,
is going to suffer the same fate when a new
motorway finally opens bypassing Wellsford. Some of the business community
thought it would be a good thing that the line

(00:51):
of traffic that inches its way through Wellsford as people
head north, people don't like to stop and lose their
place in the line, so they keep going. Locals don't
like coming into town because of the horrendous amount of traffic,
so some of them thought it was going to be okay.
Others were really fearful of their future. So I was

(01:13):
wondering about other towns that have seen bypasses. How are
they doing? And then lo and behold an article and
stuff appeared today featuring au Tucky, a town that is
supposedly thriving since being bypassed in twenty twenty two. Joining
me now is Leon Kingey, an All Tucky business owner
and member of the Business Association, owner of Black and

(01:34):
Co Quality leather. Good morning to you, Leon.

Speaker 3 (01:39):
Hey Cure, Good morning Kyoder.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
So when the bypass was first announced, did you fear
for the future of your business?

Speaker 3 (01:49):
There was some concern. However, at the same time, you've
got to, you know, just look at your business and
look how you're going to pivot to be able to
deal with the effects that are likely to become positive
and negative.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yes, yeah, And what what has happened.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
For us since the new road has opened. It's it's
been great. It's just really opened the town back up
to locals. You know, we'd never I'd be wandering off
for a coffee in the morning and I'd never see
any locals. But as soon as the new road opens,
I was bumping into people that you know, I knew
from my childhood. So that's been that's been amazing. The locals,

(02:31):
it's opened up a part of town that everyone used
to avoid. I suppose, yes, So that's been great, and I.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Think that's what they were saying in Wells that a
lot of locals were just like, you have got to
be kidding me. If you think I'm going to go
into town and do my shopping given the traffic that
goes through, you have got to be kidding. But now
there's high hopes that that locals will reinvigorate the town.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Yeah, and it's definitely happened for us. Yeah, I guess.
You know, we used to have every single vehicle that
wanted to travel north or south. Yeah, you know, this
part of the kind of had to come out outside
our doors, and it was frustrating for us as well
as those people that had to drive through. I mean,
now there's the great option. Those that want to come

(03:15):
can come, and those that don't want to come, they
can just carry on their journey nice and quick. So,
you know, we see it as a bit of a
win win for business. It doesn't mean there's an economic hits.
I think there is in regards to those those by

(03:36):
chance shoppers that might have pulled over for a coffee
or a toilet break and then happen to venture through
the shops and buy some bits and pieces. But I
think what's happened is more and more of our people
coming into the town are coming deliberately to come for
a shop and enjoy the cafe, and they can cross

(03:58):
the road safely and not have to deal with all
the trucks and things like because we've got power of
our parking. So you imagine trying to power our park
on State hilloh wan, it's it's it's just such a
pain for everyone.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
So yeah, and so they come with the with the
intention of spending I suppose to.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
Now, yeah, that's right. So the people that want to
come and do some shopping. A lot of our customers
have said, you know, they've just on a whim now
from Wellington or the Hut. You know, oh, I feel
like a new I need to replace my lead about
or come and grab a wallet. So they'll they'll just
jump on the road and come on over. Because Transmission
Galley as well further south of us and there, it's

(04:39):
just it's just totally opened up the Hut and Wellington.
All of the company coasted to be able to come
into Utucky quickly and easily and get home again. So yeah,
that's been great for the customers. I think two businesses
must must be looking at it pretty favorably now. I mean,
we've got some businesses opening up here. Natali Why Hunger

(05:03):
is a is a local group of artists that create
pottery and weaving goods and they've just opened. We've got
CORFAYII down the road, which is a cafe that's just opened.
Matpec Outlet has also opened Cincinni Road. We've got another
big eggs company coming in opening mid May. So I

(05:30):
think businesses are seeing the opportunity now and also starting
to move into town and fill some of the empty
gaps that we did have.

Speaker 2 (05:38):
Do you think too that the obscene house prices in
Wellington from a few years ago, plus combine that with
the expressway making it easier, as you say, to get
into and out of Wellington, meant that you've got an
influx of mainly young families coming in to buy homes
in Utucky and making it, you know, their place of residence,

(06:02):
building up the community. So that's potential customers as well.

Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, yeah, we've got a lot of That.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Was a really long question and a really convoluted question,
And if you can answer that. I'm amazed. Thank you
if you can find some sense and what I just said, thank.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
You because we have. Yeah, you're right that the amount
of people in Awtucky is growing quite quickly. Even with
the ear rnos, has been not a lot of money
around to buy houses and things, so it's been been
a hard time for people to come. But we have
found them. You know, are starting to see a lot

(06:42):
of sold signs up around town. Especially, looks like a
lot of first home buyer type because we've got got
a cap and it seems to be a lot of
the houses selling within that first home buy a cap.
So yeah, that's great too. New families coming up and
they can just get to work so easier. One of
the reasons I think they're coming. And they can travel

(07:04):
to wherever they need to south of auto can get
there easily.

Speaker 2 (07:07):
So for those who are on the root of these
new bypasses when it comes to the motorway, they don't
need to be fearful. It's just a matter of adapting,
accepting that the change will come and adapting to it.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Yeah, that's right, and I think we were we were
very blessed to have some good counselors on the on
the council when this plan was all getting put together.
Specifically one I definitely know James Coots, but I'm sure
there were others. They were heavily involved in making sure

(07:42):
the on ramps and off ramps were positioned well to
support our community point and especially our businesses. I mean,
you can't put those on it get If you make
it too hard for Kiwis to to do something, they're
probably not going to do it right. So they'd identified
that early, got us out on and off ramps nice
and close. So I think it's a two minute add

(08:03):
to your drive if you do choose to drive in
or Tucky as opposed to continue down the expressway, which
most are willing to take.

Speaker 2 (08:11):
Absolutely, if it's good enough, people will come lovely to
talk to you. Lee, And I know you close the
shop to talk to us, I'll let you open it.
There's probably a queue of people outside wanting to come in.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
Well.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
It is Leon King, Utaki Business Association member and owner
of Black and Co Quality Leather in a tacky. I
think that's true because like Silverdale was bypassed, wasn't it
used to have to go through Silverdale?

Speaker 1 (08:34):
Now?

Speaker 2 (08:34):
I make a point of going there for the night
trate free salami and bacon, and of course you always
going and see Maria at the Happy Kiwi Cafe, best
pies in the country. So it is a destiny, you know,
and it doesn't add much to your journey. And other
people are saying that their towns are thriving too.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
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