Economic Development Newsletter 8 May / Issue 3
Economic Development
Creating Security and Opportunity
for New Zealanders
A regular newsletter from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Jim Anderton, Minister for Economic, Regional and Industry Development, summarising Government economic development activities.
8 May 2001 / Issue No 3
This issue of Economic Development:
1. Jim
Anderton, comments on Conclusions from Ministerial regional
visits
2. Regional Partnerships announced.
3. NZ
Fashion Week latest major event
4. Wood Processing
Industry Steering Group
5. Manufacturing Industry
Steering Group
6. Other industry Steering groups
7.
Enterprise Awards Scheme– Round 5
8. Economic
Development support for fire damage in Marlborough
9.
Economic Development contact details
1 Jim Anderton,
Deputy Prime Minister, comment
Conclusions from
Ministerial regional visits
Last week I visited Dunedin which was my 33rd regional visit since becoming the Minister for Industry and Regional Development. During April I also toured Taumarunui and Wairarapa.
In Otago I was able to tell business leaders we have made great progress through these regional visits. There are still some regions I have yet to fully cover, while there are some that I have visited more than once.
We have already started work and are well on the way in many regions and areas, particularly where jobs and skills are most needed.
The approach that has
emerged from meeting with people across New Zealand is
to:
a) Develop partnerships so that regions and
industries can work together with the 'whole-of-government'
to develop our economic base and create jobs.
b) Ensure
that industry and regulatory road blocks and barriers to
growth are addressed.
c) Develop a culture of success
where New Zealanders who are making a difference can be
supported and recognised.
I will be returning to some of these themes in the budget, which will be announced on 24 May. A special Budget issue of this newsletter will be sent out on 25 May.
What continues to impress me are the ideas and expertise that New Zealanders have. There is an opportunity to capture this talent and make New Zealand the best country it can possibly be.
Jim Anderton
MP
Minister for Economic, Industry and Regional
Development
Summary of a month of economic
development:
2 Regional Partnerships announced
The
latest regions funded in the third round of the Regional
Partnerships Programme of Industry New Zealand are:
*
West Coast $100,000
* Otago $100,000
*
Taranaki $94,000
* Waikato $30,375
* Waitomo/
King Country $55,000
*Coromandel/Hauraki/Matamata
/Piako $88,000
Up to $200,000 is available to assist
regions to make economic development plans and build their
capacity to implement those plans.
Further funding of up
to $2 million per region is available to contribute to major
regional initiatives that come out of the plans.
A total of nearly $1,300,000 has now been approved to support regions since the scheme was launched last year.
3 Fashion week another international event for NZ
Industry New Zealand is funding $112,000 for the Fashion Week in October. The funding is another example of a Government Industry partnership to build on an export market already worth $220 million per annum to New Zealand.
"We need to see more international events in New Zealand. Other countries around the world are working to hold major events every week and New Zealand must ensure we are not left behind," said Jim Anderton.
Fashion week highlights the potential of the fashion and apparel sector for a development strategy.
4 Update on Wood Processing Industry Steering Group
The Wood Processing Industry Sector Group chaired by Jim Anderton has agreed on a work programme.
Issues in the work programme include:
*
Employment, Skills and Training – Actions to address
forestry labour and skills shortages have been developed and
are ready for implementation.
Industry will need to
look at career structures, training opportunities and
apprenticeships.
Government is discussing issues related
to training programmes and measures it is involved in.
*
Resource Management Act - Projects have been started that
will identify how the RMA process can deliver results as
quickly as possible, while maintaining the integrity of the
RMA.
* Tairawhiti infrastructure - a report is due soon
on roading/port/rail options for Tairawhiti. This will
identify what needs to be done, how much it will cost and
the responsible agencies for each part of the
work.
5 Update on Manufacturing Industry Steering
Group
"An excellent start to addressing barriers to
developing our manufacturing industry", is how Jim Anderton
described the first meeting of the manufacturing Industry
Sector Steering Group held on 24 April at Vogel House.
"Members of the industry are committed to creating jobs and doing their best to improve New Zealand's economy," said Jim Anderton.
Over 20 sector and government representatives met at Vogel House in constructive discussions. The agenda included presentations on the manufacturing industry, and looking at barriers such as infrastructural and compliance costs.
The industry development programme fits alongside the Business Forums that have been run in Auckland, Hamilton, and Christchurch.
6 Other Industry Steering Groups
No other Industry Steering groups have met as yet but progress on a Textile, Clothing and Footwear Industry process is likely to be announced in May and background papers are being prepared on the Creative Arts Industry.
Other industries that will be addressed are tourism, and knowledge industries such as ICT and bio-technology.
These are seen as job-rich, high-skill and high-value export industries with the potential for rapid growth.
7 Thirty grants in Round 5 of the Enterprise Award Scheme
Hon Pete Hodgson and Hon Matt Robson have visited award winners in the fifth round of the Enterprise Award Scheme.
Hon Pete Hodgson visited IBVT networks who are making information kiosks in Dunedin while Matt Robson visited Springbelt Concepts and saw their revolutionary new seatbelts for industrial vehicles and tractors which are being welcomed by safety experts.
There were 30 grants in the fifth round of Enterprise Award Scheme, bringing the total grants awarded to 140.
Agencies working with entrepreneurs and businesses who might be eligible for Enterprise Awards should look at the details of the scheme on www.industrynz.govt.nz for more details.
Jim Anderton announced the fifth round of Enterprise Awards on 7 May 2001. He said "I am pleased to see that this round has a grant to a theatre company. Indian Ink, the production company responsible for Krishnan's Dairy and other stage plays, will received an award of $8,800.
"There is also an award for Al Fresco gardening and lifestyle Magazine to investigate regional inserts tailored to each region's gardening information needs.
"Creative Industries are a priority under this Labour Alliance Coalition Government and Economic Development staff are preparing papers on ways that music and other creative groups can be assisted. The Irish music industry earns $600 million of foreign exchange a year and New Zealand has the talent and skill to do better than we have been doing".
Northland:
Limelight Media,
$5,000 to assist in regional inserts for Alfresco
magazine.
Bay Flora Ltd, $5,000, testing appropriate
plant species for business.
Auckland:
Enclosure
Technology Ltd, $2,250, prototype of enclosures rack for
broadcasters.
Richard's Kitchen, $1,200, Intellectual
property protection for cooking device.
Indian Ink Ltd,
$8,800, marketing reasearch.
Springbelt Concept Ltd,
$7,923, new safety belt for construction industry.
Feral
R&D Ltd, $5,000, feral animal trap.
Mega Tech Ltd,
$8,275, Sheep milk processing enterprise.
Honeycreme Ltd,
$8,438, New markets for honey based beauty
products.
South Pacific Software Ltd, $2,352, cellphone
management software development.
BDG Ltd, $5,000,
Business training programme development.
Technology
Development Group, $9,728, Personal development software
marketing.
SRB Pacific, $8743, Intellectual property for
a bicycle attachment.
Waikato
S&E Burke, $6,362,
Research uses for shellfish waste.
Rennacs Ltd, $6,350,
Automobile testing system.
Bay of Plenty
Blended
Fertilisers Ltd, $8438, new market exploration.
Ice Air
Ltd, $1,407, intellectual property protection.
Hawkes
Bay
Coach House Gardens Ltd, $5,000, Feasibility study to
investigate availability of groundwater for
horticulture.
Manawatu-Wanganui
Canvasland Holdings
Ltd, $5,000, develop a soft-edge trampoline.
Coldotz
Enterprises Ltd, $7,102, traction devices for
workboots.
Tuff-Lite Ltd, $3,100, Intellectual property
for a trailer.
Flexisolutions Ltd, $5,000, developing a
multi-projectile.
Wellington
Inifet Solutions Ltd,
$10,000, develop marketing strategies for knowledge
management system.
3D Achieve Ltd, $4,888, small business
management software.
Biza2z Ltd, $2,250, development of
business management system.
Canterbury
Softech Design
Ltd, $2,000, Developing an ergonomic computer mouse.
Idea
Unique, $5,519, develop international advertising and design
agency.
Geddes Manufacturing Ltd, $10,000, new markets
for TV and audio cabinets.
Otago
Condensation Control
Ltd, $2,813, air filter development for household
ventilation.
IBVT Networks Ltd, $6,266, Internet based
information kiosks.
8 Economic Development support for fire damage in Marlborough
On 17 April Jim Anderton, along with Minister of Agriculture Jim Sutton and the Minister for the Environment Marian Hobbs, announced the Government would provide a total of $555,000 to rehabilitate land in Marlborough's Wither Hills and Awatere Valley, devastated by fire in late December. The funding included $390,000 from Economic Development and $165,000 from Agriculture and represented 60 per cent of what local people asked for.
The money will be used to re-seed fire-damaged pasture and soil conservation plantings and structures both within the Wither Hills Catchment Control Scheme area and on land in the adjacent Awatere Valley.
"This area has profound economic development issues as a result of the combined effects of both fire and drought," Jim Anderton said. "The threat of erosion could lead to flooding and this poses a serious economic threat to Marlborough's economy, particularly wine and tourism companies".
9 Economic
Development
contacts:
www.executive.govt.nz/minister/anderton/index.html
www.industrynz.govt.nz
www.med.govt.nz
www.bizinfo.co.nz
08004BIZINFO
Venture capital information
www.vcapital.co.nz
0800VCAPITAL
www.alliance.org.nz
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