Update for Taupō District Council

1. Update for Taupō District Council September 2010

2. Progress this Year • As a relatively new organisation, it has taken a little time to find our pathway • We now have a re-vigorated Board, an excellent new team member and a strategic focus • Not forgetting the action plan which remains in force until it is reviewed

3. Action Plan Review - Infrastructure • Broadband – Taupō is one of the 33 priority areas for the installation of fibre optic – we need to be thinking about regional priorities • Air linkages – the good news and the bad • Integrated town plans – Taupō complete just starting Turangi

4. Action Plan Review – People & Skills • Making Taupō a great place to live – not our role and it is already a great place to live • Provide educational opportunities –definitely on the radar (see projects below)

5. Action Plan Review – Business Investment • Encourage businesses to grow – one stop shop and profile • Attract business – information and see projects below • Promote the region – Working alongside DLT on the new brand

6. Action Plan Review – Leadership • Implement action plan – started • Promote communication – extensive work being done in this area with excellent results between local groups • Support young leaders - trustees and new Business Development Manager both working with local colleges • Discover Lake Taupō’s identity – worked with DLT

7. New Projects - Overview • Need to follow central government’s lead and focus on EXPORT, GROWTH, INNOVATION • We have the location, the ideas, the resources and a supportive Council • We need to look long and hard at what the market wants from us

8. New Projects – Education as Export • Work with Waiariki or others to develop an international student base • This is fundamental to the business model and would allow for a campus to be developed • Possible opportunities might be a internationally branded hotel management school, specialist technical courses around our rapidly growing cleantech energy sector and specialist motorcycle courses to utilise our racetrack

9. New Projects – Clean tech Incubation • Working with two business incubator models to look at establishing the Lake Taupō region as the place for clean tech innovation • Soda Inc and Icehouse • In collaboration with NZCEC • Business incubation is the search for, and support of, exponential growth business focused on export

10. New Projects – Downstream energy projects • A focus on developing a business case for new enterprise involving available land, cheap energy and our location at the centre of the North Island on main transport links. • This is not about picking business winners but being the facilitator for interested parties and identifying opportunities and connecting people.

11. Turangi Structure Plan • The new structure plan focuses on economic growth as the key outcome • Working with the community to find answers • Working with other agencies including TDC, DLT, funders • We are working on an economic growth pathway

12. Conclusion • Export – what do our markets want from us? • Ideas – using them for growth – be ‘alert to the idea of ideas’ Ray Avery • Collaboration – we cannot be isolated from the rest of NZ and expect to prosper – there is huge opportunity in collaboration and connection • Building a team – newly invigorated organisation and being part of our local ‘team’ of business leaders