Economic Development Strategy 2025–27

Working alongside the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB), we’ve made good progress implementing the Economic Development Strategy 2020-2023.

Our clear strategic focus on growth and development has created solid foundations for key sector collaboration, implementation of a Covid-19 recovery plan, supporting effective pathways to employment through our Workforce Plan, and implementing our Destination Management Plan to help strengthen our visitor economy.

Our unemployment rate, local economy, and business indicators have been tracking better than the rest of New Zealand’s over the past four years; our business and investment is well placed to capitalise on growth opportunities; and we’re benefitting from new transport networks such as Transmission Gully and the Kāpiti Expressway.

We still have some challenges, but we also have loads of opportunities that will help improve our local economy.

Direction of travel

Early last year we prepared a direction of travel document that identified three focus areas, four key shifts to build on our progress, a new operating model, and ways to measure our impact to help us build our new strategy.

We also asked local businesses and the community through our Vision Kāpiti process if we were on the right track. We heard our community wants to see sustainable, environmentally friendly businesses that bring high quality jobs and deliver local economic growth. New employment opportunities, and education and training pathways to stable employment are also a priority.

Following this feedback Council resolved in December 2024 to:

1. Transition the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board (EDKB) to an independent charitable trust.
2. Stand-up a commercial entity, that reports into the independent trust, to enable delivery of activity and attract investment to the district that Council is not able to do under current regulatory settings. For example, this includes co-investment with businesses, research organisations, property developers, iwi, and government agencies. Read more here. The Trust and the new commercial entity will take a lead role in implementing the refreshed Economic Development Strategy.
3. Consult on the refreshed Economic Development Strategy for 2025-27

Our vision

“Through partnership, we will support the growth of a thriving, vibrant, and diverse Kāpiti Coast economy that provides increased opportunity, resilience, and well-being for all.”

Here's a high-level summary of the strategy. Please take time to read the full Economic Development Strategy for 2025–27.

Three focus areas for change

1. Fostering a resilient Kāpiti Coast economy based on productive and innovative clusters that are environmentally sustainable and future focussed:

Creating a strong and environmentally sustainable economy by supporting the development of key industry clusters such as Food and Beverage, Technology, Tourism, and Creative Industries to drive economic growth and innovation.

2. Ensuring Kāpiti Coast residents and communities benefit from local training and career opportunities:

Developing education opportunities and skills hubs that are local, easy to access, and provide wide variety of training programs tailored to the local workforce and industry needs.

3. Creating an inclusive community that is recognised as a great and easy place to invest and do business:

Encouraging an inclusive business community where everyone can have the tools for success whilst making it easier to do and start business on the coast.

Priority actions

We have identified nine priority actions to help focus our efforts over the next three years. These include:

1. Facilitate sector and cluster development
2. Drive a sustainable economy
3. Enable Māori economic rangatiratanga
4. Progress skills and training options
5. Identify and attract smart investment
6. Facilitate inclusive employment opportunities
7. Support startups and emerging businesses
8. Increase the visitor economy
9. Increase support for the economic development system

Workstreams

In partnership with business, industry and the wider economic development ecosystem, we’ll drive change through a simple work programme for each of the focus areas.

From the nine priority actions listed above, we have developed a proposed Action Plan. We’ll measure the impact of these and other activities as agreed to in the final Economic Development Strategy. We have created a one-page summary of these measures:

View our strategy on a page