Positively Wellington Business Board Welcomes New Regional Strategy

The Board of Positively Wellington Business (PWB), the Greater Wellington region’s economic development agency, warmly welcomes the proposed new Wellington Regional Strategy.

The strategy document Internationally Competitive Wellington was launched recently for public consultation and feedback.

The greater Wellington region’s Mayors and regional and local councils, assisted by PWB and the Ara Tahi iwi liaison committee, have been working on this sustainable economic growth strategy since mid 2004.

PWB is currently funded by Wellington, Hutt, Porirua and Upper Hutt City Councils, and Kapiti Coast District Council. Its Board members are Murray Bain, John Morrison, Bill Osborne, Emily Loughnan and Rick Christie (Wellington); Charles Gilmore (Hutt City); Vaughan Renner (Upper Hutt); Gordon Strachan (Kapiti); and Ken Douglas (Porirua).

While it is the case that since its inception in October 2001 PWB has generated significant value for the Wellington region (assessed at $22 per $1 invested) there is the opportunity for the Wellington region’s Economic Development Agency (EDA) to be even more effective.

“The Regional Strategy proposes that PWB should be succeeded by a new EDA, governed by its own competency-based Board, funded by and accountable to one Council authority. The Board of PWB believes this will potentially provide a clearer direction, a stronger region-wide mandate and a more straight-forward operating environment for the region’s proposed new EDA. These changes will provide a framework that will allow the region’s EDA to operate even more effectively.”

“The PWB Board believes that Positively Wellington Business has played an important and successful transitional role over the past five years both in growing our region and in helping build a stronger delivery structure for the future. It commends the Regional Strategy to Wellington region ratepayers for adoption”:

PWB BOARD

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