Business and Tourism

Living on the Otago peninsula I’ve learnt the importance of the tourism industry in the Dunedin and regional economy. Naturally there has to be balance between;

• the promotion of the tourism industry
• the needs of the community
• pressure on private and public infrastructure
• the impacts on the environment.

That’s a tight balance but one that can be achieved by good communication and consultation with the community, agencies and business. Some of the initiatives I’d like to see the City Council promote to add value to our local and regional tourist economy are;

• Advocating for a faster roll out of high-speed broadband for the benefit of local businesses and those that work from home allowing better productivity and more niche small-scale business development. To learn more about this aspect read my article and submission to the Digital Enablement Plan.
• Greater support for beautification of our amenity and landscape areas so that we have vibrant places for people to live and work in. Our city can look dowdy and we need to improve this to create opportunities for immigration and new people to come to Dunedin and develop businesses in the community.

• Developing a small business, artisan and services network in the city that highlights the services and products that our area offers to its locals and visitors.
• The promotion and development of a coastal walkway from Tomahawk and linking St Kilda as an alternative access point from the city to the Peninsula. The existing Peninsula track routes are already in place but require promotion and interpretation. This project would utilise the tracks in a similar way to the Banks Peninsula Track that would create tourism, recreation and business opportunities for the region.

• Creating innovative partnerships with Maori in tourism, language and culture that highlights and promotes the unique relationship of the runaka with the city.
• Undertaking and supporting more interpretation through signage and electronic media of the geology, conservation, history, heritage and  cultural values of the City, so that the community and visitors understand more about the area.

• Investigating opportunities in volunteer tourism in conservation, heritage and wildlife management with agencies and organisations that would benefit from people coming to the area and offering their skills.
• Investigating opportunities in sports tourism and science by using our sport facilities such as the Stadium, Logan Park, Moana Pool, Otago Harbour and our outdoor opportunities. The City should be forming partnerships with tertiary organsiations in the promotion of Dunedin as a sports training, physiology and research facility. We have the facilities and the organisations but we need a mechanism to promote them on a national and international level.

Dunedin’s economy must be able to grow in areas other than tourism to create jobs and growth for the benefit of our city. For me that means creating a business environment in Dunedin that allows for;

• Flexibility and innovation
• Efficiency and competition
• Support and partnership
• Large or small scale business to thrive
• National and International exporting
• Vitality and strength

• Improving statutory processes for the building industry. Currently only 51% of building consents in Dunedin are completed within the statutory 20 day period. This inefficiency creates constraints to those in the building and construction industry that has flow effects to sub-contractors, suppliers and developers. This is where the City Council can assist business by making its statutory services fast and efficient without losing quality.
• Valuing the rural economy. Dunedin City is a significant primary producer with over 730  farms across its territory and its input to the local economy in production and support services is quite significant. Food production is becoming a vital industry on a global scale and primary production has much to offer Dunedin. The City Council needs to look at ways to assist rural areas through roading priorities and service provision.
• Improving planning processes to allow sustainable rural and urban growth. So often in the media we read and hear about planning processes that either limit or stop development in businesses. Its a fine line between positive growth and sustainability and effects. We all want to live in a community with a quality environment without the impediment of poorly designed or sited commercial activity. Its my view that we need to have much clearer processes borne out of more active consultation by developers and council. Largely communication is the key so that it cuts down on the unnecessary costs of applications and gives the community more opportunity to be involved in the development process.
• Understanding that small business needs to be innovative and flexible to succeed is pivotal to its success. When I look through the City Council currents fees and charges I realise that the basic costs of some services are actually hurting businesses.
• Sort out parking and parking consultation with retailers to make sure that it works for everyone.