Business Central May 2024

36 | South Taranaki District Council T T Richard Loader South Taranaki a ‘hidden gem’ The South Taranaki Business Park began construction in 2020 and is scheduled for completion by 2026, amounting to approximately $20m of infrastructure investment by Council. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT South Taranaki District Counci Communications and Customer Services Manager , Gerard Langford, describes the district the council serves as a hidden gem, full of great communities and a strong spirit. “We are a mid-size local authority with a population of just under 30,000 and one challenge is the large geographical area we administer. It comprises a lot of small towns, each one requiring the services and infrastructure to support it’s citizens well,” Gerard explains. Historically each settlement in the district was formed around a dairy factory and each one has specific resourcing needs in order to help it thrive. That comes with challenges and opportunities. The council’s Business Development Manager, Scott Willson, says his role, created 4 years ago, is responsible for running all the economic programmes in the district. Both agree the district is a very vibrant place to work and play. “There’s a lot of opportunities just waiting to be seized. South Taranaki has a lot of resources. Our economy has a strong foundation with dairy and energy the backbone sectors.” While traditionally the energy sector has been developed around oil and gas, new initiatives are being actively pursued, including hydrogen, solar and wind power green energy sources. “Renewable energy is presenting exciting opportunities for this region in the future.” And with so many towns and settlements scattered, both agree that the South Taranaki is a high-cost district to run. Prudent historical investment and financial structuring by the District Council has enabled an investment fund of approximately $150,000,000 to be built. “Many years ago when Councils were selling their electricity companies this one had the foresight not to just dish the money out to all the consumers. Council kept it and invested it so there is a continual building of this fund. We don’t spend the capital but use the interest to subsidise rates and service loans to fund specific projects,” says Gerard. “Venture Taranaki has undertaken a number of really good campaigns, encouraging businesses and families to consider the benefits of moving to a district which has Hāwera as its centre of Council administration. “South Taranaki is full of innovative people and there is a lot of great new ideas and energy coming into the district all the time” says Scott. “We are also on the rise as a visitor destination with plenty to offer domestic and international visitors” Housing development is also a priority and Council is encouraging of developers wishing to look at opportunities to set down subdivisions. Two stages of the Longview Master “Prudent historical investment and financial structuring by the District Council has enabled an investment fund of approximately $150,000,000 to be built.” planned community have now opened, and 50 sections of an intended 250 homes, have been sold. Several significant sized residential subdivisions are also in planning phase. Another challenge of the region is that there is no University, however a very good Institute of Technology is based in New Plymouth, with a campus in Hawera. A Mayors Taskforce for Jobs/Ministry for Social Development funded initiative has been positive, creating a forum where local Council and support groups work to create job opportunities for those under 25 years of age. “In the past, areas like Taranaki were disadvantaged, but technology now provides opportunities to learn, work or run a business from wherever you want to be. You don’t have to be living in the city,” Scott explains. Te W’anake The Foundry, an innovation hub and co-working space in Hāwera’s CBD has been an overwhelming success, with more than 100 customers from all sorts of industries using the space. A strong history of engineering permeates through the districts various centres, based on its history with dairy factories, energy and gas facilities. “We have the largest single-site dairy factory in New Zealand and we produce a lot of food.” A future focus is to look more toward Horticultural pursuits on the land. The South Taranaki Business Park began construction in 2020 and is scheduled for completion by 2026, amounting to approximately $20 million of infrastructure investment by Council. The park is located on the outskirts of Hāwera and promises to bring even more business activity into the area. “In total, when completed it will extend over 67ha and will accommodate about 90 businesses once fully developed. Council’s role is to work with all the active or potential developers to unlock demand,” Scott says. Both Gerard and Scott see great potential for the region to thrive given the array of firstclass facilities it has. “South Taranaki has an amazing number of high-quality facilities which districts our size would usually struggle to have. From state-of the-art events and recreation complexes, to cinemas, libraries, art galleries, museums, parks and aquatic centres - South Taranaki boasts all the benefits of a city without the hassles,” Gerard says.

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