Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Wellington’s CBD in excellent economic heart

NEWS RELEASE

6 May 2016

Wellington’s CBD in excellent economic heart

Wellington’s Central Business District – the region’s economic powerhouse – is thriving with its GDP growth in the past year outperforming that of Auckland and the national economy.

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown welcomes the positive data and says confidence among the CBD’s businesses, workers and residents is high.

“Our CBD is the most compact and vibrant cosmopolitan centre in the country.

“This is the first extract of economic data at this level of geographic detail and it confirms our commitment to the heart of the region,” she says.

Figures from an Infometrics Wellington CBD annual economic profile, commissioned by Wellington City Council, show the area’s GDP grew by 3.8% for the year to March 2015, compared to a year earlier. This was higher than in Auckland (3.4%) and across the country at 3.6%.

“The growing number of new buildings including No.1 Market Lane and heritage transformation projects like the Manthel Building are evidence of strong CBD confidence,” Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says.

Councillor Jo Coughlan, Chair of the Council’s Economic Growth Committee, says it is satisfying to see strong growth in financial and insurance services and the other service sectors that dominate Wellington’s CBD.

“Wellington City Council and the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency have been supporting knowledge intensive sectors such as the development of the Tech Hub and Collider programme. We’ve also been investing millions to improve the quality of public spaces in the CBD and working with local businesses through the OurCBD initiative.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“As a result, people are telling us that the CBD service and retail economy is really healthy – it’s a big step up from the relatively tough times during the GFC.”

The Council’s City Growth and Partnerships Director, Derek Fry, says the Infometrics data is part of a comprehensive suite of performance information on the CBD that is being compiled by the Council.

“This information is really useful – we now have baseline statistics to track the health of the CBD. Given it represents around 54% of the region’s urban economy, 68% of the Wellington City’s employment and 40% of the region’s employment, it’s essential we keep close tabs on how the economy is tracking.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.