New strategy endorsed to help grow Waikirikiri Selwyn economy
Selwyn District Council media release: 26th August 2024
Selwyn District Councillors have endorsed the district’s new Economic Development Strategy which will provide the direction for purposeful, inclusive and sustainable growth in Waikirikiri Selwyn into the future.
The strategy has been developed with input from local industry, business leaders and rūnaka, and will enable the Council to partner with the community to harness new opportunities and accelerate the district’s journey towards a thriving, future-fit economy.
The strategy’s implementation will be supported by a $9 million budget across 10 years, which the Council agreed to in its Long-Term Plan 2024-34.
Deputy Mayor Malcolm Lyall says the strategy will help support Selwyn to increasingly become a place where people can live, work and play without needing to go elsewhere.
“We have a proud history of strong employment and business growth and high levels of self-employment. Having this strategy in place will allow our community and Council to work more collaboratively to capitalise on new opportunities that build on this to cement our prosperity for the long-term.”
“We are very proud to have developed this strategy with a wide range of local leaders to create something that is Selwyn-centric, plays to our strengths, and has clear actions.”
To support the Economic Development Strategy, Council intends to establish a Council committee focused on economic development, with seats to be available for industry experts and mana whenua representatives. It will also establish a cross-sector steering group with a range of business leaders to help drive key projects and deliver on the strategy’s outcomes.
Waikirikiri Selwyn has enjoyed considerable economic growth in recent years, but changing conditions such as digital disruption, new technologies, climate change
and global security concerns mean the district needs to be more strategic and purposeful in enabling future job creation and growth, which the strategy aims to achieve.
During consultation on the Council’s Long-Term Plan earlier this year, 62 per cent of submitters supported Council progressing with the strategy’s development.
The strategy is designed to align with the aims of Waikirikiri Ki Tua Future Selwyn which is being prepared to give a vision for the district for the next 50-100 years.
The Waikirikiri Selwyn Economic Development Strategy will be launched with the community including business leaders and local industry at an event in October 2024.