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Executive Director Report
Welcome to the final edition of the Committee for Auckland Newsletter for 2014.
The lead up to Christmas is proving to be busy, as it seems every year, with the launch of our Auckland as a Creative City report and The China Project nearing completion.
I recently had the opportunity to be part of the recent Mayoral-led delegation to China with visits to Shanghai, Ningbo and Guangzhou. All of which represent significant opportunities for New Zealand in terms of trade, tourism and education. There is also significant interest in what Auckland has to offer in investment opportunities and we have seen that recently with the announcement by Waterfront Auckland of the new $200 million Park Hyatt to be developed on Auckland’s waterfront by Beijing-headquartered Fu Wah International Group with $2.5 million committed to the development of a public space and art display in the area around the hotel in Wynyard Quarter, to give people access to the marina and water.
There will be many other opportunities and these need to be packaged and presented in a way that will be of interest to potential investors.
These opportunities do not appear overnight and require the development of long term relationships that go beyond a simple business transaction: relations such as those developed through central and local government visits; our sister-city relationships and the work of MFAT and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, both here in New Zealand and on the ground in China as well as the New Zealand China Council here in Auckland.
The trip was extremely valuable and relevant to the project we are currently undertaking. My thanks to the staff at Auckland Council and our Counsul Generals in Shanghai - Matthew Dalzell - and Guangzhou - Rebecca Needham - for an excellent programme in all three cities. It is clear the sister-city relationship, and that between our Mayor Len Brown and his counterparts, is a valuable platform for the development of a broad range of opportunities within those cities.
We are looking forward to releasing our report that examines the potential of the Auckland-China relationship and the significant opportunities as well as de-bunking some of those myths that exist in a negative sense around these opportunities, particularly as they relate to China’s interest here in Auckland.
The Committee’s report aims to provide not only an overview of the monetary value of the relationship, but also meaningfully address the cultural implications of past, present and future interactions between New Zealand and China. We believe there is a need to provide a unified framework for engagement that involves all significant sectors and major participants.
Other international cities are developing approaches to the ‘China opportunity’ that unify the regions behind collective goals and targeted actions. The states of Victoria and New South Wales in Australia, cities like London, San Francisco and Singapore have strategies and initiatives to ensure they maximise not just the inward opportunity, but develop long-term relationships within the Chinese decision-making and influencing framework.
We have examined these as part of our project and believe they provide significant learnings that Auckland should consider when developing our unified response. At this stage the report is due for release February 2015 and examines the relationship through four specific lenses; trade and investment, education, tourism and migration.
I wish to draw your attention to an article further on, where we acknowledge the huge support given to the Committee over the past four and a half years by Te Puni Kokiri (TPK), particularly from Pauline Kingi. This work has had a significant impact on the development of the Iwi-Auckland relationship and also through our Maori Graduate Programme for advanced young Maori graduates moving into Auckland’s corporate sector. Pauline has now left TPK and we take the opportunity to acknowledge her significant contribution.
Finally, thank you to all our members and supporters who continue to make our work possible. From the Board and staff of the Committee for Auckland, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.
Heather Shotter
Executive Director
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| Photo: Chen Jianhua, Mayor of Guangzhou and Heather Shotter, Executive Director, Committee for Auckland |
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Photo: Wayne Thompson, Chief Financial Officer, Ports of Auckland, Sanchia Jacobs, Manager Global Partnerships and Strategy, Auckland Council and Heather Shotter, Executive Director, Committee for Auckland |
News in Brief
Auckland as a Creative City
Acclaimed Speakers to Launch Creative Auckland
Tapping into the potential of Auckland’s creative sector with a comprehensive, all-inclusive strategy will provide infinite opportunities to make real the vision of becoming “the world’s most liveable city”. The Committee for Auckland launches the Auckland as a Creative City report at a breakfast function at the Auckland Museum on December 11, 2014 so we’ve gathered some visionary panellists to provide inspiration for the way forward.
The report follows on from the Committee’s 2012 business case proposal Unleashing the Creative Economy in 2012 which suggested an effective, forward-thinking strategy is vital for Auckland’s success. This latest report advances the case with five key recommendations and some specific inititiatives to help the creative sectors compete internationally for tourists, investment and talent as well as contribute positively to economic growth by providing education and employment.
Considerable work has already been done by different organisations to highlight the importance of Auckland’s creative and cultural industries. But this is the first to outline a bold plan that brings all parts of the sector together – cultural industries and creative industries: design, publishing, screen production and creative digital content and radio, performing arts, visual arts and music - to maximise synergies and funding.
The Committee looked at how seven international cities have defined their creative mission, what they hope to achieve by supporting the creative and cultural industries and how they measure performance. All adopted very different specific objectives for their interest and investment – from economic growth and social cohesion to encouraging urban development and vibrancy to showcasing aboriginal culture.
The research revealed some exciting, proven initiatives that Auckland could share and adapt and the report sets out ways to implement them effectively.
To celebrate the launch, a panel of acclaimed creative sector professionals and funders will share ideas and discuss the significance of Auckland’s creative sector - how it represents opportunities that can’t be ignored. The panellists are:
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Paul Owens, Co-founder and Managing Director of BOP Consulting, one of the UK’s leading consultancies on culture and the creative industries. He advises a range of clients including international agencies, government departments, sector development bodies, and cultural and creative organisations - as well as directing BOP’s team of researchers and consultants.
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James Hurman, Founder & Principal, Previously Unknown and author of The Case for Creativity comes from a background in advertising, having led the strategy at Colenso BBDO and becoming Managing Director of Y&R NZ
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Dr Richard Grant, Chairman, Arts Council of Creative New Zealand
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Patrick McVeigh, General Manager Economic Growth, Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (ATEED)
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Roy Clare CBE, Director, Auckland War Memorial Museum
The panel will be moderated by Simon Wilson, editor of Metro magazine – which is dedicated to the culture, current affairs and lifestyles of Auckland city.
 Dialogue Session with Hon. Bill English
The Committee, alongside its member Deloitte, hosted the Hon. Bill English, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance and Minister for Regulatory Reform at the last dialogue session of 2014. In his speech, the Minister highlighted three main areas of dialogue:
- Iwi/Maori development
- Auckland housing
- Transport/infrastructure
The Minister acknowledged the success of the ongoing relationship with Iwi and Maori and reiterated how vital these relationships are to growing Auckland and New Zealand. He cited the excellent relationship model between the Crown and Maori as the key to that success mentioning the Iwi Leaders’ Forum and the Iwi Leaders’ Group. Such examples have been the difference between success and delays in the Government’s agenda for the outcome of Maori and all New Zealanders.
On Auckland's housing the Minister expressed concerns about Auckland’s housing supply issues and cost of home ownership in New Zealand’s largest city. He was also concerned with how fiscally exposed the government was becoming. Households were spending a greater portion of their income on mortgages meaning the inequality was becoming greater and would continue unless land supply, regulation reform and an increased number of skilled workers improved.
In rounding off the discussion the Minister agreed that there was a case to bring the development of Auckland’s overall public transport strategy forward less it became more expensive the longer it was left. Working with Auckland’s Council would be a key ingredient in ensuring an optimal plan was arrived at and implemented successfully.
Future Auckland Leaders Programme
To finish the year Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT) hosted us for a session on Education in Auckland. Our host, Dr Stuart Middleton, spoke to the group about challenges facing many young people in Auckland and how, for some, providing different educational pathways encourages higher engagement and increased success. He outlined the efforts of MIT to create these alternative pathways, and the importance of structural change to ensure all Aucklanders are part of an educated and knowledgeable city. Bruce Adin of the Ministry of Education, gave us a fact-filled summary of the challenges facing education today, in particular around the issues that we face in contrast to the rest of New Zealand. Specific to Auckland are the challenges of providing equity in education for all young people across a fast-growing, ethnically and economically diverse city. Both speakers emphasised the importance of educational achievement not only to an individual’s outcomes, but also as imperative for the future of Auckland as a whole.
The Year that was and the Year Ahead
2014 was an exceptionally exciting year for the Future Auckland Leaders with 35 participants on the leadership programme, our biggest group yet! Our current participant’s average age is 39 and we have more women than men. We started off the year with the Welcome Weekend at Orakei Marae where the participants got to know each other and prepared for the year ahead. The year progressed with eight ‘Getting to know Auckland’ sessions which involved learning more about Auckland City - our waste water, energy, transport, economics and education. Civic leadership and governance was an inspired session with the Auckland Council leadership team. Rod Oram facilitated our economic sessions covering Auckland’s economy in-depth and University of Auckland and Dr. Lester Levy led our bespoke ‘Leadership Workshops’ culminating in our 'influence and collaboration' leadership session held last week.
We are looking forward to next year and and assisting the projects develop and deliver their inspirational objectives. We begin in February with our project weekend on the Orakei Marae from February 13th-15th where groups will be getting to know each other and focus on their 2015 project deliverables.
Sincere thanks to our sponsors Ports of Auckland and AUT University for your on-going engagement and support.
To our Committee for Auckland members and all who participate in making Auckland the "world's greatest place to live and work" thank you for sharing your incredible talent with us! We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the very best for 2015.
Legacy Projects
The Future Auckland Leaders are now better-informed about Auckland key drivers and issues and this understanding helped shape their business case ideas. From the 82 project ideas, eight were voted into business case stage for review by the Dragons – Jenny Gill, Heather Shotter, Earl Gray, Quintin Blackburn and Diane Robertson - at the Dragons Den held at the Auckland City Mission on Wednesday 3 December.
The five projects below were chosen by the Dragons to be developed as projects throughout 2015:
- Donating Brains
- Community Kitchen
- Timata Tours
- Garden of Knowledge
- Volcanic Field
To read about these legacy projects in more detail, please click here.
Photo: Dragons at the Future Auckland Dragons Den at Auckland City Mission on Wednesday 3 December 2014
Iwi Business Consortium
Special Thanks to Dr Pauline Kingi
The Committee for Auckland and Sir Ron Carter wishes to acknowledge and thank its long-time friend – Pauline Kingi CNZM, former Regional Director of Auckland, at Te Puni Kokiri. For over 30 years Pauline has selflessly and tirelessly devoted her time and energy to ensuring Maori people of Auckland were represented at the highest levels professionally and with dignity. The Committee is privileged and proud to have been part of Pauline’s journey and we look forward to working alongside her in her future endeavours.
As a kind gesture Pauline asked to include a piece about her relationship with the Committee for Auckland.
“It has been an honour and a special privilege to work alongside Sir Ron Carter and the Committee for Auckland to develop a strategic partnership with the 84 CEOs and members of the Committee and 13 iwi entities from across the nation.
The Iwi Business Consortium is a unique Accord that has seen a cross section of iwi leaders presenting on a range of issues to the membership. The Accord, funded through the Ministry of Maori Development Maori Potential Fund has been a mechanism that has seen the placement of over 34 new Maori tertiary educated graduates within member organisations. Together the key stakeholders have chartered a course that has been beneficial to the regional economy, and at the same time is an enhancement of the finest endeavours of us all to build this nation that we cherish.
I am now look forward to the next iteration of this Accord as the broader municipal needs of our country are given due consideration.
The Committee for Auckland can be justifiably proud of these early endeavours. I am equally confident that there is more to come.” Dr Pauline Kingi, CNZM
Photo (from left to right): Lady Lewell Carter, Sir Ron Carter ONZ, Dr Pauline Kingi CNZM
Tamaki Makaurau 175 Anniversary – I’m supporting Maori by Sir Ron Carter
2015 marks 175 years since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. Those were the days of sailing ships and large Waka. Auckland Harbour was the scene of boating activity. Trade and Transport was mostly dependent on water and early stories record the journeys around the coast in which immigrants depended on Waka for their travels. I am a strong supporter of the plan to have a fleet of Waka on the Waitemata to relive those early days. We should restore the Waka racing that was an important part of the Anniversary Regatta.
I am honoured to have been asked to be Patron of the initiative to promote the Waka fleet and have accepted the challenge to be involved. We now need all local Iwi and a host of corporates to get behind this effort to make this dream a reality.
Sir Ron Carter
Events
2015 Events Programme
The Committee for Auckland works with its members to help achieve Auckland's aim to be one of the world’s most liveable cities. With a vision of creating one of the world's greatest places to live, work and play we look to “Enabling Future Auckland” as our overarching strategic platform for all programmes, projects and initiatives that the Committee undertakes.
Members can expect 2015 to host a series of events related to specific topics that are relevant for Auckland’s social and economic development, for example:
- Housing
- Infrastructure
- Funding
- Education
- Migration
- Health and safety
The 2015 events programme will be distributed to members early 2015 in conjunction with an outline of the Committee’s three year strategy.
The Committee for Auckland’s strength is in the collective support of our members to advance Auckland as a dynamic and exciting place to live and work. We thank you for your continued support.
Upcoming Events
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