Te Puna Umanga - Venture Taranaki

Venture
TARANAKI
Te Puna Umanga
Te Puna Umanga
Photo: Rob Tucker
Parinīnihi ki Waitōtara
Waitōtara ki Taipakē
Hongoingoi 2010
The Sleeping Giant
Rotorua recently hosted the
Whenua – Sustainable Futures with
Maori Land Conference which
brought together an impressive
array of Maori land incorporations,
science and research institutes and
academic institutions. Amokura
Panoho, VT Partnerships Manager
was impressed with the information
provided.
“The conference presented the
critical issues that years of research
had identified and showcased
where innovation, strong leadership
and collaboration has achieved
notable success. Professor Mason
Durie’s statements that Maori should
become Future Takers as opposed to
Future Makers highlighted the need
to be more proactive in sustaining
the Maori asset base by being more
creative in growing it.”
A presentation was also made
by Jamie Tuuta, Chairperson of
PKW Incorporation who talked
about the unique issues facing the
incorporation in Taranaki. “The
conference was an opportunity
for those of us immersed in our
own situation to look at how other
Maori entities were responding to
their challenges. I found it a very
stimulating environment,” said Dion
Tuuta, CEO of PKW Incorporation.
Coining the importance of the
increasing contribution of Maori
in the New Zealand’s Agribusiness
Sector as ‘the sleeping giant’,
Michael Ahie from Nga Ruahine, the
chair of CRI Plant & Food Research
reiterated that the importance of the
primary sector.
“Maori are significant players in the
agricultural community and we need
to develop the ‘Maori Edge’ within it.
First we need to acknowledge global
shifts and adapt on farm practice,
then play to our strengths. We need
to acknowledge that the supply
chain power is at both ends and
Maori can play a significant role.”
For more information contact
Amokura Panoho on 06 759 5169 or
amokura@venture.org.nz
Venture Taranaki launches Lunchtime Speaker Series
Venture Taranaki’s first Lunchtime
Speaker Series event focused on
the last decade in the Taranaki
regional economy. This ‘decade of
change’ saw shifts in population,
employment and business growth
that were often better than the
HE PANUI POTO:
Taranaki Maori Business Network
are launching their new brand at
5.30pm on Wednesday 18 August at
Powderoom, 108 Devon Street. The
event will outline the significance
of the new brand and celebrate
the growing presence of Maori
businesses in Taranaki. Contact
Anna Davis on 06 758 8618 for
more information.
national picture. The next two
events will focus on the present
and the future of the Taranaki
regional economy. Events are
held at the Govett-Brewster Art
Gallery from 12 noon to 1pm.
The next events are Taranaki –
Where are we now? on Friday 13
August and Taranaki’s Future:
Where to from here? on Friday 10
September 2010. Space is limited contact Deborah on 06 759 5150 or
deborah@venture.org.nz to secure
your spot.
Taranaki Regional Visitor
Strategy 2010-2019
The 2010-2019 Taranaki Visitor
Strategy has been launched and
aims to build Taranaki’s visitor
industry as a significant contributor
to regional growth through five
key strategic themes. To get a copy
of the summary contact Venture
Taranaki on 06 759 5150.
Mayor Tennent up for world’s best
New Plymouth Mayor Peter
Tennent had made it through
118,000 other nominations to be
one of the World’s Top 25 Mayors.
The award honours mayors with the
vision, passion and skills to make
great cities. Help Mayor Pete get
to number 1 by voting for him at
www.worldmayor.com
Venture Taranaki | Tel: 06 759 5150
Email: info@venture.org.nz | www.taranaki.info
Taranaki needs 135,000 by 2035
Compared to 2000, there are now
1,960 more businesses in Taranaki
and 9,840 more people are
employed. Over the last decade
Taranaki has grown faster than the
national average on both counts,
but when it comes to population
growth, we’re not doing so well,
prompting Venture Taranaki to
develop the “135,000 by 2035
population target” for the region.
In 1996 Taranaki made up
2.9 percent of New Zealand’s
population. By 2006 that had
dropped to 2.5 percent. To remain
a growing region with a strong
share of the national population
we need to grow our population,
through convincing more of the
world to come and live here and
welcoming our many whanau
home.
Over the coming months and years
Venture Taranaki will be putting a
lot of effort into showcasing how
great a place Taranaki is to live,
work and play as the region works
towards meeting its population
target. Our region’s future depends
on it.
Local businesses positive about economy
The mood of Taranaki businesses
remains positive with 91.2 percent
expecting the national economy
to remain the same or get better
over the coming year, according to
Venture Taranaki’s latest Business
Survey, which goes out to 1,000
local businesses every six months.
Our businesses are also positive
about their own industry sectors.
89.3 percent expect things to be
the same or better in the next
year. Stability is also predicted for
employment, with 92.1 percent of
In Taranaki in May a total of 70,728
individual nights were stayed with
friends and relatives - an average
stay of 3.9 nights. This is well above
the average 2.1 nights stayed in
commercial accommodation in
Taranaki.
In 2010, to the end of may, there
were a total of 805,630 visitor
nights spent with friends or family.
G-TARanaki Music Festival
Taranaki’s only guitar fest returns
in 2010 on 11-15 August. The
festival presents more than 20
concerts, midnight jam sessions,
workshops and events all focused
on the guitar. Catch legends
including Guns ’n’Roses guitarist
Slash, Uli Jon Roth, Vinnie Moore
and the Checks.
www.gtaranaki.co.nz
local businesses expecting to keep
or hire more staff in the next six
months.
“Overall the region is heading
in the right direction. Taranaki
businesses are starting to grow
again but not enough for staff
expansion,” says VT chief executive
Stuart Trundle.
“This offers a challenge – balancing
growth demands without bringing
in additional staff numbers can put
pressure on the work-life balance
that Taranaki is renowned for.”
Don’t overlook visiting friends and relatives
More than 18,000 people stayed
with friends and family while
visiting Taranaki in May this year,
according to a regular survey
commissioned by Venture Taranaki.
Nga hui a mua
ake nei
Auckland, Wellington, the Bay of
Plenty and Waikato are the main
contributors of those visitong
friends and relatives, with strong
growth in the number of people
coming from Auckland over the last
three years.
The Visiting Friends and Relatives
(VFR) market is often overlooked
when considering the region’s
tourism industry. These visitors to
our region play an important part
in driving growth, though it can
be challenging to get information
about the region’s attractions and
events to them.
Taranaki Rhododendron and
Garden Festival
With ten days of the region’s best
private and public gardens and a
huge programme of events, make
sure 2010 is the year you explore
the Taranaki Rhododendron and
Garden Festival. www.rhodo.co.nz
Jack Johnson: To the Sea tour
Laid back surf rocker Jack Johnson
returns to New Plymouth with a
show at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands
on Sunday 28 November and a new
album: To The Sea. Get your tickets
from www.ticketmaster.co.nz
Venture Taranaki | Tel: 06 759 5150
Email: info@venture.org.nz | www.taranaki.info