Hon Jim Anderton
Deputy Prime Minister
Industry New Zealand Beehive Function
8 November 2000, 6.30pm
Industry New Zealand Beehive Function
8 November 2000, 7pm
Good evening, thank you for coming along tonight.
We are here for me to introduce and for you to meet the board of Industry New Zealand and to announce two new programmes
that make up part of the tool kit we now have to develop New Zealand's economy.
It is significant that we are standing here, in the executive wing of Parliament, the centre of New Zealand Government
to make these announcements.
A year ago you could have been forgiven for thinking this would never have been possible.
Up until the election of this Labour Alliance Coalition, the government of New Zealand did not actively work to develop
our regions, our economy or our industry.
Now, after many years, we too are doing what Governments do in all other modern nations, and that is foster and
encourage our ow
n people, our own skills and our own social and economic infrastructure.
We have launched the Regional Partnerships Programme through Industry New Zealand that will get regions working together
to develop plans and programmes. Industry New Zealand is now sorting through 137 proposals to decide which partnerships
it can develop first.
Already Industry New Zealand is improving the chances of small businesses and entrepreneurs raising development finance.
This programme is also running investment readiness seminars.
Later this month we will have the report of the Tairawhiti Development Task Force, a major regional initiative, where I
have worked closely with all the local councils, runanga and businesses to develop a co-ordinated and integrated
strategic plan for the social and economic development of the East Coast region. This will be an important announcement
and I suggest all of you look to see the positive outcomes of this ground-breaking initiative.
Yesterday was a good day for the Government jobs machine. Industry New Zealand was involved in two major announcements.
Yesterday I announced the second round of the Enterprise Awards Scheme. Seventeen more ventures supported, more jobs,
more exports.
In Auckland at the announcement I met an innovative couple who turned their desire to stop their sons breaking windows
with cricket balls into a marketable training tool called CrazyCatch. They qualified for $10,000 to develop and market
this skill developing and fun game.
I was also able to announce the first initiative in the Industry Development programme, which looks at sectors that need
development and then brings in business advisers. One of the first clients is TriStyle Homes who are making
prefabricated houses, homes which are energy efficient, made from Northland timber, and with most of the jobs in
Northland. They have been involved in timber framed buildings for 28 years and provide a design, manufacture and supply
service. They will now, I believe, export more houses to Japan.
Tristyle has a great product with huge potential that Industry New Zealand can help realise; it adds value to our
forestry products; its administration centre, timber processing plant, kiln and storage is in Awanui in the North – so
it is a valued employer in an area where jobs are scarce.
Yesterday I met kiwis involved in developing our economy and making a difference. First I met a couple with inventive
minds and entrepreneurial spirit, and then later at TriStyle, people in an industry committed to improvement supported
by business advisers from Industry New Zealand.
This Labour Alliance Coalition Government is clear that the future of New Zealand lies in the hands of New Zealanders.
If we need to, we can put together international partnerships, attract foreign investment, and work with technology from
overseas. But Kiwis are our major asset and that is where our future lies. We must look to our people to make the
changes we need.
And that brings me to the Board of Industry New Zealand. People committed to this country with the skills and experience
to develop our regions.
We are very fortunate to have such a strong group of people to steer Industry New Zealand in the best direction to help
our country grow and prosper.
We are fortunate to have them as our board – and I think they are fortunate too – they are taking on an exciting
organisation, an organisation that is pivotal to achieving this Government’s drive to generate business growth and jobs
for New Zealanders.
Each individual member of this impressive new board has a wealth of business expertise.
Interim Chairman, Craig Boyce, has a background in the meat industry and was general manager of the meat marketing
division of Waitaki International in the 1980s. He has been both chairman and chief executive of Smiths City and he has
significant board experience.
Gregory Fortuin is managing director of Axa Corporate Superannuation Services and has a wealth of experience in
strategic leadership and financial management.
Rex Jones is recently retired as secretary of the New Zealand Engineers, Printing and Manufacturing Union and has a long
established track record in new industry development.
Shane Jones is chairman of the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission, Chairman of the Poutama Trust, and a director of
the Airways Corporation with a strong background in Maori economic development.
David Moloney is executive director of the Interlock Group, and president of the New Zealand Manufacturers Federation.
He is chair of the New Zealand College of Management, and deputy chair of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
Don Riesterer is in his fourth term as mayor of Opotiki. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Opotiki
Regional and Economic Development Project.
Maxine Simmons is an executive director and founder of Immune-Chemical Products and is a Board member of the Foundation
for Research Science and Technology. She is also a Board member of BIOTENZ, a Trade New Zealand supported joint action
group of New Zealand biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies collaborating to increase exports.
Bridget Wickham is chief executive of the Great New Zealand Business Venture. This organisation, in association with a
large number of corporate and private sponsors, assists New Zealand's entrepreneurs and innovative businesses. Ms
Wickham is a director of Sky City Ltd and Uniservices Ltd. She is a past director of ENZA.
Welcome to you all, I look forward to a productive and rewarding working partnership.
I am also delighted this evening to be able to launch two new services from Industry New Zealand to add to the existing
Regional Partnerships Programme, Enterprise Awards and Investment Ready Scheme.
The new programmes are called the Major Investment Service and the Business Growth Service.
The Major Investment Service assists with major investment and will work with Trade New Zealand for overseas direct
investment. There is $1.5 million available to this fund for the 2000/01 financial year.
The service provides objective, quality information about investment opportunities available in New Zealand and how to
maximise them. It connects businesses, ideas and programmes with potential investors and funding sources in a way that
complements what is happening in the private sector.
This service helps businesses deal with regulations and government processes. It puts them in contact with the people
they need to talk to in central and local government.
Above all it promotes New Zealand as a good place in which to invest and do business, both within New Zealand and
internationally.
The Major Investment Fund provides contributions for funding feasibility studies and offsetting significant
implementation costs.
The second new initiative, the Business Growth Service assists businesses and sectors to realise their high growth
potential through accessing advice, expertise and information from Industry New Zealand.
The Business Growth Fund manages grants to assist businesses to implement their growth strategies by obtaining
appropriate advice, expertise and information from third parties.
Under the Business Growth Service, Industry New Zealand will:
identify firms or groups of firms with significant growth potential;
appraise firms’ requirements to reach that potential;
facilitate the necessary expertise and resources to successfully grow the business;
facilitate access to the relevant programmes from the full range of government industry development assistance,
including Technology New Zealand, Trade New Zealand, BIZ and the Maori Business Facilitation Service.
The grants made through the Business Growth Fund will be up to $100,000. Businesses will usually have sales of less than
$50 million or no more than 100 full time equivalent staff. grants cover up to 50 % of the total cost of a project. The
Business Growth fund has a budget of $3 million for the 2000/01 financial year.
It is a significant programme adding to the range of measures we now have to kickstart the regions and improve our
economy and the lives of New Zealanders.
I want to conclude by saying that New Zealand's economic development is a journey. It's one that is never over. We will
never be able to say that we have done enough.
But it is a journey that we are committed to embarking on using Industry New Zealand, and the Ministry of Economic
Development in partnership with the business community, local communities, industries and regions. It is a New Zealand
journey and one to which we should all look forward with enthusiasm. It’s going to be an exciting trip.
ENDS