From a business perspective, the chamber hosted Minister Shane Jones on Wednesday at a lunch function. Jones holds the Regional Economic Development portfolio and also is the Associate Transport Minister; both of these portfolios are very important to our city's economic growth and development.
So, in real terms how is Rotorua benefiting from this coalition government?
Within the space of five months, we know the Ministry of Forestry is being established in Rotorua.
Jones was questioned about the reasons for the Rotorua location, and what the organisation structure will be.
He stated Rotorua is the natural home for the ministry because of where we are located ie, surrounded by forests and the associated industries and skills supporting the forestry and wood sector.
He added while the ministry will be small, it will be staffed by a chief executive, supported by a small, highly technical team.
We support the minister's view on this structure as we believe "bloated bureaucracy" is inefficient and a highly effective team is what is required to "get things done".
The other key takeout from the minister was applications for his $1 billion a year Provincial Growth Fund are now open.
As a city, we need to take note, do not delay and get our funding applications in to reap the rewards.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the collaborative approach we have in Rotorua, and especially our mayor and her team who actively seek out key influencers to tell the story of our city.
Prior to the chamber lunch, Jones was hosted by our mayor and her team. As he said on a number of occasions during his speech, as a result of this meeting he was very well briefed about the opportunities and support we need to unlock the potential of our city.
As the chamber we see our key role is advocating for the local business sectors.
By working with key stakeholders, local and central Government agencies, we can help bring about positive change for the Rotorua business community.
