Boomtown, not doomtown: Palmerston's new lease of life

Waitaki Mayor and mayoress Alex and Heather Familton are piped around the "new" Palmerston stores...
Waitaki Mayor and mayoress Alex and Heather Familton are piped around the "new" Palmerston stores yesterday by Bill McKerrow, of Waianakarua. The mayoral couple added an official touch to the community's business celebration. Photo by Sally Rae.
"The recession's had it," Palmerston business owner Jim Moffat declared yesterday as the small community celebrated its revival.

• Slideshow: Palmerston stores' opening celebrated

Bearing a banner which read "Puketapu Rules - OK!", Mr Moffat helped organise a special event in the town: the official "opening" of new businesses that have started operating in the past two years, as well as several businesses that have changed hands.

Mr Moffat, who owns Good Keen Kiwi Books with his wife, Beth, said he could remember how "Rogernomics" had "brought these wee country towns to their knees".

"Now we're seeing the renaissance," he said.

Yesterday's event began with the arrival of the Seasider train from Dunedin, bringing about 50 visitors to the town. They were greeted by eight members of the Puketapu Line Dancers, who performed in the rain at the railway station.

Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton, who gave a short speech outside the museum, said the new businesses had added a "thrust of activity" to the town.

Ten years ago, it had plenty of parking and not very much happening, he said.

Now, particularly at weekends, the town was very busy, it was difficult to get a park "and there's people everywhere."

 

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