Waikato Business News March/April 2023

12 WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS, MARCH/APRIL 2023
Hamilton’s economy
holds up in
challenging climate
Hamilton’s economy continues to perform well and the
supply of quality office space in the central city is on the rise.
A
snapshot of the city’s
economy was presented
to Hamilton City Council’s
Economic Development
Committee at its inaugural
meeting in March.
Chair Ewan Wilson said
despite economic headwinds,
the city’s GDP held up in 2022
and the number of people in
employment grew.
“Despite talks of a looming
recession and high inflation,
Hamilton is well placed
to weather any adverse
headwinds.
“The fundamentals of Hamilton’s
economy are strong.
We have a diverse economy
which is spread across several
dynamic sectors.”
A host of reports were presented
to the committee, outlining
the performance of external
agencies and council-controlled
organisations (CCOs) during
the six months to December
2022.
Waikato Regional Airport
Limited (WRAL) – which is
made up of Titanium Park,
Hamilton Airport, Hamilton &
Waikato Tourism, and the Jet-
Park Hotel – reported a net surplus
after tax of $17.7 million.
“WRAL’s strong performance
in the face of uncertainties
around air travel and
tourism, was a great result for
Hamilton,” councillor Wilson
says, noting council’s initial $7
million investment in WRAL
was now worth $114 million.
Council holds a 50% shareholding
in the WRAL Group.
“My observation of the airport
management is they’ve
got it right. They’ve got diversification
right, they’ve got the
day-to-day decision systems
working well and, wow, what an
impressive six-month profit of
some $17 million.”
Hamilton Central Business
Association also presented to
Thursday’s committee meeting,
detailing significant developments
underway across the
central city.
Spending in the central city
increased in the December
2022 quarter, up 27% from the
same period in 2021.
The supply of quality central
city offices was also on the
rise, with A and B grade builds
making up about 35% of office
space – up from 15% a decade
ago.
“I think Hamilton City
Council has to pat itself on the
back in regard to the quality of
office stock,” Wilson says.
“That’s a direct consequence
of council’s district plan. It’s a
by-product of a plan that prioritises
quality office space in the
central city.”
Looking ahead to the next
three years, council’s economic
agenda was focused on
enhancing the wellbeing of
Hamiltonians.
“I’m looking forward to continuing
to engage with businesses
to ensure that, not only
do we focus on enabling growth
in the form of attracting new
businesses, but we also focus on
supporting businesses that are
already here.”
Dear The current Prime Minister
Hipkins… immigration picture
Immigration Congratulations is such on your a dynamic, promotion, ever-changing, and for this and timely
sometimes opportunity emotional, to contribute topic our and 30+ it years is often experience a challenge in to
step New back Zealand and immigration take in the bigger work to picture. help inform So, what your does thinking the
current about your immigration approach picture to the look immigration like? portfolio.
The
Historically
latest Statistics
the immigration
NZ data shows
portfolio
migration was seen gain as of somewhat 33,200 people
of a
a
net
for
poisoned
the year
chalice,
to January
and
2023,
it was
which
not
compares
until the
to
first
a loss
John
17,500
Key
in
government
the previous
in
year.
2008
Generally
that this
speaking
approach
these
changed,
statistics
and
are
assessed
immigration
on the
began
basis of
to
people
be viewed
either
more
coming
as
to,
an
or
economic
leaving,
tool
NZ for
rather
a period
than
of
just
12
a
months
means
or
to protect
more, and
New
are
Zealand
not impacted
jobs. The immigration
portfolio
by short
term visitor arrivals
has since
and
developed
departures.
into
While
one
some
of significant
of these arrivals
strategic
will
importance
be people whose
which
travel
influences
plans
many
were previously
aspects of
disrupted
New Zealand
by the
border
society,
closure
workforce
there
and
is
the
a clear,
economy.
and growing
Immigration
trend, of
is
skilled
now a key
workers
Government
now entering
portfolio.
the
country.
Looking at the big picture.
Since
New Zealand
the new
should
employer
not
accreditation
rest on its
began
laurels and
in
expect
July last
that it
year
continues
some
to
20,500
be one
accreditation
of the most desired
applications
migrant destinations,
have been
as
approved
it is not, and
by
we
Immigration
are trending
New
backwards.
Zealand,
In
with
fact,
an
we
average
will be
processing
doing well
time
just to
of 7
hold
working
onto
days.
the new
Applications
migrants that
are
we
often
do initially
approved
attract
on
the
to this
same
country.
day. Employer accreditation
is
We
normally
are an
given
aging
for
population
12 months
and,
but
by
INZ
2028,
recently
1 in every
announced
5 people will
that
be 65+
standard
years.
accreditation,
Our birth rate
applied
of 1.6 children
for before
is
4
well
July
below
2023,
will
the
be
replacement
automatically
rate
renewed
of 2.1.
for another
Our rural
12
months
townships
at no
are
cost
losing
to the employer.
infrastructure and
services,
Following
and
accreditation,
while our schools
employers
need more
must
make
teachers
a job
now,
check
in
application
a few years’
for
time
their vacant
school
roles
rolls
and,
will be
to date,
declining
some
and
27,000
these
job
teachers
checks
have
will need
been
to
approved
find other
for
jobs
around
or go overseas.
150,000
jobs
Family
– with
and
an
lifestyle
average
have
processing
always
time
been
of
4
the
workdays.
main reasons
Job checks
migrants
remain
choose
valid for
New
6
months.
Zealand. However, these alone may not be
sufficient
Once the
to attract
job check
and retain
is approved
the people
the
employer
and skills our
can
country
offer
needs
their
to
prospective
maintain
employee
our living standards,
the role,
let
and
alone
an
to
Accredited
grow. We
Employer
need younger
Work
people
Visa (AEWV)
who can
application
contribute
can
more,
be
and
made.
for
There
longer,
have
to New
been
Zealand.
45,000 work
visas
New
approved
Zealand
under
must
this
attract
new
the
accreditation
migrants
regime
it wants,
and
and
decisions
needs,
are
in an
generally
increasingly
made
within
competitive
3 weeks.
and dynamic international
market,
The Recovery
and one
Visa,
where
which
people
was introduced
can now
recently
work-from-home
to assist
anywhere
with the
in the
cyclone
world.
and
We
no longer enjoy the competitive advantages
flooding
we once
recovery
had, but
work,
one
has
thing
also
within
seen 600
our
visas
control
approved
is to make
to date,
the
and
immigration
160 workers
process
have
already
easier
arrived
and quicker,
to begin
and
this important
world-leading,
work.
and
While
to promote
Immigration
“the visa
New
process”
Zealand
as
comes
one
in
reason
for its
to
fair
choose
share
New
of criticism,
Zealand.
the
Online
above
statistics
visa applications,
confirm
and
that
the
their
move
processing
to more
regimes
automated
are
assessment
delivering,
processes,
and in a
will
timely
help
manner.
but there
Employers
is a very long
who
way
are finding
to go.
any part
of the
One
visa
area
process
which
challenging
would help
may
is for
benefit
the
from
Government
professional
to
input.
engage in more robust
and
It
well-planned
was recently
policy
reported
settings,
that 90%
and
of
to
employers
pressure-test
were
such
struggling
settings
to fill
before
vacancies,
these
with
are implemented.
one third of these
It is acknowledged
roles having been
that
vacant
policies
for
have
6 months
been
or
necessarily
more. However,
“reactive”
and
while
over the
this
past
vacancy
3 years
rate
but
is
there
high,
have
employers
been too
are
many
increasingly
instances of
mindful
back-tracking
of the gathering
of newly
economic
introduced
storm
policies
clouds
when
and
better
have
planning
become
much
and consultation
more cautious
would
in their
“get-it-right-firsttime”.
The
employment
decision making,
new
and
Active
about
Investor
the specific
Policy
skills
should
they
be
actually
first on the
need.
chopping
Employers
block!
are also,
understandably,
We also need
reticent
forward
about
looking
employing
policies
migrant
which are
workers
fit-for-purpose
at the new
in today’s
median
world.
wage
rate
Policies
of $29.66ph
which focus
when
on
this
enabling
is higher
the most
than
what
desirable
is being
migrants
paid to
the
their
opportunity
New Zealand
to
workers.
experience New Zealand and, if they choose
to stay,
Especially
then great.
for those
We should
higher
not
skill
demand
level
roles,
that these
the reality
people
is
commit
that New
indefinitely
Zealand
to
is
no
stay.
longer the attraction it once was, and
any
The
reading
Productivity
of New Zealand’s
Commission
daily
report
news
would
into
suggest
immigration
that this situation
recommended
is unlikely
a
to
Government
change any
Policy
time
Statement
soon. New
to set
Zealand’s
a clear
residence
strategic direction
policy settings
for immigration
remain the critical
policy.
key
This
to
would
attracting
be a
and
good
retaining
start
the
and
skills
provide
the
country
some overriding
desperately
guidance
needs. These
(ideology!)
settings
to
need
inform
constant
policy settings
attention
with
and
a
tweaking,
focus on what
with
a
immigration
view to the short
can deliver
and long
for
term,
the
and
good
must
of
be
New
accorded
Zealand
the
in
highest
the longer
priority
term.
at all times.
So,
What
the
about
overall “immigration
a work-from-homein-NZ
picture” is
one where
visa?
the
People
immigration
could
mechanics
live in New
and
outcomes
Zealand
are
and
trending
work anywhere
positively, but
in
this
the
trend
world,
may
now
begin
that
to slow
would
given the
really
increasing
put
cautiousness
New Zealand
of
on
employers’,
the map!
irrespective
Yes - Prime
of
their
Minister!
apparent high vacancy rates.
Magic Skills Shared
Back in June 2022, the WE LOVE VW team from Ebbett
Volkswagen partnered with the Waikato BOP Magic to run
a netball skills event.
This event had 200
attendees between the
ages of eight to 18-years.
Many budding netball players
spent the morning learning
netball skills as well as playing
mini-games with the Magic
team. Six players from the
Splice Construction Waikato
BOP Magic shared their love
of netball with the young
upcoming netballers – Georgie
Edgecombe, Ivana Rowland,
Simmon Wilbore, Erena
Mikaere, Oceana Maihi and
Samantha Winders, as well as
their coach Mary-Jane Araroa.
After the skills session
the aspiring players had the
opportunity to win Magic merchandise
followed by a sausage
sizzle with the WE LOVE VW
team cooking up a storm.
www.welovevw.nz/magicpartnership | netballmagic.co.nz/
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 2
586 Victoria Street
Hamilton 3204
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011
07 834 9222
enquiries@pathwaysnz.com
pathwaysnz.com
Level 3
50 Manners Street
Wellington 6011