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Helene Ritchie Wellington’s Future Economy

HELENE RITCHIE WELLINGTON’S FUTURE ECONOMY-AN ECONOMIC SUMMIT

8 September 2016

Wellington mayoral candidate Helene Ritchie has told the Chamber of Commerce that as mayor she will promote an economic summit made up of the diverse business, social and sustainable business groups, trade unions, academics, young people and those contributing to the business world of Wellington’s today- especially small businesses who make up the majority of our business community.

It is a long time since we people of Wellington got together to focus on our economic future, on new thinking, completely new ways of doing business, attracting and creating new business.

The old ways no longer apply. Our country and our City is connected to the world in a way that did not exist just 30 years ago. We have young people creating I.T start-ups, we have people connected to the world-not by planes, but sitting in their own living rooms and working across the world from there. We have our young people working overseas but connected to their New Zealand clients and boss. We have a burgeoning I.T. sector that is working all night servicing the day in the Northern Hemisphere.

We have new ways of shopping, and we have new climate challenges which are impinging on our lives and our businesses, and will do more so.

New Zealand and Wellington is not longer an isolated place distant from the rest of the world. We may not need expensive infrastructure, but we may need to focus on more secure I.T. connections-another cable to the world-our new lifeline.

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We need to bring to the summit people working to create strong sustainable communities and sustainable businesses, understanding and discussing the challenges of today, including the wealth gap, and our diverse population, to build tomorrow.

And we need to take heed of our young people, and women, -their entirely different world and world view, and different way of working, way of thinking and priorities.

They are the future of our City and our economy. We need to understand better and harness the important contribution older people are making and will make to our economy in ways not heard of pre “compulsory retirement age” days.

Our transport system and the changes we already know are ahead, our way of moving around our City, the appropriate infrastructure for that, and how we then plan for our City and our businesses, are crucial to our future economy,

Our natural environment, our I.T creativity, our cultural creativity, health and education (our largest employers) all need to be part of the summit.

Just yesterday in place of the mayor, as Natural Environment Portfolio leader, I presented and applauded the international recognition Wellington received for the unique in the world Otari-Wilton Bush native plant “museum”. I said there that as mayor I will pursue twin World Heritage status for this unique collection-the only one in the world, and our Town Belt. Our natural environment is our “natural capital”-and its accessibility gives Wellington a particular economic “competitive advantage” in the world-with a healthy future attracting tourists to this special place-provided we protect and enhance it.

There are affordability challenges in our City. We are on the cusp of new opportunities, new challenges and exciting new ways of ensuring the Wellington economy moves forward in a sustainable and exciting way.

As mayor I will bring key people together to develop a unique economic strategy for the future of Wellington. It’s less about big spend infrastructure (some of which may impede economic progress). It’s less about looking backwards to old solutions, and more about looking to the future, to build our City and our economy of tomorrow.

…………ends


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