Masterton bid for more jobs and people

ON BOARD: Wairarapa Times-Age general manager Andrew Denholm (left), editor Andrew Bonallack and Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson at the launch site for My Masterton.PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

The Masterton District Council, in partnership with the Wairarapa Times-Age, has launched a campaign to increase jobs and population in the district.

The campaign, "My Masterton", was laid out during a campaign launch at its site in Queen St, to retailers and business people on Thursday afternoon.

It will be promoted to the public at the Masterton A&P Show at Solway showgrounds today. The Wairarapa Times-Age has offered $100,000 "in kind" advertising to promote the campaign.

Masterton Mayor Lyn Patterson said the concept was about finding out more about what people liked about living in the district, and promoting their stories to the rest of New Zealand.

"For me, Masterton is just the best place to live.

"We have a great lifestyle but we need to tell other people about it."

The campaign's aims are to increase jobs and resident numbers in Masterton, and attract investment.

"If people don't know about us, we need to let them know we're here, we're open for business, we want them to come here."

Campaign organiser Tina Nixon, whose brief with the council is boosting the district's economic development, said the campaign was similar to work done in Christchurch.

The initial step was to gather opinion from Masterton people on what drove them to stay in the area.

A Facebook page, established last week, is part of an aim to get 1000 reasons why Masterton is a great place and will form the basis for a TV commercial.