Waitaki District Council

Work alongside local businesses to encourage and promote training programs and potential employment opportunities.

Promote, encourage and support new local business ventures in our CBD.

Promote Waitaki and come up with a scheme to attract young families and skilled workers to our district that we desperately need.

Enable sustainable opportunities for economic and community prosperity through our strategic plans.

Enable opportunities to grow the capability and skills of our community.

Advocate for further course opportunities at our local Ara Institute campus to grow and cultivate our local workforce.

Work with local businesses to further non trades apprenticeship programs.

Encourage and promote local primary industry innovation.

Create a welcoming environment for businesses and individuals to invest in, by developing an infrastructure that is progressive and rewarding.

Utilise our location to attract new opportunities and actively encourage investment from growth industry sectors – eg. logistics, technology.

Support and expand initiatives which up skill our workforce, provide retraining and offer new opportunities for our young people to stay/return.

Provide the regulatory framework and encouragement for new business to locate here and existing businesses to develop and expand.

Initiate the re-entry of a tertiary provider to the district with customised industry-tailored courses.

Support the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and extend the cadetship programme from council to industry.

Support the sensible implementation of Economic Development initiatives that will enable our economy to thrive.

Encourage stakeholder engagement with a wide range of personalities, rather than only using the same people for engagement over and over.

Promote Waitaki through positivity and passion, and encourage all to promote how incredible our district is, and stop focusing on negatives.

Focus on projects that can assist business to improve productivity of the existing workforce as per Productivity Commission reports.

Move beyond 'all growth is good' mind set and measure things that don't contribute to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but do contribute to wellbeing and social cohesion.

Collaborate and familiarise myself with relevant available research and policy recommendations for informed, evidence-based decision making.

Develop and attract the skills our businesses and communities across the Waitaki district need.

Support initiatives that develop pride in the district and grow the professional development and leadership skills of our young people.

Revitalise our Oamaru CBD to attract more businesses and visitors and develop more engaging experiences to capture more value from visitors.

Strengthen the gateway program in schools, connecting young people with prospective employers in their field of interest.