Minister welcomes Business Friendly Councils guidelines

New guidelines to help councils support local economic development and business investment have been welcomed by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce.

The Business Friendly Councils guidelines, launched by Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) today, encourage economic development by identifying the roles councils have to support and encourage their local businesses to invest and grow jobs.

“Councils have a very important role to play in helping build their local economies. If their processes can be made more efficient and streamlined, they will support local business growth and attract new investment, to the benefit of their community and to New Zealand as a whole,” Mr Joyce says.

“The Business Friendly Councils guidelines will help councils to look at their own interactions with business and learn how they can become more business friendly.

“Businesses are critical to the viability of communities and the case studies included in the guidelines give real examples of how councils and businesses have worked together. It is good to see different councils around the country sharing their knowledge and best practice.”

Mr Joyce says the aims of the Business Friendly Councils guidelines complement the Government’s Business Growth Agenda, which works to encourage New Zealand businesses to invest and grow in order to create jobs and improve New Zealanders’ standard of living.

The guidelines were produced by LGNZ in partnership with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Core Cities Councils – Auckland Council, Hamilton, City Council, Tauranga City Council, Wellington City Council, Christchurch City Council and Dunedin City Council.