Elevate Ōtaki
Elevate Ōtaki is a community group started in 2017, to advise on the best use of $300,000 to help the community prosper from the Peka Peka to Ōtaki (PP2O) Expressway. This money is shared equally between Waka Kotahi | NZ Transport Agency and Council. Each give $60,000 each year for five years to help reduce the impact of the Expressway on Ōtaki, Te Horo, and nearby areas.
Purpose
Elevate Ōtaki will make recommendations as to the best use of the Council/Transport Agency funding, and are also tasked with sourcing additional finance for projects beyond the scope of the PP2O Expressway construction.
The purpose of Elevate Ōtaki is to:
- Identify and communicate opportunities to stakeholders that can be invested in to assist Ōtaki and Te Horo
- Work with stakeholders to realise potential for local businesses and the community
Vision: to elevate Ōtaki as a place to experience, belong and have fun – a place to grow, live, and play.
Mission: to enable a thriving, bustling, enhanced community by promoting Ōtaki, building business confidence and advocating for the community.
Values: resilience, innovation, embracing change, diversity, open and honest, sustainability, prosperity, authentic community.
Key objectives
- To work with stakeholders to maximise infrastructure expenditure for the benefit of the Ōtaki retail area, township and business park
- To encourage and support economic development initiatives that create jobs and encourage inward investment
- To identify, facilitate and oversee the planning and implementation of economic development initiatives
- To identify and support community initiatives that enable sustainable employment in Ōtaki and Kāpiti
Functions
The specific functions of Elevate Ōtaki are to engage with stakeholders and the community to identify, assess, and advocate for economic development opportunities in the area. This will also include exploring marketing opportunities for Ōtaki, as well as representing the interests of Ōtaki in regional and districtwide economic development planning, projects, and policy.
Membership
Membership of Elevate Ōtaki will include core members annually appointed by the Council. Members should have a business or community interest in Ōtaki and/or Te Horo. The group will be chaired by a Council representative, and specialist advisors may be invited to join the group for specified periods of time.
The current Elevate Ōtaki group for 2018 are:
- Ōtaki Ward Councillor James Cootes
- Councillor Angela Buswell
- Christine Papps (Ōtaki Community Board Chair)
- Hanna Wagner-Nicholls (destination marketing specialist)
- Ian Carson (Ōtaki Promotions Group)
- Heather Hutchings (Kāpiti Chamber of Commerce)
- Joshua Housiaux (experienced project engineer/manager)
- Libby Hakaraia (Māoriland Film Festival)
- Sam Pritchard (industrial/commercial retail)
- Mark Rudings (business start-up specialist)
Meetings and reporting
Elevate Ōtaki meetings are held monthly. The group will report quarterly to the Council and Ōtaki Community Board on activities, progress, and recommendations. The group can issue press releases on its activities and views (in consultation with Council).
Visiting Ōtaki
Ōtaki has so much to see and do. It's a hidden gem in the greater Wellington region. But many attractions are not obvious to visitors who might only know Ōtaki for its great outlet shops and cafes as they pass through on State Highway 1. Learn more about what's on offer in Ōtaki.