Michael Barnett: Action can make our city the best

Increasingly, cities are the generators of the wealth of nations, and Auckland is no exception. Because it is far and away the nation's largest city it offers businesses opportunities in scale and specialisation not generally available elsewhere in New Zealand.

There are job, investment and event opportunities that Auckland has to attract, because if it does not they will be lost.

So Auckland must outclass other world cities in businesses, jobs and skills, and hosting international events.

Can Auckland offer a better deal to international businesses looking for world-class infrastructure - lower congestion, reliable energy supply and a skilled, adaptive workforce - and a higher quality urban, recreational and natural environment? Is the Auckland lifestyle competitive with other cities, including those in Australia and the Pacific? Larger cities may be able to offer more, but often at the cost of greater congestion and social decay.

On the other hand, Auckland wants to build on its already distinctive lifestyle - to attract jobs, investment and events that improve the nation's economy as well as increase Auckland's standard of living.

Now that we have decided on what economic development path Auckland wants to go down and unveiled the action plan to deliver, the focus of attention shifts to implementation.

We have done well to get to this point. The Metro Project Action Plan launch last week sets out a single platform of immediate and medium-term actions that will evolve for decades.

Through an extensive consultation process with political, business, educational, cultural and community leaders, an appetite for Auckland to change became evident, along with overwhelming support for action to boost Auckland's performance.

For Auckland to successfully compete requires united leadership, world-class infrastructure and urban centres, a powerful regional identity, a skilled and responsive workforce, and increased innovation and export strength. The Metro Action Plan integrates existing and regional initiatives into a single economic delivery plan that addresses these objectives. An implementation agency will be established to co-ordinate their delivery and to monitor progress.

Among the 31 actions the agency will enable on a region-wide basis will be the faster delivery of already agreed initiatives to develop world-class infrastructure and urban centres.

For example, the plan of action provides for: completion of an energy prospectus to secure supply and better manage demand, within one to three years; fast-track deployment of high-speed broadband across the region within 12 months; completion of the CBD and waterfront development by 2026; fast-tracking town centre developments in Eden Park-Kingsland, and a Parnell-Ponsonby corridor within two years.

Initiatives will be taken to transform Auckland into a world-class destination. They include a regional visitor strategy within two years, including a bed tax to help fund the amenities they will enjoy and the events we will host; developing, by next year, a major event portfolio to build a world-class capability and profile; providing world-class sporting, conference and convention centre infrastructure within five years; and building on Auckland's distinctiveness with a region-wide brand and database for tourism, business and community groups, to be in place by next year.

Aucklanders already in employment, job-seekers and new citizens all have the potential to benefit from 19 initiatives designed to upskill Auckland's workforce and increase innovation and export capability of the region's 115,000 businesses.

A skills leadership group will be established almost immediately and be tasked to deliver, within two to three years. a comprehensive database of the region's needs and achieve closer links with similar initiatives under way around the region.

For Auckland to lift its game and develop a skilled and responsive workforce that matches those in other world cities will require an integrated approach embracing employer-employee groups, private and public sector organisations and agencies, and representation of Auckland's diverse communities. A key objective must be to realise that the diversity of the workforce is an asset.

On the export front, action will be taken over the next two years to encourage high-growth potential businesses to achieve their potential.

Initiatives will include: improving access to pre-seed funding; improving co-ordination and information-sharing within investor groups and networks; ensuring tax policy rewards investment in early-stage ventures; gaining more value from offshore networks; and profiling innovation success in Auckland to encourage more business to locate here.

Auckland has good reason to be encouraged by the launch of this action plan. First, it is an unprecedented example of the region collaborating and working together to provide a single plan for advancing Auckland's economic development.

Second, the Government has given its strong backing to the initiative. At the project's launch, Prime Minister Helen Clark pledged the support of government agencies.

Helen Clark has previously commented on New Zealand's need for Auckland to stand up and be heard concerning international competition between world cities.

This plan is a start to getting Auckland back up to speed. As New Zealand's only city of international scale it is essential that Auckland takes effective and efficient action to transform its economy to a level needed to "step up" to be a city that performs at the top level.

In an initiative of this kind, the profusion of words and promises can smother the situation they seek to address. In this Metro Project Action Plan, the intention is to clear the decks of the talk about what Auckland's problems, and actually do something about solving them.

The key is action - taking effective and resolute action to harness Auckland's world-class potential.

As we move into the 21st century, we have the opportunity to build a new confidence in Auckland and Aucklanders, and enhance its reputation for innovation and enterprise.

Many people perceive Auckland as too disorganised and fragmented to be a true world city. The action plan illustrates the strengths we must promote and develop to consolidate and enhance our interaction with the rest of the world.

This is not an end game, but a beginning - a new chance for Auckland. Having started down this road, there can be no turning back.

* Michael Barnett is chairman of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Forum. The Metro Plan of Action is available at Auckland Regional Council - The Metro Project