Brewer excited to be setting up Auckland business panel

Former Newmarket Business Association chief executive Cameron Brewer has today been announced the councillor in charge of setting up the Business Advisory Panel to work alongside the new Auckland Council.

"This is a great opportunity for business and rest assured I'm not interested in paying lip service. We desperately need business input particularly as we head towards a single rating system and discuss the likes of business differentials. We need to reach out to business advocacy groups, Auckland's 40 town centres, the corporates, as well as the thousands of SMEs.

"I bring to the new council an inside business perspective. I am the only one around the table who's never been on council but comes straight out of the business world. Business is hurting region-wide and we really need to work closely with the business sector and soon. Auckland is New Zealand's commercial headquarters. The blunt reality is we can't succeed in Auckland if business is not succeeding," says Cameron Brewer.

Auckland Mayor-elect Len Brown has also announced Cameron Brewer as chairman of the District Plan & Urban Design Forum.

"This term we'll be going from seven district plans to one so the challenges are huge. This forum will be about teasing out the many testing issues and making recommendations to help the council advance to one region-wide unitary district plan. We'll also be putting urban design under the microscope. Auckland's record on urban design has been pretty poor to date. The public wants us to do much better and that's what the new council will need to demonstrate through new policies, processes, and bottom-lines.

"I've advocated for a better business environment and fought against cheap ugly buildings and stupid urban design for some years. The prospect of now being able to make a positive contribution is exciting," says Cameron Brewer.

ENDS

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