AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

MEDIA RELEASE

31 May 2007

Blueprint ready for Auckland’s creative industries

Auckland City Council launched its creative industries action plan, “Blueprint: Growing Auckland’s creative industries”, at the Auckland Town Hall today.

The action plan outlines initiatives to help grow and promote Auckland’s creative sector and help Auckland city’s creative industries achieve greater national, and international, economic success. These include working with organisations to connect Auckland’s creative industries to international markets and increase exports; contribute to career development of emerging creative talent and provide business incubator support; and enterprise development initiatives.

The creative sector contributes more than $1.7 billion (7 per cent) to the city’s GDP. Auckland city is the hub of New Zealand’s creative industries with 79 per cent of regional creative sector employment and 39 per cent of national creative sector employment.

Economic Development and Sustainable Business Committee chairperson, Councillor Richard Northey, says the action plan is a positive step forward for local government economic development.

“Blueprint is the council’s action plan to build on the vital contribution the creative sector makes to Auckland. It views the creative sector mainly through an economic lens and is a unique piece of local government policy work in New Zealand,” says Mr Northey.

“Blueprint: Growing Auckland city’s creative industries” will be implemented over the next 10 years and has three main goals:

• Raise Profile – to increase the visibility of Auckland’s creative industries
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• Support Enterprise – to enhance Auckland’s creative industries competitive advantage in the national and international economy
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• Create Environment – to make Auckland an even more stimulating city to live and work in, with infrastructure and council policies that foster creativity and enterprise.
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“The council is already a significant supporter of creative and artistic endeavour,” says Mr Northey. “Blueprint, provides a focus for our support of the growth of the creative sector – including opportunities to facilitate and partner with central government and relevant agencies on creative industry projects.”

New council-supported initiatives include The Icehouse’s accelerator seminar series for start up businesses, Kick Start, and the Art Venture programme to help creative entrepreneurs generate positive economic outcomes for the Auckland region. These add to current initiatives such as developing the Town Hall Arts Precinct, the mayoral taskforce on urban design, and signature events such as Air New Zealand Fashion Week.

The action plan was developed though extensive consultation with a range of parties, including input from the creative sector, business people, elected representatives, council officers and the council’s creative industries advisory group.

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