The Rodney region is a great place to set-up business with an established tradition of rapid growth and business innovation.
Only a short commute from Auckland’s CBD the region is easily accessible and is a highly favourable location for visiting, living and working in.
Benefits of setting up business in Rodney
Location
Located only approx 20 minutes by car north of Auckland’s CBD, Rodney is now a popular location to live and work in.
Tourism
Tourism is a significant sector in Rodney’s economy, generating $94 million in 2002, and directly employing 1,310 Full Time Equivalents. What makes tourism such an important sector in the economy is that it not only creates jobs and provides a source of revenue for the local economy, it also:
- Creates amenities and activities which enrich and are of benefit to local communities
- Creates an identity and community pride
- Can lead to environmental and cultural protection and development.
Business Land
The Council is committed to providing additional business land to encourage opportunities for local employment and business growth as identified in community structure plans.
Economic Development
The Council embraces economic development and in June 2009 adopted a 3 year implementation plan. This document aligns to the Long Term Council Community Plan and provides a list of priorities and actions planned to support businesses through the slow economic period and to accelerate economic growth.
The Council also funds the Rodney Economic Development Trust and is an active member of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy (AREDS).
Business Support and development opportunities
Rodney Economic Development Trust (REDT)
The REDT offers support to people interested in setting up or growing a business in Rodney. The Trust’s work includes attracting and assisting suitable investors to come to the region, business development and support, helping businesses to expand market and increase their revenue potential.
The Trust also backs a ‘buy local’ approach and encourages residents, businesses and visitors to buy local goods and services and employ local people.
To talk to REDT about business opportunities, visit their website www.bizrodney.com
AucklandPlus
AucklandPlus is the business unit of the Auckland Regional Council and its role is to implement key elements of the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy.
It aims to connect businesses within the greater Auckland region to everything they may need for business success throughout the seven cities and districts that make up the region.
To talk to AucklandPlus about business support and opportunities visit their website.
A living vision for Rodney’s Economy
The document "A Living Vision for Rodney's Economy" is the result of more than 300 people coming together, giving their time and expertise, to craft an economic strategy for Rodney.
The strategy provides:
- A framework for future economic development in Rodney by broadly sketching the things that we need to do.
- How we should do this to ensure we protect those things about the District we value such as the environment, the scale and type of business that fits the Rodney character and the uniqueness of our different communities.
- Acknowledgment that implementation will only be successful if everyone in the district works in partnership with each other, together ensuring that our vision of being the best district in the country is achieved.
Business improvement district policy
The Rodney District Council and the Rodney Economic Development Trust have worked together to develop a policy to enable business associations to raise funds to implement a business plan agreed to by its members.
The concept involves a mainstreet rate or Business Improvement Districts (BIDS) rate whereby businesses within a specific zone are levied a targeted rate that is collected by the Council and transferred to an incorporated business association to be used for a defined business purpose, usually promotional activity.
Currently Rodney District has one Mainstreet rate levied and that is in the Orewa commercial zone, operating under the association's name of destination Orewa Beach.
A policy on Business Improvement Districts was adopted by the Council on 25 September 2008.