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RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Food truck fight at Christchurch Arts Centre resolved
The Christchurch Arts Centre site has been struggling with funding and more food trucks were seen as one way to increase revenue. Photo: RNZ / Adam Burns A fight for food trucks to remain at the Christchurch Arts Centre has succeeded - but the site will not be home to as many trucks as the centre would have liked. The issue has been contentious amongst business owners in the central city for some time, including when the Christchurch Central Business Association presented an unexpected petition against the Arts Centre's application for 33 food trucks on site last year. The city council has granted the Arts Centre resource consent for 20 food trucks on site, rather than the 33 the Centre had hoped for. The opening hours have also been reduced from the initial application, when it was requested the food trucks be open at least 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Food trucks at the site will now be limited to opening for a maximum of 50 hours a week, but can operate anytime between 10am to 10pm, seven days a week. The site had been struggling with funding and the application for more food trucks was a way to increase revenue. The Arts Centre Trust owns New Zealand's largest collection of heritage buildings - in central Christchurch - on behalf of the city's residents and leases them to creative and commercial tenants to foster the arts and culture. Arts Centre director Philip Aldridge welcomed the decision by the council and said he was grateful it had come to a compromise. "The food trucks generate essential revenue that helps us preserve New Zealand's largest collection of heritage buildings and sustain our role as a thriving centre for the arts," he said. "We have reduced the number of food trucks and limited opening hours - we hope that will be seen as a good compromise." Aldridge said the concerns raised about the food trucks had surprised him, given they had a long history and had been in place for many decades at the Arts Centre. He said the site would look forward to welcoming new food operators. Canterbury Hospitality stalwart Peter Morrison said the decision from the Arts Centre to reduce the number of food trucks on site was a great compromise. "We have to be fair to the Arts Centre and fair to the city's hospitality operators - this is a great way to do that. Christchurch is New Zealand's second largest city and big enough to sustain a variety of hospitality offerings," he said. He said the Arts Centre had hosted food trucks for a very long time and provided a great way for budding hospitality operators to step into the industry. "Some of Christchurch's iconic eateries, including Dimitris Greek Food, began life in an Arts Centre food truck. It is a great pathway into business, particularly for migrant families." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Juarez not ready for commercial truck ban at BOTA
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Juarez Mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar says his city is not ready for a proposed U.S. ban on commercial trucks at El Paso's Bridge of the Americas port of entry (BOTA). 'Everybody in Juarez understands that it is not our decision; it's a decision the U.S. has to make,' Perez Cuellar said at a Wednesday luncheon of the Central Business Association at the El Paso Civic Center. 'But at some meetings they have asked for our opinion. Our opinion is we are not ready. I think both communities … we're not ready for the closure of BOTA to commercial trailers.' Funding freeze threatens El Paso port expansion The U.S. General Services Administration is managing a planned $650 million modernization of the port of entry between El Paso and Juarez and is leaning toward a permanent ban on trailers primarily coming from maquiladora assembly plants south of the border. The moves comes after years of complaints from residents of neighborhoods near the port in South-Central El Paso about pollution and traffic. Those complaints lately have found a friendly ear among local elected officials. Trump still brings jitters to leaders south of border But ports of entry field traffic from both sides of the border and generally address needs and interests in both. Perez Cuellar said he, too, would like to see heavy truck traffic sent away from residential neighborhoods. But he said his city does not have the roadways to do that and industry leaders are not ready to send their trucks on a long roundabout to alternate crossings in Tornillo, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico. 'I think it would be great for Juarez when all the commercial vehicles go (there) because it would give us a break with the traffic. But we don't have the infrastructure right now to do that,' Perez Cuellar said. Medical lane at San Ysidro Port of Entry to be streamlined to cut down on corruption He said Juarez is asking the Mexican federal government for a major investment in public works to route trucks from dozens of industrial parks in central and east Juarez to Tornillo. Right now, most of the factories in those industrial parks have well-established routes to BOTA and to the Ysleta Port of Entry they consider crucial to getting merchandise into the United States as soon as possible. Truckers have told Border Report they rely on BOTA for a speedy return trip of empty containers from El Paso to Juarez that allows their companies to send a second and even a third shipment across the same day. 'We are not saying that shouldn't happen. We're just saying to be careful and enact legislation or do things in a way that all of the parties involved have a say,' said Tanny Berg, founding member of the Central Business Association. Small California town considers backing mass deportations He said there have been 'very little studies' to show the environmental impact of the proposed truck ban. This, in the context that thousands of passenger vehicles moving at a snail's pace would continue using the port of entry daily. 'We are not that opposed to closing the bridge when the infrastructure is ready,' Berg said. 'The roads to connect where the maquilas are to Tornillo and Santa Teresa are not ready yet. All we are saying is give us a little bit more time, make sure we don't turn off the maquiladora industry which is feeding the economy of our area. But we want to be mindful of the un-attainment we're having with carbon monoxide.' Border business leaders show unity amid threats of tariffs, trade pact review A group of concerned residents calling itself Familias Unidas del Chamizal in December held a vigil after the Mexican government sent a diplomatic note to the U.S. State Department raising concern over the possible truck ban. 'The environmental justice issues plaguing our neighborhood demand urgent attention,' the group said in an email last month. 'The health impacts of these mobile sources of pollution are damaging the environment, our Earth, and the health of the community, especially our children.' Visit the homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border El Paso City Council member Ivan Niño said El Paso is an important cog in the U.S. economy because of international trade. He called for dialogue between all parties and for government agencies to 'make sure all the infrastructure is there.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
