LAUNCH OF COASTAL RESEARCH FIELD STATION 07/12/2011

Chair in Coastal Science Professor Chris Battershill will be based at the field station, and alongside Masters and PhD students will be linking the Bay of Plenty into the hot spots in the rest of New Zealand. This includes initiatives such as: mapping environments from estuaries to the coastal floor to measure biodiversity; monitoring reef systems and commercialising opportunities from aquaculture such as: sustainable fuel source from seaweed and the development of new marine derived materials, pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals. New Zealand is a leader in this area due to the high level of biodiversity found here.

CAMPAIGN TO ATTRACT BUSINESS TO TAURANGA 15/12/2011

Business people visiting Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty over the summer holiday season will be the first to see the campaign. “By seeing the breadth and depth of business and innovation in Tauranga, and understanding the supportive business environment and networks that exist, business people will recognise what the region has to offer and should seriously consider doing business here” says Andrew Coker (CEO, Priority One).

MAERSK AND FONTERRA ARE COMING TO TOWN 18/01/2012

Maersk and Fonterra Cooperative Group have moved $47 million of custom to Tauranga due to tlabour dispute at Ports of Auckland. With workers engaging in on-going strikes, businesses such as Maersk and Fonterra have turned to Port of Tauranga- New Zealand’s most efficient port, accounting for 85% of New Zealand’s exports and with the vision to extend the length of its wharf to accommodate the larger shipping carriers unable to berth in other New Zealand ports. Maersk has over 500 ships, operates in about 120 countries and employs over 17,000 people.

RENA RECOVERY UPDATE                                                       13/02/2012

Following the grounding of the Rena off the coast of Tauranga in October 2011, the region is well on the road to recovery with: business recovery plans in place through the Chamber of Commerce; Tourism Bay of Plenty launching a rebranding campaign which focuses on the many great things on offer for visitors to the sub-region; and Priority One’s business attraction campaign.
With the majority of the oil having been cleaned off the beaches and salvors retrieving the tracking device-equipped containers, the environmental impacts are not as lasting as many may have initially predicted. Locals and holiday-makers alike have been swimming and surfing at Western Bay beaches and recent events such as the NZ Open volleyball championships and surf-lifesaving nationals highlight the superb job task-forces have done in returning Tauranga beaches to their original pristine condition. Affected businesses are on the road to recovery and the message from the region is that ‘Tauranga is open for business.’

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