The Waikato Means Business economic development strategy was initiated by the Waikato Mayoral Forum in 2013 to help develop the region’s potential.

Implementation of the strategy, being overseen by an industry-led steering group with Māori business and local government representatives, is focused on five priority areas:

• Maintaining and building Waikato’s location advantage.
• Growing global industries.
• Building, attracting and retaining skills and talent.
• Making business easier.
• Telling the Waikato Story.

The Waikato region’s economic performance has been solid in recent years and on most measures we perform close to the New Zealand average. But we have the opportunity to improve so that we lead the way, not follow other regions.

There’s weight behind this process – the strategy was initiated by the Waikato Mayoral Forum, which brings together the region’s mayors and the regional council chair.

Some of the work underway includes:

• A project to strengthen vocational pathways between school and employers.
• Development of a Waikato Māori economic development action plan and agenda. A final agenda and action plan was to be completed by 31 March 2017.Better understanding the Waikato innovation ecosystemExpanding regional economic development capacity
• Mapping future workforce needs
• Modelling the economic costs and benefits of different land use scenarios in the Cambridge-Auckland growth corridor.

You can find out more about Waikato Means Business at www.waikatomeansbusiness.nz