11 December 2001 / Issue No 8 CONTENTS Regional Development conference achievements What is regional development? Some of the media coverage of the Regional Development Conference Enterprise Awards - 90 Enterprise Awards totalling $917,444 First Major Regional Initiative funded under Regional Partnership Programme -Waikato Innovation Park gets $2 million. Southerner viability study Solutions sought for Canterbury exporters Anderton praises regional development work of EDANZ and Iwi designindustry Workshops (Christchurch 2001) Economic Development contacts Regional Development Conference achievements Jim Anderton said at the conference he will be looking at changes to the Regional Partnerships Programme for the next budget: providing greater encouragement and facilitation for the development of clusters; better coordination for the range of government business assistance measures in the regions, particularly to high growth companies; and promoting a closer relationship between our industry strategies and regional strategies. The Ministry of Economic Development will investigate seed funding to have New Zealanders take ideas and programmes around other regions, allowing regions to get advice and support from local heroes. Scheduling another regional development conference some time in the next two years. The positive media coverage has given regional development and regional successes a higher profile. Delegates have met people and created new links which can benefit regions. Delegates have taken back ideas that they can implement. Even if only a tenth of these are implemented, regions will benefit. People at the conference saw excellent and relevant displays. Delegates were able to discuss relevant examples in workshops, and test and refine their views with colleagues. They also had access to the Ministry of Economic Development, Industry New Zealand, other government agencies and Government Ministers. Media release /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36774 All the papers presented are available on: www.regdev.govt.nz see and hear some of the speeches from the conference on the net… http://www.pbsnz.com/demonstration/demo.htm What is regional development? Jim Anderton offered the following definition: "Regional development is the creation of strong, locally-directed and sustainable regions which generate jobs and opportunities and meet the economic, social and environmental needs of New Zealanders." Government's role in regional development: "I see Government as the regional development coach. Where we need to help the team get together and when the team is together we can encourage and support it. If the team needs some particular skills we might help provide those. If the team is in dispute we might help mediate. We can find out and share what other teams are doing. If the rules aren't working we might try and change them. If the team is doing brilliantly and is self supporting then we might just step back and watch for a while, our involvement being cheering from the sideline. The key point is that central Government should help you achieve what you want, which is strong, self directed communities and economies. Don't vote for anything less. Jim Anderton's closing speech to the Regional Development Conference: /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36776 Jim Anderton's opening speech to the Regional Development Conference /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36858 For more information on economic development and its definitions see the site of the Economic Development Association of New Zealand www.edanz.org.nz. Some of the media coverage of Regional Development Conference Rod Oram on the conference - "Singing praises of regions" http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1026326a1865,FF.html Colin James on the conference - "We're all regional developers now" http://www.synapsis.co.nz/herald/Herald_2001/ Herald_Biz_regional_Dec0101.htm Peter Kenyon http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/60/bc/200111291702.3d3dfeb9.html http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/ee/56/200111291310.2368271b.html Gordon McVie http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/70/13/200111281741.b6600981.html Pete Hodgson http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/5a/88/200111281657.26ca11bc.html Hon Jim Anderton http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/fb/e0/200111281135.8fb6b131.html National Party http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/ stories/2d/24/200111271614.1ec245d8.html General coverage http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/archives/ November2k1/News/news_30-11-2k1.htm http://www.odt.co.nz/ (go to site tools and then in the search engine adjust the date and type in regional development) See the Ministry of Economic Development's site: www.regdev.govt.nz Enterprise Awards - 90 Enterprise Awards totalling $917,444 Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton announced 90 Industry New Zealand Enterprise Awards totalling $917,444 at the Regional Development Conference in Rotorua. "The interest in the regional development conference shows how strong our economy is at the moment, particularly in the regions," said Jim Anderton. "Our economy is driven by regional businesses and industries and these Industry New Zealand Enterprise Awards show how strong innovation and enterprise is across all of New Zealand." Media release: /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36777 First Major regional initiative funded under Regional Partnership Programme "$2 million for the Waikato Innovation Park is a significant investment in the Waikato region," said Jim Anderton welcoming Industry New Zealand's first Major Regional Initiative funded under the Regional Partnerships Programme. Once completed it is anticipated the park will provide an increase in growth to the Waikato of 4% and provide up to 2500 new jobs. The park requires a further $6 million in funding from other sources before it gets underway. It is then projected to become self funding growing to a $12.5 million facility over 5 hectares in years one to four. The ongoing expansion of the project is expected to reach $180 million over the 20 hectare site. "The regional partners in Waikato have done their work and produced a regional plan with this as their priority. I congratulate Innovation Waikato Limited, Hamilton City Council, University of Waikato, Tainui, local business people and the Crown Research Institutes involved, for producing a business plan which has met the tough criteria for a major regional initiative. Media release: /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36860 Southerner viability study The Southerner passenger rail service would need a ninety per cent increase in passengers from 50,000 to 95,000 a year to have any chance of becoming viable, a viability study on the future of the service shows. Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton met South Island mayors and council representatives in Christchurch on Wednesday 6 December to assess the study, which was funded in partnership by government and local councils. This viability was dependent on low track rentals, a significant upgrade in rolling stock, the service being run by the new TranzRail/WCR joint venture and a change in timetabling. "The general indication from Councils is that it is unlikely they will continue to subsidise the service after February," Jim Anderton said. /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36859 Solutions sought for Canterbury exporters "The loss of 767s flying out of Christchurch is creating enormous pressure for exporters and I have asked Industry New Zealand and the Ministry of Economic Development to work with producers and manufacturers to see what solutions there are," said Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton today. /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36861 Anderton praises regional development work of EDANZ and Iwi "Today in this room we have a great depth of experience - between you there must be hundreds of years of experience in regional and economic development. The EDANZ members here today collectively probably have hundreds of years experience, or at least feel like they do. "You are the strength and the future of regional development - your ideas and experiences are what we will all learn from. "Economic development agencies have been doing sterling work in fostering economic development remaining alive and well but with a partner missing - central government. "Iwi and Maori authorities have for many years been taking the initiative for the economic development of their people". Opening speech from regional development conference: /Speech.aspx?type=press&rid=36858 designindustry Workshops (Christchurch 2001) The designindustry workshop series integrates business with design. The workshops bridge the gap between technology and creativity and assist in the development of high value innovative products for New Zealand businesses. There are two workshops per week for three weeks in January and February 2002, bringing in international speakers. These workshops may interest CEOs of manufacturing and exporting companies whose product lines need some dynamic input or who want to gain the competitive edge. http://www.designindustry.co.nz If you have any interesting projects or case studies please advise us and we will try and include them in this newsletter. The next edition is timed for early February 2002. Economic Development contacts: www.executive.govt.nz/minister/anderton/index.html www.industrynz.govt.nz www.med.govt.nz www.regdev.govt.nz www.bizinfo.co.nz 08004BIZINFO Venture capital information: http://www.nzvif.com/ www.vcapital.co.nz 0800VCAPITAL www.alliance.org.nz The website of the Canterbury Regional Partnership http://www.creds.org.nz/partnerships.cfm See the Waikato Innovation site: www.business2hamilton.co.nz Interesting link (courtesy of Waikato Innovation site) Breakthrough in Forestry Materials research: http://www.b2h.co.nz/index.phtml?id=189 A Wood Processing Industry Steering Group newsletter has been launched by Industry New Zealand. If anyone is interested in receiving this contact mike.booker@industrynz.govt.nz Comments on this e-newsletter are welcome. If you know someone who should be added to the distribution list or you want your details changed or to be taken off the list. You can email jim.anderton@parliament.govt.nz.

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