Mataura is For Sale

Since TV3's Campbell Live story aired a couple of weeks ago, Dr Jack Phillips has put several of his commercial properties in Mataura up for sale.

There are 4 shops for sale on Bridge St, and the movie theatre on the main highway is also for sale.

I like to think it was something I said . . . but I have a sneaking suspicion that he has had plans afoot for a little while. Either way, it certainly gives Mataura a chance at a new lease on life and it couldn't have happened at a better time. There is so much going on in Mataura in the aftermath of our Community Planning day.

I am involved with a group of people working to set up a Co-Op and to foster business development in Mataura. We have a meeting tomorrow with David Wilson - a rural change consultant (and penny farthing enthusiast!) - to discuss the way forward. We will definitely be needing a premises at some time in the future and its nice to know that if we can find the funding there are buildings available for purchase on our main street. Fantastic!!

Any investors out there with a real community based vision willing to invest in our town?

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Mataura Makes the News

This evening Cambell Live aired Mataura's story about how a wealthy American dentist brought up our town after the local paper mill closed and has since let it fall into disrepair.

Given that we only had a five minute slot, I think Natasha Utting and the rest of the team involved in editing the story did a great job. You can watch the video at the Campbell Live Website.

It is already creating debate and discussion in the community, which is fantastic. And the timing is wonderful as well. We have a Community Planning Meeting coming up this Saturday and it will be a great forum to discuss the future direction of our town.

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Mataura Fights Back

Some time back I wrote a post Shame on You Dr Jack Phillips!! Give Us Back Our Town!! about how my home town, Mataura is being held to ransom by a foreign investor who is letting our main street fall into disrepair and stifling our community.

Today I spent the afternoon with Campbell Live's Natasha Utting doing a piece for national television on the difficulties Mataura is facing. It is such an exciting development and it has spurred Dr Phillips on to great things. Since Natasha contacted him last week to organise an interview he has had his staff out in full force sprucing up the town.

The broken window panes on the movie theatre have been repaired finally - after being broken for months. Buildings on the main street were being painted as we filmed today. We even saw workers tending to the interior of one building.

And the story hasn't even aired yet!

Here's hoping that this is just the nudge Dr Phillips needed to remember that with his rights as a property owner - and the major property owner in our town - come some responsibilities to the community. Hopefully now he will start some kind of dialogue with the Mataura Community to form a realistic, fair and community centred vision for Mataura that will benefit all parties involved!

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