12 May 2016

New board to drive Rotorua development

A newly-formed council controlled organisation will take over from Grow Rotorua and Destination Rotorua to drive Rotorua’s economic development.

A report approved by Rotorua Lakes Council on April 28 established the new economic development organisation headed by Peter Stubbs and with a board comprised of Bruce Thomasen, Quinton Hall, Kiri Atkinson-Crean, and Michael Barnett. Two additional appointments to the board are to be made and expressions of interest in this regard are currently being accepted.

Mr Stubbs was previously on the board of Tourism New Zealand and currently chairs the Rotorua Airport Board.

He says he is very optimistic about Rotorua’s future and is looking forward to the new role.

"Having visited Rotorua regularly since the mid-1960s,” he says, “I now have a strong feeling that many things are changing for the better. In addition, this new organisation creates the opportunity for greater focus and collaboration, both within the Council family and with the business and investment community. These are the reasons why I was delighted to accept the appointment.

"The goal of the new organisation is to help the Council achieve its 2030 vision for Rotorua. We will do that by helping existing Rotorua businesses to grow, and working together with the business and investment community to attract new investment, businesses, residents, visitors and students to Rotorua. A great example is the tourism partner investment programme - our commitment to that programme won't change."

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick welcomed the creation of the new development organisation and the appointment of Mr Stubbs and reiterated the pivotal role this would play in the Rotorua 2030 vision.

“The creation of this board will allow us to better coordinate and streamline our economic development activities for Rotorua 2030 and ensure that our district is competitive and attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors,” she said.

“Peter brings a wealth of experience to the table. He has proven extremely capable in his role on the airport board and I am very grateful that he has agreed to take on this challenging role.”

Deputy Mayor and economic portfolio lead Dave Donaldson also welcomed the appointment.

“Peter has a very extensive skill set and a great deal of experience here and around New Zealand,” he said.

“The creation of this new organisation is going to let us build higher levels of strategic cooperation and represents a great opportunity to boost the economic development of the district as a whole.”

In approving the report Council formally thanked members of the Grow Rotorua and Destination Rotorua boards for their work.

ENDS

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