No Gamble in teamwork

Tourism, private public partnerships and central & local government all working together in Auckland – that’s right in Auckland

Yesterday’s announcement that Government was supporting the SkyCity proposal as the preferred location for an international capacity convention centre is being hailed as a breakthrough by CBD lobby and promotional group, Heart of the City.

For more than a generation Auckland, and New Zealand, has missed out on the lucrative international scale convention market.

Part of the problem has been the economics – typically only 10 per cent of the return generated by the convention market has resided with the facility owner. The vast majority of the economic benefit is spread across a wide range of beneficiaries – hospitality, travel, accommodation and retail sectors…oh and of course the government enjoying the GST benefit of the additional expenditure ‘churn.’

The solution was always going to require some longer term planning and wider partnerships. Yesterday’s announcement is just the sort of breakthrough that we have all been looking for.

Aucklanders’ aspirations to be an international city have received a real boost.

Government – local and central – needs to feel us pushing hard behind them to lock this deal in place.