So, too, have as many as 2000 Pasifika people, transforming a formerly white-bread town into a much more interesting place. One school of thought is the local council needs to do more to make operating a small business in Oamaru an attractive proposition, but politicians can only do so much. Fewer physical buildings does not have to mean fewer businesses. Imagine, say, eight small businesses forming a collective and sharing the rental for one space. Oamaru is not alone in facing small-town economic challenges.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 27, 2019 15:45 UTC