Joint effort to attract government investment

Provincial Development Unit head Nigel Bickle, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, Central Hawke's Bay District Council Mayor Alex Walker and Investment Attraction Taskforce chairman Peter Chrisp.

Hawke's Bay political, business and community leaders have been working together to pitch the region as a prime place for high-level investment.

During a visit to the Hawke's Bay Business Hub, a top-level delegation from New Zealand's Investment Attraction Taskforce, which aims to match overseas investment opportunities to regional communities, heard directly from regional mayors on what those investment options there were.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council Mayor Alex Walker, speaking as the interim chair of Matariki REDS leadership forum, said the Hawke's Bay region was ripe for investment as we pursue the vision of Matariki (the regional economic development strategy).

"We need a diverse, high-value economy that can enable success for all households and whanau. As a region we are primarily food producers – we welcome investment that can bring us closer to markets, with premium-value products and the development of high-quality jobs," Walker said.

Hastings District Council Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said the Tomoana Food Innovation project was a fine example of a collaborative regional project enabled by the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF).

"The opportunity to bring all the different sectors in Hawke's Bay together to hear and understand the vision of the Government's Investment Attraction Taskforce and the PGF is enormously valuable."

Taskforce chairman Peter Chrisp said there was a multitude of great businesspeople right across Hawke's Bay.

"The purpose of the Taskforce is to match local and foreign investors with local businesses, for the good of New Zealand. That way we can provide the capital that will turn small businesses into much bigger ones that can benefit the whole community.

"It's really important for the Taskforce that we get into the regions, to work with different business groups and all levels of government to look for these opportunities, and work with local businesspeople to help them meet their ambitions."

Business Hawke's Bay chief executive Carolyn Neville said the visit was important to ensure that Hawke's Bay stays top of mind for Taskforce members.

"It's a competitive market for investment. Hawke's Bay needs to have a high level of ambition in seeking the best set of investments, comparative economic advantages and opportunities for the region.

"By showcasing our region, what we have to offer and the opportunities for investors, we give our local Hawke's Bay companies the best opportunity of attracting capital so they can grow. That's good for them, it's good for sustainable job creation and it's good for economic growth."

The taskforce includes a cross-government team of senior officials from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, MBIE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Callaghan Innovation and the Treasury.