Executive Director Report
By the time this newsletter is published the intensity of the 2016 Tripartite Economic Summit between Auckland, Guangzhou and Los Angeles will be over. International delegates will have departed with a better understanding of the opportunities that exist when three cities supersize their sister city relationships to increase trade, investment and understanding of each other’s culture, history and opportunity. The real opportunity that the Tripartite Economic Summit (TES) provides is to build momentum from dialogue and turn the talk into projects and initiatives that provide tangible value for our city. This may be funding capital into infrastructure or R&D or increasing our skill base and productivity through the international exchange students and talent attraction as a magnet city. Tourism and trade provide visible metrics to assess the effectiveness of events like the TES in moving from talk to traction.
Key to unlocking the value of these events is to ensure you have clearly defined goals for what you wish to achieve. This sounds obvious but all too often the event is used as the measure of achievement rather than the tangible development of the partnership potential. Questions that need to be answered in evaluating the success of regular meeting such as the TES include:
- How much investment do we want to attract?
- For which projects?
- From where?
In 2013 the Committee’s report 'Fuelling Our Economy: Auckland Skills Agenda' identified several sectors with significant opportunity to increase their share of the export market. These included the film industry, food and beverage technologies and digital product development like SaaS (software as a service). When published, the report highlighted the need to take advantage of the exploding e-commerce platforms which enable commercial organisations to sell New Zealand products directly to a global customer base. Leveraging these burgeoning sectors and promoting others that are bubbling under the surface should be the focus of the 2017 Tripartite Economic Summit.
In the next few weeks the Committee for Auckland will release two new research reports; 'China: The rhetoric, reality and the opportunity' and a discussion document on the strategy required for Auckland’s future growth. Each of these reports will provide platforms for dialogue around the opportunities that exist to grow our city’s prosperity but both of them raise the issue of ensuring that growth is good for every Auckland citizen.
The China report debunks many of the urban myths that prevail in today’s social discourse. It identifies the value within the opportunity to build a strong relationship with our largest trading partner, but it also questions the wisdom of expanding into sectors where we lag behind other more developed markets. The report posits that the right focus for growing our overall partnership with China is to build on what we are good at: tourism and education are just two examples highlighted in the report and the latent opportunity to leverage of New Zealand’s international brand. The quick wins lie in building on our core strengths and international reputation. When it comes to building long term value in a partnership with China, Auckland needs to walk before trying to run.
Heather Shotter
Executive Director
Committee for Auckland
News in Brief
- Committees for Cities and Regions: Bi-annual Meeting
- The Governance of Auckland: 5 Years On
- Auckland: Grow for Goodness Sake
- Dialogue Session with Vic Crone, Auckland Mayoral Candidate
- Future Auckland Leaders: Creating Common Ground at TakeOneDay
- Member Perspective: Evolving the Way Auckland Moves
- Committee for Auckland Welcomes New Members
- Upcoming Events
Committees for Cities and Regions: Bi-annual Meeting
Geelong was the host of the bi-annual meeting of the Australasian Committees for Cities and Regions network. Due to a number of recent CEO personnel changes, it was decided to hold a CEO-only session of one day to assist recently appointed 'Committee for' CEOs integrate more fully into the network.
While in Geelong I got the opportunity to hear Committee for Perth CEO Marion Fulker present their recent research piece 'Filling the Pool: Attracting and Retaining Female Talent'. This is an extensive, two-year long, gender equity research project scoped and commissioned by the Committee for Perth and undertaken by Dr Terrance Fitzsimmons and Professor Victor Callan of the University of Queensland Business School. Click here for more information and to read the report.
Photo: Australasian Committees for Cities & Regions Network Meeting, Geelong, Victoria, Australia - May 2016
The Governance of Auckland: 5 Years On
The Committee’s report on the state of governance of Auckland was released on Wednesday 11 May. 'The Governance of Auckland: 5 years on', commissioned from The Policy Observatory at AUT University, looks at whether the new council structure has delivered on the aims of the local government amalgamation reforms.
The report is focused on the governance of council and its performance five years on from its establishment as a unitary authority. This structure encompasses the mayor and mayor and councillors (the governing body), the local boards, and Council-Controlled Organisation (CCOs).
The analysis did not extend to the council administration, notwithstanding the key role of administration in formulating policy and delivering services. The Committee considers conducting a review of the council administration as a key recommendation, given the importance of the council knowledge platform, its decision making and its flow of information. However, such a probe would benefit from a more embedded period of council operation in the unitary era and believe 2017 should see such a review undertaken.
The report found that the unitary structure has significantly addressed the issue of a weak and fragmented regional governance system. Addressing the Auckland-wide infrastructure deficit and engaging with central government are more possible under the new model.
Many issues with council can be solved within existing structures, although there is room for some adjustments. Significant restructuring is not warranted and it would be costly and disruptive.
Committee for Auckland Executive Director Heather Shotter says: “The council has to stay on course to achieve the long-term goals in the Auckland plan. This report is a first step in that direction”.
Auckland: Grow for Goodness Sake
In November 2008, the Committee for Auckland published 'Growing Auckland, Growing New Zealand' an independent report which placed Auckland at the centre of New Zealand's growth story.
Eight years later the Committee has commissioned a report from KPMG to better understand the drivers of our rapid development so that we can get ahead of the growth curve through good planning and investment.
The report titled 'Auckland: Grow For Goodness Sake' is a discussion document for our city’s major stakeholders. At a time where some of our residents are living in cars rather than houses and the socio-economic gaps between suburbs and citizens appears to be widening, this report provides a necessary perspective. It examines the machinery and eco-systems propelling Auckland’s growth and issues the single challenge: ‘how can we make growth good for everybody?’
The document briefly discusses the historic drivers of growth in Auckland, before exploring the macro economic and social trends that are influencing change globally. It reiterates the key principles that KPMG’s ‘Magnet Cities’ project identified which underpin growth and can be used by Auckland to create its own positive magnetic pull.
‘Auckland: Grow for Goodness sake’ is more than a think-piece. The report identifies three bold actions that business leaders and governance stake holders can personally take to contribute to sustainable and equitable growth in Auckland. If adopted, these three suggestions WILL start making a difference immediately.
We hope that this report will stimulate informed discussion that will catalyse Auckland's leadership into action.
Dialogue Session with Vic Crone, Auckland Mayoral Candidate
On May 4, Vic Crone addressed Committee for Auckland members and outlined her vision for Auckland. Read her speech here.
Photo (from left to right): Grant Hodges, Director, Committee for Auckland, Ross Buckley, Executive Chairman, KPMG, Vic Crone, Auckland Mayoral Candidate, Heather Shotter, Executive Director, Committee for Auckland, and Sir Ron Carter, Patron, Committee for Auckland
Future Auckland Leaders: Creating Common Ground at TakeOneDay
Author: Nina Seja, Senior Lecturer, Unitec & 2016/17 FAL Participant
What stories can we tell to bring constituents together? How can physical spaces support human activity? Why can collaborative partnerships be more powerful than working individually? These are a few emergent questions from the TakeOneDay collaborative cultures conference, held mid-May at the ANZ Viaduct Events Centre. Members of the Future Auckland Leaders programme received generous conference attendance sponsorship from ON-Brand Partners.
TakeOneDay was bookended by keynotes by Martin Snedden, CEO of Rugby New Zealand 2011, and Dale Williams, three-term Mayor of Otorohanga who achieved sustainable full employment for youth. Snedden discussed his distributed ownership model that saw N.Z. become a “stadium of four million” during the Rugby World Cup. Dale Williams focused on “high trust agreements” between leaders and communities.
Creating space to focus on betterment (both independently and in collaborative contexts) and developing alliances with a strong thread of trust were two significant practices that resonated with FAL members, as was the importance of a commitment to the common good.
Photo (from left to right): Nina Seja, Unitec, Chillion Sanerivi, Alliance Health, Simon van Praag, Fresh Concept, Garth Stewart, ON-Brand Partners, Stuart Tabuteau, Kiwi Property, Hannah Andrew, SGA/New Zealand Institute of Architects, Timothy Giles, Committee for Auckland, Mihi Blair, Ministry of Social Development, Fiona Moorhead, Auckland Art Gallery
Member Perspective: Evolving the Way Auckland Moves
Author: Richard Menzies, City Lead, Uber New Zealand
In many ways Auckland is a city of villages. From Birkenhead to Belmont, Ponsonby to Parnell, its suburbs are as individual as they are intriguing.
But in a city where many suburbs are underserved by public transport; and many more are only accessible by car or taxi, getting around hasn’t always been easy. In fact for most Aucklanders getting a bus or train hasn’t been an option, and getting a taxi has simply been unaffordable.
Whether it’s getting to work in the outer suburbs or heading out for a bite to eat in the city, most Aucklanders have traditionally relied on their car to get from A to B.
Just over two years ago that all changed, with the introduction of uberX to the City of Sails.
Read more...
* This type of article is a new addition to our newsletter where our members have the opportunity to provide opinion pieces on current issues.
Committee for Auckland Welcomes New Members
New Zealand Racing Board
 The New Zealand Racing Board is a truly unique and diverse business. A totally Kiwi operation with over 650 retails sites, two television channels, a radio station and a head office function, what we do touches the lives of a huge number of people, the length and breadth of the country.
We're generating income for the country, creating jobs and directly contributing to the livelihoods of more than 50,000 people. We're an integral part of cities, towns and communities nationwide. We have a proud legacy, stretching back to 1951 when the Totalisator Agency Board (TAB) was established as the sole betting operator in New Zealand. This was an internationally significant development as the TAB was the first off-course totalisator service in the world. Throughout that decade the TAB became the fastest growing business in New Zealand's history and, over 60 years later, its early growth record remains unbeaten.
Summerset Group
 Summerset is one of New Zealand’s leading operators and developers of retirement villages and care facilities in New Zealand.
More than 3500 residents live in one Summerset’s 21 villages. The villages provide a full range of support and care options from independent living, to serviced apartments and rest home and hospital level care.
Summerset is listed on the NZX and ASX with assets in excess of $1.4bn. Summerset builds over 400 retirement units and 150 care beds annually across New Zealand.
A large part of Summerset’s growth is Auckland based with developments underway in Karaka, Ellerslie, St Johns, Parnell, Hobsonville and Warkworth. Completion of these developments will see investment of around $1bn in the Auckland region.
Upcoming Events
Dialogue Session with Hon Nikki Kaye, Minister for ACC, Civil Defence, Youth, Associate Minister for Education and MP for Auckland Central
Date: Friday 17 June
Time: 12:15pm - 2:00pm
Venue: Deloitte, Level 18, Deloitte Centre, 80 Queen Street, Auckland
Cost: Complimentary for Committee for Auckland members and invited guests|
RSVP: chyenne.carroll@committeeforauckland.co.nz
CEO Boardroom Briefing: Dave Chambers, Managing Director, Progressive Enterprises and Rick Ede, Chief Executive, Unitec Institute of Technology
Date: Wednesday 29 June
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Venue: Hawkins, Level 3, 60 Stanley Street, Parnell, Auckland
Cost: Complimentary for Committee for Auckland members and invited guests
RSVP: chyenne.carroll@committeeforauckland.co.nz
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