The Bay of Plenty is one of the strongest examples of regional collaboration the Government sees across the country, says Paul Stocks, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment point man for the region.
He was speaking in Tauranga ahead of today's launch of the annual report of Bay of Connections, the region's economic growth strategy. Bay of Connections has been the focal point for government engagement with the region on the regional growth study action plan, approved last year.
"The region has been collaborating for many, many years," said Mr Stocks, the ministry's deputy chief executive for labour, science and enterprise.
Mr Stocks said the Bay had been easy to work with because of the established level of collaboration across the region.
"Every community is different, and they all respond differently. But it is fair to say the Bay had its act together and that's why, while it wasn't the first region to go into the regional growth study programme, it was the first to launch.