Hon Fletcher Tabuteau
Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development

MEDIA STATEMENT
12 June 2018

Tabuteau welcomes trans-Tasman regional economic development

Regional Economic Development Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau will welcome the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) delegation from Australia this evening at a conference gala dinner in Auckland.

The TSBE is a leading regional economic development agency based in south-east Queensland, with 500 members across 24 industry sectors. The gala dinner forms part of a four-day programme, including a visit to Fieldays in Mystery Creek, and is made up of about 100 Australian senior business delegates – from small to medium enterprises through to large companies.

“Our two countries face many similar challenges and opportunities in regional economic development, and having this group come specifically to New Zealand to explore potential trade and collaboration opportunities is a great thing,” Fletcher Tabuteau said.

“The Provincial Growth Fund strives to increase productivity in our regions and a key lever to achieving this is by encouraging more partnerships with private enterprise.

“I look forward to sharing experiences with our Tasman counterparts and working more closely together as this Government looks to create sustainable jobs and diversify our regional economies for the nearly 40 per cent of New Zealanders who live outside the main cities,” Fletcher Tabuteau said.

Notes to editors:

New Zealand All Black legend Andrew Mehrtens will also be doing a Q&A on the night.

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