Pam Ford: Auckland's growing pains are worth it

Auckland is going through a period of dramatic and vital transformation. File photo / Chris Weissenborn

COMMENT:

Auckland is at a pivotal point in our region's development. It's no secret we're growing quickly: Auckland's economy is outpacing the likes of Sydney, Melbourne and Vancouver, but this growth is mainly powered by population increase, not by increased productivity.

Over the next 30 years, Auckland's population is projected to increase by 720,000 to 2.4 million. That would mean we need another 313,000 dwellings and 263,000 jobs.

Here at Ateed, we work with our Auckland Council colleagues, central government and the private sector at the intersection of workforce, place and industry development, to ensure our people, businesses and regional economy are future ready and best placed to seize future opportunities.

Auckland is going through a period of dramatic transformation. The public and private sectors are investing heavily in long-overdue infrastructure to accommodate Auckland's rapid growth.

Projects including the downtown transformation, Wynyard Quarter regeneration, Commercial Bay development, Watercare's Central Interceptor, the New Zealand International Convention Centre, the Auckland Airport upgrade, and City Rail Link — New Zealand's largest infrastructure project to date — are changing the landscape as we know it.

More investment is coming with the Government's New Zealand Upgrade Programme, including the walking and cycling path over Auckland Harbour Bridge - the SkyPath. The largest-scale television series ever filmed has set up shop in Auckland, while international retail giants Costco and Ikea are preparing to touch down in our region.

Amazon Studios is in Auckland this year, beginning production of its multi-season series of The Lord of the Rings. Photo / Supplied

There might be some growing pains in this "city of cones, cranes and cameras", but undertaking simultaneous major projects was a deliberate choice to limit the duration of disruption, and the legacy will be a huge improvement for our people and businesses. Rome wasn't built in a day, and the world-class Auckland we all want can't be either.

Auckland as a city is many things: young, energetic, passionate, diverse. Let's seize the promise those qualities offer to make sure Auckland has the talent, capital and employment it needs to build a sustainable future as New Zealand's global city, and its economic and creative engine-room.

To make sure we are competitive in the near and long-term future, we have to develop a future-ready workforce with the skills Auckland's crucial industries need to thrive, and the capital it needs to develop.

Ateed investment specialists have already helped to attract a series of major hotels to Auckland to meet projected growth in the visitor economy and international businesses to bring operations — and jobs — here. But there are myriad other infrastructure and developments planned that offer international investors — and our people — opportunities.

We're leading a council-wide initiative to tell the competitive global market about the economic opportunities Auckland's transformation and development offers. Working with Auckland and NZ Inc partners, we'll promote the local investment landscape, who's operating in it, and link pre-qualified international investors with high-quality investable opportunities.

This builds on our work outlining investor-ready projects to investors and business leaders in Japan, China, the US and Australia, while we regularly host inbound groups of both corporate and individual investors from a range of countries.

We are a red-hot screen production location. This year, Amazon Studios and Netflix — two of the world's media giants — are in town to produce much-anticipated, large-budget, large-crew series: Amazon's multi-season series of J.K. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Netflix's live-action remake of the hit Japanese anime series Cowboy Bebop.

They have booked studios for multiple years, and most of what they spend will go directly into our regional economy. Other major projects are already signed to come here, or seriously interested.

Pam Ford. Photo / Supplied

It is a time of unprecedented opportunity for our already billion-dollar screen industry, particularly our world-class companies and crew in the city's western screen heartland. The private sector already recognises the opportunities. We are aware of planned significant greenfield studio projects and expansion of current sites. To borrow a line, "if you build it, they will come"; then if you build more, more will come, bringing hundreds of millions in spending and a lot of creative jobs.

Our investment, business and screen attraction programmes, and initiatives such as a sustainable tourism partnership with New York City help Auckland connect with the best and the brightest in the world. And in 2021, the world is due to arrive on our welcome mat.

Auckland's unprecedented events year of 2021 — from the 36th America's Cup at the start of the year, through to Apec 2021 Leaders Week in November — is a galvanising catalyst, a year that will provide massive opportunities to connect with investors and business leaders from around the world.

With our Auckland Inc and NZ Inc partners, we are in the midst of developing a strategic programme to leverage all the opportunities coming Auckland's way in a year that will allow us to showcase our region to the world.

Each specialist area of our organisation is connecting with Auckland companies that could and are ready to do business with the potential investors, suppliers and customers that 2021 will bring here.

Within the context of that work, we are mindful that, locally and globally, there is growing emphasis on ensuring economic development is both inclusive of all our communities and sustainable for our natural environment and resources.

The evidence is compelling that communities, cities and nations will only succeed if prosperity is shared. Auckland's mayor and elected members rightly expect Ateed — as Auckland's economic development agency — to respond to our region's prosperity challenges.

We share the council's priority transformation areas in Auckland's south and west, and in Tāmaki. Part of that is through attracting investment in "hard" development and infrastructure, and part through "soft" projects around access of under-represented groups to training, skills and — ultimately — jobs.

These are areas rich in human, creative and cultural capital — all important elements of Auckland being a future-ready, inclusive, prosperous and sustainable global city. We know our Māori and Pasifika young people have brilliant creative energy, and we're working with our communities and partners to help create opportunities.

Our innovative Go With Tourism programme, now rolling out nationally, enables job-seekers and employers in the tourism industry to directly connect; we're scaling up our award-winning BuildAKL initiative to attract young Aucklanders into the booming construction and infrastructure sector; and the dynamic Te Haa o Manukau maker space is supporting and promoting emerging creatives and entrepreneurs.

We're working with the screen industry and the Ministry of Social Development to ensure our screen companies have the workforce they need now and in the future, while career pathways open up for people who might not have considered working in the screen industry.

Auckland is transforming. Let's work together to make sure its transformation, development and events of 2021 deliver the best they can for our people and our place.

• Pam Ford is general manager of economic development for Auckland Tourism, Events & Economic Development (Ateed)