Your Questions Answered - Confidence in Kaipara economy

 

Business openings
At least two businesses have opened in Kaipara in the last ten days. They both reflect emerging science.

In Kaiwaka, charge.net.nz, a company begun by NZ entrepreneur Steve West opened its second electric vehicle charging station, the first being in Whangarei. Local MP Rt Hon. Winston Peters officiated. In collaboration with Northpower and Kaipara District Council, the firm chose to locate in Kaiwaka because of the state highway network and because Northland has the highest per-capita concentration of electric vehicles in New Zealand. Welcome charge.net.nz, and well done Kaiwaka for attracting the business.

In Dargaville, a manufacturing plant, Pristine Biologicals (NZ) Ltd, was opened by Food Safety Minister, Hon. Jo Goodhew. This plant will purchase a bi-product from Silver Fern Farms in Dargaville, and using this will manufacture bovine serum for veterinary vaccines for Indian farmers. It will initially employ fourteen people. Pristine is owned by Immunologicals Ltd of India, which is in turn owned by the National Dairy Development Board of India, a massive dairy farming organisation. The Kaipara investment is the first investment outside India by the National Dairy Development Board group. A number of factors influenced its decision to select NZ and Dargaville, including the fact that our cattle are pasture grazed and that Silver Fern Farms management encouraged their investment alongside their plant in Dargaville.

These are both great stories.

In addition to this Silver Fern Farms will benefit from an investment into it by Shanghai Maling. Silver Fern Farm shareholders recently supported their Board’s proposal to invite Shanghai Maling to become a fifty percent shareholder and partner. This will strengthen the company’s balance sheet and support its marketing strategies. The investment is subject to Overseas Investment Office approval. For Northland, this means that Silver Fern Farms will remain a major meat processor, and for Dargaville this investment will support the local operation. Silver Fern Farms is Dargaville’s largest employer.

New business openings are great to see in Kaipara. However we also need to salute those businesses that have been around for many years. On Kaipara’s eastern side, in Mangawhai, Maungaturoto, and Kaiwaka, retail and tourism is important. We also have the tradesmen working long hours in these busy times on building sites, and manufacturers, producing goods for NZ and export markets.

Then there are those who make their living from the land. All contribute to the economic well-being of Kaipara residents.

Broadband access, please
Business today cannot function efficiently without access to the internet. Northland Councils and iwi are engaged with Central Government, urging investment in the networks that can provide improved access to the internet. I have been asked by the Northland Mayoral Forum to lead a programme at a political level, as a “champion” for initiatives in Northland.

Our large NZ cities all offer businesses and households ultra-fast broadband. In much of rural Northland, and in fact in much of regional New Zealand, basic broadband coverage is unreliable at best, and non-existent in some places. Completing a network across Northland to support broadband access for all is surely a priority.

If you have ideas to contribute on this, please email me at jrobertson@kaipara.govt.nz.