The Thames Business Association is the new operator of the town’s information services, bringing it back to its original home in Mary St.
Thames’ i-Site ceased operation in 2021 and was replaced with the Thames Information Kiosks at the Goldfields Shopping Mall – the contract for which is coming to an end with Thames-Coromandel District Council on June 30.
After putting a call-out to manage and operate a new Thames Information Centre, council received five expressions of interest, and while Goldfields Mall did put its hand up for continuing the service, utilising AI technology to make it affordable in place of a face to face resource, it was the Thames Business Association which the Thames Community Board voted to be the preferred operator of the info site, to be based at the Civic Centre on Mary St.
Association chief executive Sue Lewis-O’Halloran told The Profile it was invited to put its name forward to operate the information services “by a number of people in the Thames ward”.
“I suspect it was in part due to our involvement in the re-branding of Thames – as part of the recovery process – as we sought to position Thames as a destination, not just a gateway.”
She said there was “real synergy” in tying the association’s new website ‘Explore Thames’ to the work of the information centre.
“It was also another way to support our local community, including accommodation providers, plus the hospitality and retail sectors and our local attractions. And finally, we anticipate it will provide additional revenue in our goal to have diversified revenue streams so that the association can continue to support our businesses.”
The four other candidates who put their names forward to operate the information service were: Thames Taxis Limited; a collaboration between Thames School of Mines and the Treasury Research Centre and Archive; Goldfields Shopping Centre; and Nick Ward.
Staff reviewed all five applications using a rating and weighting system, and the applications by the Thames Business Association and Thames Taxis were rated the highest.
The findings were presented to the Thames Community Board at their April 10 meeting and the recommendation was that the business association was the preferred operator of a new Thames Information Centre to be based at the Civic Centre office at Mary St.
Sue said the Mary St site was a “good location” and while the association would like the centre to ultimately become an i-Site, it will start out as an Info Centre.
Before it can get up and running – which could be by the end of July or beginning of August this year – Sue said there were first “a number of steps to take”.
These included having the space made available – it is currently occupied by Destination Hauraki Coromandel; doing a proper refit of the space in order for it tol function as both an Info Centre and a business association office; training staff and volunteers; and securing inventory.
“To achieve all of that will require time, so it’s hard to predict a possible opening,” she said.
A further report will be presented to council at a later date.
BY KELLEY TANTAU
