Northland is just one of four regions - with the Bay of Plenty, Manawatu and Gisborne - working on action plans following the release of regional growth studies.
Since its publication, in February this year, 120 projects from the Te Tai Tokerau Northland Regional Growth Study have been whittled down by a special advisory group, made up of officers from Northland Regional Council, Northland Inc, all three Northland district councils and central government agencies.
Wilson said the most significant thing about the plan was the funding for public projects being negotiated with central government.
"It is seen as a living document, which means it will change. It's not set in stone. It's an agreement on priorities for Northland with central government," Wilson said.
"We can't nail people to the floor with these commitments."
So why has the plan taken so long to complete?
The committee has had to whittle down a total of 120 projects to a smaller list.
"We haven't lost any of those ... just because something is not a priority in year one, it doesn't mean it won't become one.
"Some were just good ideas, some have progressed to business cases, some are in-flight and need more funds and some are trying to gain funding.
"It hasn't been a simple process."
Funding inequality
Northland Inc is part of Northland Regional Council and operates as a council-controlled organisation (CCO) with its own mandate and budget.
NRC funded Northland Inc, its regional economic arm, to the tune of about $1.1 million in the 2014/2015 year, with contributions from local authorities in Whangarei, the Far North and Kaipara, along with contracts with NZTE and Callaghan Innovation to deliver the three-year Regional Business Partnership, bringing the total budget to $1.7 million.
While it's a similar model to some other regions, Northland is not well funded.
"Generally, you would find that we are underfunded. Take Southland, their [RDA] operating revenue is $5 million and they have 75,000 people. Half as many people and three times the budget.
"We are 150,000 people with a $1.7 million operating revenue."
Funding applications must go to Northland Regional Council Board in a system Wilson describes as "not optimal".
While he doesn't believe regional council bureaucracy stifles growth, he agrees the slower process may work for democratic decisions, but is too slow for regional development.
The funding inequality is just one area that will go under the spotlight during the consultation with all 14 regional members of EDANZ and their regional stakeholders.
EDANZ has engaged Martin Jenkins and Associates to run a series of forums with key stakeholders, such as the Local Government Commission, the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, for example, as well as business organisations and BusinessNZ and Chambers of Commerce.
Creature of local government
While a partnership existed between central government and regions, it was a shaky one.
"That partnership is happening, but I don't think we're good at it yet."
Wilson said agencies may need an organisation in the middle. It would mean regional development agencies would facilitate a forum for those partnerships to come together and focus on what actions are needed for that region.
In Northland, Northland Inc is the organisation that bridges the gap between central government, iwi, local businesses and local authorities.
"That's what we try to do ... but you've got a serious power imbalance going on ... a little organisation dealing with central government.
"At the end of the day, currently with arrangements the way they are, we are a creature of local government."
The structure means Northland Inc is not a standalone agency, rather part of one of the partners trying to come together.
"That dynamic is our life. But this is why we have CCOs. We are separate entity with a separate mandate.
"The public sector has a strong role to play in setting direction, and providing signals to the private sector around where they are expecting the region to go and where they are expecting investment will flow. That can be a healthy relationship ... the private sector gains confidence that their government is providing and setting a tone for direction for the economy to grow.
"The private sector needs an agency to react quickly and make decisions and support development."
The connection with local authorities has a healthy tension that needs to be maintained, he said.
Aside from the potential changing structure, EDAs need better tools from central government, specific to each region's needs, such as a regional investment fund or separate pots of money for new businesses to apply for to enable them to grow quicker.
"A small business might get a small grant from NZTE, for example, to buy some capacity and capability building, but know they need to buy some kit or a piece of equipment but they don't have the equity to purchase it.
"Now, if we have clarified and worked with them, we understand the principles of the business, we think the business model is good and we think they have a good business plan, but that's not enough for the bank.
"It would be really good if we had some kind of small business fund that could support that growth."
One size does not fit all
EDANZ is leading the conversation as the New Zealand association for economic development agencies.
In existence for about 15 years, it had a membership of 70 organisations at one point but the membership has been consolidated to 14 regional economic agencies.
Before the amalgamation of Auckland Council, there were seven territorial authorities and one regional authority.
Of the seven, five had EDAs and the others had economic development units.
And then, there was a regional economic agency funded by the regional council, resulting in eight different arrangements for Auckland.
Now there is only one - Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATED).
Wilson said EDAs had been primarily concerned with their patches, probably because their funding came solely from local councils.
"When it came to working together on big, regionally significant things, it was actually quite difficult to manage, not through a lack of willingness among EDAs, but because local government ... their masters ... would allow them to do a certain amount that was regionally focused but not to spend all of their time that way."
Central government was now looking at how it could attract foreign direct investment into regions.
"That is their priority. How does a region's priority match up in meeting that ... and how do you enact that policy priority in the regions ... and what does it look like in all the different regions?" asked Wilson.
Spotlight effect in regions
Wilson said there was a "spotlight effect" in the regions, with central government agencies operating under their own mandate, and communication between them and the regional stakeholders "nowhere near as good as it could be".
Through the regional growth study and the action plan, the relationships had improved in Northland. "But, prior to that, there were often times where we didn't know what the other was doing, and that would be common right across the country.
"We need better integration on the ground, better strategic alignment and better relationships and partnerships ... so we're not wasting government money and we're reducing duplication."
Wilson said there were different levels of capacity for regional economic development across New Zealand. "Some regions are better funded and some regions don't have structures in place to deliver."
Northland's relationship with other regions and major cities would also come under the microscope through the EDANZ process.
Northland had already amalgamated its tourism and EDA agencies when Destination Northland and Enterprise Northland joined in 2012.
Initial results from the EDANZ discussions will be known in early 2016.
