Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce
Media Statement
Thursday 25 February 2016

Chamber confident in Hutt City Council and City growth

The Chief Executive of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce & Industry voices his support for Council, and confidence in Lower Hutt’s business growth. Chief Executive Mark Futter said in the last year “The Chamber has reached a new level of maturity and growth. We are increasingly being recognised for the vibrancy and vitality of our business community both within our region and beyond it.

“It was great to see Hutt Valley business end 2015 on a high and enter 2016 with momentum.”
This is reflected in the Chamber’s business confidence survey that indicated a net 34 per cent of businesses are expecting to invest more in buildings over the next 12 months, compared to 10.6 per cent in September and 6.1 in June. “Businesses would not be looking to invest in a city if they didn’t have confidence in that city’s future.

“The business community needs investment in amenities in order to be vibrant and grow, many of the projects and costs are associated with facilities being replaced as they are at the end of their useful life, obsolete, or in dire need of upgrading due to not being fit for purpose in today’s business environment.”

Mr Futter is keen to ensure recent criticism of Hutt City Council’s draft budget doesn’t affect this confidence and the solid economic platform for a city he sees as punching above its weight. He says the Council’s programme of investment for rejuvenation is long overdue for the city and, from his reading of budget papers, something that Lower Hutt can continue to afford. “Of course the new estimates on projects coming in at greater cost than first estimated is regrettable, but this does occur in business.

“From my reading of the draft budget, Council has done well to offset these extra costs to meet agreed debt levels, and can continue the programme of work while delivering one of the lowest rates increases in the region.”

The Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce provides economic development services to Hutt City Council. The Chamber recently reported that they still get many comments of how this relationship is one of the most productive and positive Chamber/Council relationships in the country. Proving that by working together in a community we can achieve so much more.

Mr Futter doesn’t usually comment on the political matters of Council, however he sees recent comments on the draft budget as irresponsible and uninformed, and is commenting as he doesn’t want them to threaten “the confidence and positive momentum we now have in this city that so many of us have put so much into building.”

ENDS

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