Waikato Business News September/October 2017

18 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS September/October 2017
Economic Development Agency
will add ‘grunt’ to economy
Dallas Fisher is spearheading
the creation of a Waikato
Economic Development Agency.
Watching efforts to fire up Waikato’s
economic performance is a bit like waiting
for a bus. Nothing for ages then they all
arrive at once.
By ANDREA FOX
In recent weeks another two
self-improvement vehicles,
promising genuine stopovers
in every corner of the
region’s economy, have hit the
road.
If you’re still struggling
to sort the Waikato Plan from
Waikato Means Business and
myriad business chambers of
commerce and council economic
development agencies,
be not further muddled.
The newcomers aim to
simplify, amplify and streamline
the region’s economic and
social development initiatives
while leaving existing players
to get on with it.
But both are calling on
Waikato Inc to get aboard.
One is a proposal for an
over-arching Waikato economic
development agency –
with grunt.
The other is up and running.
Agenda Waikato is an
incorporated society solely
business-focused and led. It
promises to engage with other
Waikato groups, including
local and central government,
to achieve results for the good
of the whole region, based on
solid evidence and quality research.
Fronted by businessman
Graham Dwyer, it has already
commissioned Waikato
University to do a full SWOT
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats study) and
“balance sheet” of the region.
The economic development
agency (EDA) would
take over from Waikato Means
Business, a 20 year economic
development strategy created
with input from regional
business leaders. Efforts to
rally support and funding for
the EDA are being fronted by
business entrepreneur Dallas
Fisher, chairman of Waikato
Means Business. (WMB was
set up by the regional council
more than two years ago,
ahead of the Waikato Plan.
Fisher was invited on more recently
to give it some oomph.
He describes WMB as the economic
development subset of
the Waikato Plan.)
The EDA would work with
Agenda Waikato, chambers of
commerce, council economic
development agencies and
local people, Mr Fisher says.
“We’re not there to eat their
lunch.”
The idea is the EDA would
address Waikato Inc’s rather
feeble investment in itself, and
chase government money that
is available for regional economic
development but not
utilised here.
Mr Fisher says WMB’s
work shows Waikato’s investment
in economic development
(excluding Taupo) is just
$20 per capita or 1.1 percent
of local government spend,
compared to the national average
of $36 or 2.1 percent.
“So we spend half the money
everyone else spends on
economic development. We
need to get this thing properly
set up and funded. The second
big point is the government
has money for economic development
but it hasn’t been
investing on a major basis in
Waikato.”
You can’t have 10
groups talking to
MBIE. It’s about
showing we’re
organised, we’re
focused. That we’re
talking with one voice
with all these groups
in behind us, and
we’re saying 'this is
what Waikato wants.
He says that’s because we
don’t have an over-arching
plan or speak with one voice
The nucleus of the new economic
development agency would be
Waikato Innovation Park.
on what we need. The Waikato
is a very big region with multiple
local authorities. Last year
the Ministry of Business Innovation
and Employment gave
the Waikato just $85,000. This
financial year Mr Fisher wants
$518,000.
The government offers
two sorts of regional development
money: dollar for dollar
co-funding of sub-regional
projects and funding for major
projects that will change
the economic landscape eg. its
$10 million support for building
a port at Opotiki. Mr Fisher
says South Waikato, whose
economic status is of concern
to the government, is in line
for the first category of funding.
Research is needed to identify
a priority major project for
the Waikato.
“Our job will be to find out
and get the capital to make it
happen with the government
as one of our partners.”
The nucleus of the new
EDA would be Waikato Innovation
Park. Owned by Hamilton
City Council, the park is
looking for a private investor
buyer as the council can’t afford
its expansion plans. Five
economic development specialists
from the park will be
the EDA’s foundation staff.
They’ll be funded by Callaghan
Innovation and NZ
Trade and Enterprise. Another
six staff would be recruited.
“This thing needs grunt
but it’s about local focus, local
people, local communities.
We’ll be putting people out in
the regions to help councils’
own economic development
people go to the next level,”
says Mr Fisher.
WMB currently has one
part-timer who is snowed with
work, he says, while Waikato
District Council is overwhelmed
with opportunities.
The EDA would need $2
million a year for projects and
staff. That would come from
local government, business
and various trusts.
Mr Fisher is “really encouraged”
by the response of councils
so far to his presentations.
The suggestion for business
support is that an enterprise
with more than 100 employees
could be asked for an annual
grant of $10,000 to $15,000.
Those with under 100 employees
could join for $1000.
On the trust front, WEL
Trust is supportive, Mr Fisher
says.
“It’s about turning $1 into
$4, getting $4 worth of grunt
and value out of your dollar.
Business has largely stayed
away from this stuff, yet it is
the core of it.
“There will be no one dominant
funder and it will not
be Hamilton-centric. This is
about everyone working together.
That’s how we’ll make
this happen.”
The EDA would have a
board of five business people
and one or two local government
representatives. Meanwhile
Agenda Waikato has
been offered two seats on the
WMB board.
Mr Fisher says the Waikato
needs to speak with one voice
to the government.
“You can’t have 10 groups
talking to MBIE. It’s about
showing we’re organised,
we’re focused. That we’re
talking with one voice with all
these groups in behind us, and
we’re saying this is what the
Waikato wants.”
Mr Dwyer from Agenda
Waikato isn’t convinced one
voice is imperative “but singing
the same song is incredibly
important”.
He sees the job of Agenda
Waikato as holding elected
“feet to the fire”. “We need to
ensure our MPs are working
for us, an EDA can’t do that.
We need to make sure our
councils are working together
and hold them to account.”
Mr Dwyer also ruled out
Hamilton-centric leanings.
“We need room and scope
for good people to contribute.
If people have ideas, passion
and energy we want to hear
from them. We need people to
stand up.”
Mr Dwyer says he doesn’t
know how long Agenda
Waikato will last.
It could be as long as its
first research effort or for 10
studies. The acid test, he says,
will be whether it is judged by
Waikato business to be effective
and insightful.