18 | Wānaka: Ignite Wānaka “Wānaka is maturing and transitioning from a resort town to a place where you can be transferred for work, or take up opportunities that are already in place. Your Business, Your Industry, Your News. r i , r I tr , r . Volume 31 | Issue 1 |Feb-March 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Banking the Seed Producing top quality pine tree stock is a key focus for leading forestry company PFOlsen. PAGE 50 Seawall success Isaac Construction was a big winner at the CCNZ awards for its work on the Portobell Seawall project. PAGE 55 Accolades aplenty Stabicraft Marine continues to ride a wave of award accolades and global sales success PAGE 42 Volume 31 | Issue 2 | April 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz Golden Escape Waitaki’s golden season is a a drawcard for autumn getaways. Page 18 Volume 30 | Issue 1 | March 2021 www.waterfordpress.co.nz New horizons Industry innovator Richard Hickson is at the forefront as Westland Milk Products transitions from a farmer-owned cooperative to a large multi-national structure with an eye on export growth. Page 30 Each edition priority delivered to your door. . www.waterfordpress.co.nz/subscriptions . . . i i 03 983 5525 Stay informed; we work with business owners and decision-makers across all economic sectors, profiling their success. i ; i i i i - ll i , ili i . REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT T T Ange Davidson Giving business community a voice Glenn Peat, general manager of the Wānaka Business Chamber. Wānaka’s Chamber of Commerce is an advocate for a multitude of businesses based in the wider Wānaka area, providing support, training opportunities and leadership for the business community. Recently rebranded, Ignite Wānaka now operates as Wānaka Business Chamber, a Notfor-Profit group that regularly punches above its weight to have the concerns of its business community heard, and to promote investment and a business culture that’s conducive to success. Driving this mahi is Glenn Peat, general manager of the Wānaka Business Chamber who along with the board is re-strategizing the chamber’s focus to ensure the group remains relevant in the face of change. “The business world has changed dramatically in the last few years and we want to make sure we’re aligned with what our community wants. We want to increase our engagement and for businesses to feel that their membership is worthwhile and that there’s a return in their investment,” says Glenn. “Wānaka used to be seen as only a resort destination but that has changed. There’s now just over 16,000 people living in the area, which is the largest population base in the Waitaki District. Infrastructure in Wānaka needs to grow in conjunction with housing growth so that areas such as education and in healthcare are not left behind,” he says. “Wānaka is maturing and transitioning from a resort town to a place where you can be transferred for work, or take up opportunities that are already in place. Previously you had to create your own business to survive. Interestingly, Wānaka has the largest remote working population per capita in New Zealand which is a real bonus for Wānaka as it helps us gain credibility.” With the rebrand, the business chamber has a new logo and a reformed strategy with revised vision and goals. It is also becoming more culturally sensitive and is adding the macron over the ‘a’ in Wānaka. “Wānaka was a place for learning and that in the past iwi planned for their Māori chiefs to be born here in the warmer months. Due to the time that chiefs spent in Wānaka it was seen as place of growing leaders. This resonates with the chamber which is both learning and providing learning opportunities for our community,” says Glenn. While the business chamber’s role is primarily to advocate for positive change, it is also invested in raising the area’s profile and to promote Wānaka as a great place to work and play. In a creative and fun initiative, the chambers recently launched a Wānaka based Monopoly Board. Having secured the rights from Hasbro, the company behind the classic Monopoly game, Pall Mall and other London landmarks have been replaced by iconic Wānaka locations such Albert Town and Lake Hawea. Local businesses sponsor locations on the board with their logo and get to rewrite a Chance card or Community Chest card, creating a lifetime branding opportunity. Hasbro design the board, the Chamber approve it, and it goes into production with delivery by mid November. “It’s a really unique initiative that raises the profile of our business community and it will be fun local game to have at home or in your bach, and it will be an excellent Christmas present! We sold over half the sponsorship in just two days after launching the Monopoly Wānaka Edition initiative so we have had a really positive result,” says Glenn. A dose of positivity is just what’s needed for Wānaka’s business community after the tourism and hospitality industry took a hiding from the closed borders and lock downs following Covid. With business confidence now returning, the lack of rental housing for people wanting to work in the Wānaka area has become the biggest hurdle. “Plenty of people want to move here, it’s an awesome place to live and work but the availability and affordability of housing is a real problem. It comes down to supply and demand and as there’s less houses available for long term rental, the price goes up. A lot of people are choosing to Air BnB their property for higher gains and less wear and tear, and many property owners don’t want to rent their homes due to restrictive tenancy laws,” believes Glenn. “It’s a problem that we can’t fix on our own so we’re advocating for housing solutions on a couple of steering groups and with the Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Business and Enterprise. We want them to understand the struggle our business community is facing when trying to attract staff when there’s no accommodation,” he says. With a membership of 300, the Wānaka Business Chamber is gaining momentum through increased visibility and its advocacy work. Glenn says they’re pleased with their work so far but know there’s a lot more to done.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=