Kāpiti, Thursday 12 September 2019 - A lively and engaging ‘Meet the Candidates’ evening, hosted by the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce last night, has boosted confidence within the business community that incoming Mayors and Councillors will work hard to make the Kāpiti Coast District Council more business-friendly - helping existing businesses grow and encourage new ones to the region.

More than 20 Mayoral and Councillor candidates attended the event, where they answered questions on the three key areas the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce identified in its 2019 Local Body Election Manifesto and newly released scorecard

Heather Hutchings, Chair of the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce, says it’s encouraging candidates recognise the issues Kāpiti businesses face.

“A number of speakers acknowledged frustrations our businesses have with consents, red tape and a general lack of direction when it comes to economic development. Many spoke of the need for our Council to be more welcoming to new businesses, and more supportive to existing ones.

“In particular, the Council’s ‘Open for Business’ policy was questioned, with both Councillor and Mayoral candidates agreeing more needs to be done to ensure the Council truly demonstrates this in its day-to-day work,” says Heather Hutchings.

The forthcoming Independent Review of the Council was also discussed, with the majority of Mayoral candidates indicating they will support it if elected.

“Recently, we have become aware of concerns being raised within the Council about the cost of the Independent Review. Last night we heard during the last year, the Kāpiti Council has had staff turnover of 1 in 5, double that of other Councils. We know something isn’t working and believe the risks of not doing the review are too great - we need to identify areas of concern now and fix them as soon as possible.

“On the 10th of October, the current Council will vote on a preferred supplier to undertake the review, as per the timeline agreed to earlier this year. We want to urge all current Councillors and the Mayor to continue to support the Independent Review, so the new Council can get to work on moving Kāpiti forward and creating a district great for businesses and families, one which makes the most of the opportunities ahead of us,” says Heather Hutchings.

The Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce exists to advance the economy by creating wealth and employment and solve local business issues by providing a collective voice for business in Kāpiti. Over 300 members in Kāpiti belong to the Kāpiti Coast Chamber of Commerce to stay connected, network and gain knowledge and support from our local membership.

ENDS

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