Executive Director Report
While writing this column I had one eye on the UK referendum to leave or remain in the European Union and Britons have voted to leave. The vote comes some 43 years after Britain joined the EEC - as it was known at that time - and (along with the first oil shock and collapse of global meat and wool prices) decimated the New Zealand economy which relied so heavily on Britain as a destination for its primary products. I grew up on a sheep and cattle farm in Hawkes Bay and I remember quite distinctly the conversations that took place around our dinner table and the deep concern my parents had about how they would survive and adapt to the new environment.
Not only did New Zealand survive in this new environment, but it has largely thrived. As a nation we have demonstrated incredible resilience by developing new markets and expanding our trading relationships. Rather than relying on economies that are so distant, primary producers and exporters across most sectors have turned their attention to countries closer to home in the Asia Pacific rim. This shift in focus has proven to be extremely advantageous as the economic centre of gravity has moved and now favours these APAC countries we have developed strong relationships with.
Now Britain’s decision to leave the EU - while important in world politics - will have a lesser impact on New Zealand. No longer do we see our future inextricably tied to the fortunes of the United Kingdom, rather we are an independent country with our own cultural identity and strong ties to our neighbours in the Pacific and Asia region.
This vote is the first in a very fascinating year for political junkies. Next up on July 2 is the Australian federal election and then the United States presidential election on November 8. These are both very important trading partners for New Zealand and the outcomes of these elections will have a significant impact. Next week I am travelling to the UK, Ireland and US and will get to see first-hand the reaction and fall-out from Britain’s decision to leave the European Union and the campaign tactics of presidential hopefuls, Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump as they race for the White House.
This past month has been an extremely busy one for the Committee. We welcome our new Chairman, Mark Franklin whose profile can be viewed here. Mark led the summit on June 21 which united a wide cross section of Auckland's leadership to set the direction and work agenda for the Committee in 2016/17. The summit hosted several influential guest speakers including:
- Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key
- Auckland Council Chief Executive, Stephen Town
- Secretary to The Treasury, Gabriel Makhlouf
A report on the Summit can be read below.
Also, on June 17, Hon Nikki Kaye, Minister for ACC, Civil Defence, and Youth, Associate Minister for Education and MP for Auckland Central addressed Committee members at a dialogue session hosted by Deloitte. The Minister outlined National’s vision for future Auckland and her comments were positively received by those who attended.
Heather Shotter
Executive Director
Committee for Auckland
Photo (from left to right): David McConnell, McConnell Group, Heather Shotter, Committee for Auckland, Hon Nikki Kaye, Dean Ellwood, Deloitte
News in Brief
- Committee for Auckland Advisory Group Summit
- An Interview with Dame Diane Robertson
- Auckland: Grow for Goodness Sake
- New Member Welcome
Committee for Auckland Advisory Group Summit
On June 21 some 55 leaders from the Committee of Auckland’s membership base and other invited guests gathered in Beca’s auditorium to discuss the future direction of the Committee for Auckland and to find consensus about the key issues and opportunities that should form the priorities for the Committee’s future focus. We encouraged all those who participated to look up and out and then think back towards the answers. In a workshop session participants were asked to identify the future they wanted for Auckland, what would Auckland look like in 30 years at its best, and then the all-important questions of ‘how do we get there and what are the pressing issues we need to address along that path’ and finally ‘what are the opportunities we must seize today to be the great city of the future’?
To inform and stimulate those discussions addresses were given by the Prime Minister, Rt Hon John Key, Auckland Council CEO, Stephen Town and Secretary to The Treasury, Gabriel Makhlouf. Several background papers were also developed to provide context to our discussions, they can be accessed here. The output for the day is currently being analysed and developed into a focused work programme and will be distributed to all advisory group members for feedback.
It was also an opportunity for new Chairman, Mark Franklin to set the tone and future direction of the Committee for Auckland. “I was encouraged by the commitment of our members and the wider Auckland leadership group to being involved and contribute to the future of the Committee. There are not many cities around the world that do not have a peak body like the Committee for Auckland to provide unbiased, responsible, and sustainable input to civic leadership through periods of change and growth” he said.
I look forward to leading the Committee during the next phase of its growth with a clear mandate from Auckland’s senior leadership that our organisation, and its role in the city, has never been more important.”
A comprehensive interview with Mark will be a feature of our next newsletter.
Photos from the Summit
An Interview with Dame Diane Robertson
 After 22 years advocating for better support and acting as a champion for Auckland’s homeless community, Committee for Auckland Trustee Dame Diane Robertson stepped down as the Auckland City Missioner late last year. In February she started her new role as chairwoman of The Data Futures Partnership, a new government-appointed body with an annual budget of $1.6 million and two key objectives:
- To create the right environment for trusted data use in New Zealand – by building a forum for different voices to come together to identify and resolve issues and build trust in the data-use ecosystem.
- To increase the value being generated by New Zealand’s data-use ecosystem – by facilitating catalyst projects, brokering and stimulating more data driven innovation, and solving system problems.
These are issues that impact many of the Committee’s members specifically so we took the opportunity to ask Dame Diane how the Data Futures Partnership is gaining traction as we reach the halfway mark for 2016.
Click here to read the interview.
Auckland: Grow for Goodness Sake
Earlier this year the Committee for Auckland commissioned KPMG to undertake a report into the drivers of Auckland's growth and to contemplate the question 'how do we accelerate growth at the same time ensuring that all Aucklanders benefit'?.
To view the report, click here.
Welcome to New Member
The Committee for Auckland is pleased to welcome new member Architectus.
About Architectus
 Founded in 1986 in New Zealand, Architectus is a leading international design studio that brings together the experience of more than 250 architects, urban designers and urban planners throughout Australasia. Architectus have specialist expertise across all industry sectors, with a proven track record in the master planning, design, documentation and delivery of sustainable and technically sound solutions for complex projects.
We are proud of our reputation for clear strategic design thinking and for the collaborative approach we bring to problem solving. Our focus is to thoroughly understand our clients’ needs, applying our research, experience and technology to develop solutions that are functional and elegant. Studios in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Auckland, and Christchurch are united by a commitment to our core Architectus design principles.
Architectus is a proud supporter of the national and international associations that strive to promote design excellence and advance professional practice in architecture and planning including the New Zealand Institute of Architects, New Zealand Green Building Council, New Zealand Architects Co-operative Society and Construction Information Ltd.
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