~6-8 minute read~

After three years of building an independent digital platform for the Waitaki district, Waitaki App will close at the end of October.

The decision has not been made lightly.

Since launch, the app has been fully self-funded by Alex Regtien and Cara Tipping Smith, and supported through local advertising.

It has brought together news, events, jobs, clubs, groups, wellbeing resources and business directories, and garnered more than 1.9 million views from more than 75,000 people, with many thousands more engaging through social media.

It has always been a community-focused, privately-funded project, powered by a small local team.

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All business start-ups are risky.

Waitaki App had the usual challenges of balancing affordability with growth, rising costs, technical issues, team changes, economic downturn and more, but we persevered and were gaining traction.

Unique to us, one of our biggest challenges was shaking off the impression that Waitaki App was a council project.

The evidence showed up in calls and emails that have nothing to do with our work - from complaints about windmills in Kurow to people sending “Snap, Send, Solve” issues to us.

Recently, we even shared our experience of receiving an abusive phone message to highlight the dreadful treatment that council staff shouldn’t have to put up with - because the caller thought we were council.

This summer, we had planned to accelerate our growth and become more useful to the district with a “Summer of Stories” campaign.

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Two weeks ago, Waitaki App was invited to write a story about a new council app, Ōamaru Tales, due to launch on October 30.

The email described Ōamaru Tales as “one of the Better Off funding CBD revitalisation projects”, stating its “primary use is a walking tour with interesting stories about buildings from the past”.

Cara interviewed Gary Kircher (former mayor), Rob Miller (self-titled ‘project lead as a volunteer’) and a council staff member about the new app, and was taken on a spontaneous walking tour to see how it worked in detail.

Having relationships with small businesses and organisations already doing things in the walking tour space, such as Ōamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, Mike Grey Walking Tours, Waitaki Whitestone Geopark and the newer-to-market, What’s On Ōamaru - she asked if they had been consulted during the development phase.

The answer was no.

One detail that was never mentioned during the interview (but apparent from app store screenshots) was that Ōamaru Tales would also contain lists of local businesses providing food, drink and things to see and do - features that also duplicate other existing directories and platforms - and critically, a core part of Waitaki App.

So, we had accepted an invitation (in good faith) to commit our privately-funded resources to telling the story of what turned out to be a publicly-funded product that competes with local businesses - including us.

Make of that what you will.

Screenshots provided to help us promote Ōamaru Tales. Photos: Supplied.

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It’s the prospect of more confusion that is the last straw for Waitaki App.

A council-funded, council-promoted app will add to the confusion.

The inclusion of business, activity or event directories makes that even more likely.

When specifically asked what the communications plan was to avoid confusion with other local businesses, the ‘project lead as a volunteer’ said, “Launch it. We’ll see”.

Unfortunately, we already know what that looks like because we’ve been battling it for years.

Once an idea gets picked up and spread - it’s very hard (and very expensive) to counter.

With "lists", Ōamaru Tales mimics Waitaki App - inevitable confusion.

Without "lists" but with no communication plan, no intention to differentiate itself from us or any other local business or organisation - inevitable confusion.

We just don’t have the bandwidth to fight more confusion.

We already know just how much work it takes to build and sustain a platform like this.

Without being properly resourced, business "lists" provide no benefit to the visitor experience or the community.

Dead links, out-of-date information and empty sections won’t work.

So, our sorrow is made worse in the knowledge that such a reckless approach doesn't just waste valuable public resources - it makes it harder for everyone to succeed.

If anyone had asked, we would have told them that.

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Waitaki App began with a clear vision: to connect and amplify local voices.

We are proud of all that our team has achieved with a positive attitude and dogged determination.

In three years it has covered community news, profiled local people and businesses, and offered free listings for groups and events.

We built a solid audience, a platform designed for growth and a for those who know us - a reputation for independent local storytelling.

It wasn't easy - we hadn’t broken even, but we were getting there.

We understand business is a risk and it was our choice to persevere for the community good and to help small businesses succeed.

More confusion undermines our sustainability, puts our team at risk and dilutes our advertisers’ impact.

To continue would be irresponsible.

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We are working directly with our clients to cancel contracts and arrange refunds where appropriate.

Subscriptions and licences will be closed out in the coming weeks.

The irony is not lost on us that the Ōamaru Tales project stems from a workshop that Cara helped the council’s (then) economic development team facilitate - two years ago, for free.

As they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

With council's approval, Cara has contacted the other local businesses and organisations already working in this space - all of whom are willing to get together and discuss how they can work together to collectively support the visitor experience.

It is up to the current council to facilitate that meeting.

We hope such a meeting comes to pass because the stories of Ōamaru (and Waitaki) deserve to be told - in a way that strengthens, not fragments, the local market.

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Personal Statement from Cara Tipping Smith and Alex Regtien

The founders, Cara Tipping Smith and Alex Regtien, added the following personal note:

We want to be super clear - many people in council were as surprised as we were.

The people who instigated and would have had oversight on Ōamaru Tales no longer work there.

Current council staff have genuinely tried to ameliorate the impact on us, within their power, with decency and fairness.

We have never approved or sanctioned council-bashing.

We won’t now.

We appreciate the efforts of various people in council roles on our behalf in the last few days - conversations that have had integrity.

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To our team

To Ash, Zara, Hani and Megan - thank you for the hope, the passion, the effort you guys brought to work every day.

You told the stories of the district, hunting out the best of local to share with the world and with your faith that we could see this through.

We nearly got there and we’re gutted to pull the plug on you now.

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To our readers

Thank you for downloading and using our app, for sharing our stories and helping us celebrate local successes.

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To our contributors

Thank you for sharing your events, community groups and clubs and opinions with us. We've enjoyed getting to know you.

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To our advertisers

Thank you for trusting us to represent you. We've loved your stories, your passion for what you do and wish you every ongoing success.

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Ōamaru Tales will add another dimension to the visitor and local experience.

The storytelling is wonderful.

The tech is cool.

The integrity of the process - deeply flawed.

We already know that this situation and its outcome for us, was unintended and is the opposite of what this council wants to achieve.

We have faith in them - staff and newly-formed elected team. We very much doubt anything like this will happen again.

Alex and Cara

Directors, Waitaki App

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Waitaki App is closing but The Business Hive remains committed to supporting local business. You know how to reach us. We hope you do.