The Ashburton Farmers Market is happy on State Highway 1 rather than the prospect of “being lonely” in the CBD.

A CBD Feasibility Study, prepared by First Retail Group, was presented to the Ashburton District Council last week, suggesting the market could be relocated as an option to help reinvigorate the town centre.

Farmers Market chairperson Brad Raukawa questioned what benefit such a move would have for either the market or the CBD.

"Trying to focus on a Saturday farmers market to bring some kind of vibrancy to the middle of town when there is nothing else in there, it would just be us.

"We would be lonely in the middle of shut businesses."

The market has been located at the northern end of the West Street car park off SH1 for almost 20 years.

Raukawa said a large part of its success has been its location and visibility on SH1.

“We rely probably 50% on traffic passing through town.”

The market is becoming more proactive in its marketing and social media presence, which was helping increase the number of locals, but “SH1 for any business is ideal”.

“You could probably have the market anywhere and be able to market it well enough for people to find you.

“But overall, the community hasn’t embraced it enough to do that just yet.”

Raukawa said from the West Street car park “you can walk everywhere” in the CBD, which echoed suggestions in the feasibility report about ample parking within a short distance of CBD.

“If they are trying to make the CBD more vibrant, then Monday to Friday should be focused on, and Saturday should be the fringes.

“People aren’t on a central town walk on a Saturday; they are more on a tiki-tour around the whole community.”

He said one of the issues is the council allowed satellite shopping hubs to pop up around town, such as the River Crossing Precinct, creating destinations outside the CBD.

Possible relocation sites discussed during last week's workshop included Baring Square East and the vacant Eastfield site, but chief executive Hamish Riach said the council had previously discussed relocation with the market organisers.

“Up until now they have one preference for location and no second place,” Riach said.

Raukawa said instead of moving the existing market, the council could consider establishing a Friday night market in the CBD in summer.

He felt that if the council is so keen to celebrate the market as a centrepiece in the CBD, they haven’t been that supportive in helping foster the market's growth.

By Jonathan Leask