How much focus is our regional economic development agency placing on inward investment? Is Northland’s vibrant “no!” culture scaring investors away?

Why is take-up of space at the Ngāwhā Innovation and Enterprise Park so thin from companies outside Northland? Why has the promise of heavily discounted electricity not proven more of a game-changer for potential investors in the park?

What inward investment barriers does Northland face other than the obvious ones around transport infrastructure? And what do Northland businesses and iwi entities need to do tohelp sell Northland to potential investors both domestically and internationally?

In this week’s episode of the True North podcast we speak with Paul Linton, chief executive of Northland’s regional economic development agency Northland Inc, about what’s being done – and what still needs to be done – to tempt investors to buy into the Northland promise.

Links to items referred to in the show:

Results of each council’s consultation on their recommended way forward:

Whangarei District Council

Kaipara District Council

Far North District Council 

ASB’s Q1 2025 Regional Economic Scoreboard:

https://www.asb.co.nz/documents/economic-research/regional-economic-scoreboard.html

Media stories with details of the names and composition of each consortium bidding for the next section of the Northern Expressway:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/three-bidders-confirmed-for-next-northland-expressway-section/LR43WNPAYZCWZKCZC6BRRUJM7Y/

https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/infrastructure/global-builders-investors-shortlisted-for-multi-billion-dollar-northland-expressway-project (PAYWALLED)