Economic development moving forward in Kāpiti

Kāpiti Coast District Council has given the green light to progress steps to lift the district’s economic development to the next level.

Council’s Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB) was established in 2020 as an advisory board to oversee and guide Council’s economic development activity.

“In the last few years, the EDKB has done a great job, alongside council’s Economic Development team, to bring the district’s Economic Development Strategy 2020-23 to life,” Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Janet Holborow says.

“This has included establishing sector clusters in food and beverage, tourism and technology, as well as developing training and employment pathways for our community.”

Business owner Jan Thornborough of Outfox Cybersecurity, a member of the Kāpiti Technology Cluster, advised that “it has opened new opportunities for collaboration with other tech companies in Kāpiti and has given me peers who can relate to the challenges of starting up a tech company in New Zealand”.

Maintaining a focus on sustainable economic growth remains a priority for the Council, to ensure that businesses and industry are supported to thrive.

Council resolved in August to transition the EDKB into an independent trust-owned commercial entity to carry out its work and allow for activity that council, or a council body, can’t achieve. This includes co-investment with businesses, research organisations, property developers, Māori, and government agencies.

EDKB chair Neil Mackay says Kāpiti is experiencing growth in population, business and investment and is well placed to capitalise on growth opportunities a change like this could bring.

“We need an operating model that has the potential to span multiple opportunities and be self-funding in the future, creating employment and investment locally. We want a structure that can also assist local businesses to scale-up and grow,” Mr Mackay says.

“We’re proposing an operating model that would allow the Board to get out and be more involved with our business community. More work will be done in the coming months to develop the Trust Deed, set the priority for the Trust’s focus in the future, and to agree the relationship framework agreement between the new Trust and Council.

“This plan has been developed with and is supported by local businesses and we are excited about what the future holds.”