Moreton Bay to Kāpiti: what we brought back from across the Tasman
Investment attraction, new business markets and fresh perspectives on economic development. Our Business Innovation Team shares what we learnt from a visiting Australian delegation, and the connections we're bringing back to Kāpiti.
When our Business Innovation Team was invited by WellingtonNZ to meet with a delegation from the City of Moreton Bay, Queensland, we anticipated plenty of discussion around tourism, events and destination development.
What we found was a much broader conversation about how growing regions attract investment, develop industries and connect businesses with new markets.
On Wednesday 28 October, we joined the Expanding Your Wellington Business to Australia event at the Michael Fowler Centre, part of a three-city New Zealand delegation visiting Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
Led by Moreton Bay Deputy Mayor Jodie Shipway, the delegation brought together leaders from local government, tourism, economic development, investment and industry.
We came away with valuable new connections, practical insights into how another region is approaching economic growth, and some opportunities we're already looking to build on here in Kāpiti.
A $40 billion ambition. What's behind it?
Located immediately north of Brisbane, Moreton Bay is one of Australia's fastest-growing cities, with an economy valued at approximately A$27 billion and ambitions to reach A$40 billion by 2041.
It's a significant growth target, but what interested us was how deliberately the region is positioning itself to achieve it.
Moreton Bay has identified priority industries including advanced manufacturing, food and agribusiness, tourism, sport and major events, and knowledge and innovation.
Its economic development strategy connects these industries with investment attraction, infrastructure development, workforce opportunities and international trade.
With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, substantial infrastructure and commercial development is creating further opportunities across South East Queensland.
Moreton Bay is also actively building relationships with New Zealand businesses.
More than 1,100 New Zealand-owned businesses already operate in the city, and Moreton Bay has established a permanent trade and investment adviser based in New Zealand to support businesses exploring the Australian market.
There's a clear distinction between having growth potential and actively creating the conditions for businesses and investors to participate in that growth.
That was one of our biggest takeaways from the evening.
Three conversations we're bringing back to Kāpiti
While Kāpiti and Moreton Bay operate at very different scales, we found some useful similarities in how economic development is supported through local government, and in the challenges of attracting investment, developing the visitor economy and creating commercial opportunities.
Three conversations in particular connected directly with work already underway in our district.
1. Making the case for hotel investment
We met Kevin Cook, Principal Investment Lead at the City of Moreton Bay, to discuss how the region is attracting investment into commercial accommodation.
One of the more interesting aspects of Moreton Bay's approach is its work to build an evidence-based investment proposition for potential hotel developers.
The city has developed a dedicated Hotel Investment Guide, bringing together accommodation supply, visitor demand, potential development locations and commercial market opportunities.
Rather than simply identifying a need for more accommodation, the approach helps demonstrate where investment may be commercially viable.
Kevin has offered to share further material on Moreton Bay's hotel investment attraction work.
For Kāpiti, where commercial accommodation development remains an important consideration for the visitor economy, this is a valuable opportunity to understand how another growing destination is approaching investment attraction and presenting its case to the market.
2. Connecting destination management with economic outcomes
We also met Luke Edwards, CEO of Tourism and Events Moreton Bay.
His organisation leads destination marketing and development alongside a significant programme of events that supports visitation and regional activity.
Our discussion explored how destinations can connect tourism development, industry capability, events and visitor experiences with wider economic objectives.
We've opened the door to further conversations to compare approaches and share insights between the two regions.
For Kāpiti, the opportunity is to learn from another destination's experience and consider how stronger industry connections, visitor experiences and coordinated destination activity can contribute to local business performance.
3. Taking a strategic approach to major events
Another valuable connection was Corey Bell from Sports Marketing Australia, an organisation that works with destinations to identify, attract and secure sporting events.
Our conversation explored how destinations approach event bidding, including the importance of matching opportunities with local infrastructure, hosting capability and economic objectives.
Corey has offered to provide an external perspective as we review our approach to Kāpiti's Major Events Fund.
It's a useful opportunity to look beyond supporting individual events and consider how event attraction can contribute to longer-term outcomes for the district.
For local businesses, those outcomes matter. Well-targeted events can generate demand for accommodation, hospitality, retail, transport and visitor experiences, while creating opportunities for businesses to participate in event delivery.
What does this mean for Kāpiti businesses?
Beyond the insights for our own economic development work, there's a direct commercial opportunity for businesses interested in the Australian market.
Moreton Bay is positioning itself as an entry point into South East Queensland, with access to a growing population, major infrastructure projects, industrial and commercial development, and established domestic and international transport connections.
For Kāpiti businesses, the opportunities worth exploring could include:
Food and beverage: New distribution relationships, customers and opportunities within Australia's food and agribusiness sector.
Manufacturing and technology: Connections with industrial supply chains, innovation precincts and growing commercial industries.
Construction and professional services: Opportunities associated with new infrastructure, commercial development and the wider region's growth.
Tourism and visitor experiences: Industry partnerships and potential opportunities connected to a growing visitor economy and the lead-up to Brisbane 2032.
Of course, entering a new market requires careful consideration of demand, costs, competition and business readiness.
But one of the challenges for businesses exploring expansion is knowing where to start and who to speak with.
Moreton Bay has a dedicated New Zealand-based contact to help businesses navigate those early conversations and connect with the relevant teams in Australia.
For businesses already considering expansion, that's a useful resource to have on the radar.
The value of looking beyond Kāpiti
One of the strongest takeaways from the evening was the importance of connecting economic development activity with a clear understanding of industry needs and commercial opportunity.
For Moreton Bay, that means identifying where growth is happening, building an investment proposition around it and actively developing relationships with businesses and potential investors. For Kāpiti, the lesson isn't about replicating a much larger city's strategy. It's about considering how we can apply relevant experience, strengthen our industry networks and make better-informed decisions about where to focus our efforts.
Our role in the Business Innovation Team is to support the development of a stronger local economy, and part of that work involves understanding the markets, industries and opportunities developing beyond our district.
The connections made in Wellington give us access to specialist experience across accommodation investment, destination management and major event attraction. They also open a channel to Moreton Bay's investment team that may be useful to local businesses considering international growth.
We're looking forward to progressing those conversations and sharing relevant insights as the work develops.
For Kāpiti businesses considering Australian expansion, the following contacts and resources provide a useful starting point.
Karim Sabet — Senior Trade & Investment Adviser, New Zealand
City of Moreton Bay
Based in Christchurch, Karim works with New Zealand businesses exploring trade, investment, partnerships and expansion opportunities in Moreton Bay.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +64 27 713 0577
Kevin Cook — Principal Investment Lead
City of Moreton Bay, Economic Development
Kevin works across investment opportunities in tourism, sport and major events, including commercial accommodation development.
Email: [email protected]
Cameron Hetherington — Principal Investment Lead
City of Moreton Bay, Economic Development
Cameron's work covers advanced manufacturing, knowledge, innovation and commercial office investment opportunities.
Email: [email protected]
Further resources
Invest Moreton Bay — New Zealand Business Gateway
Moreton Bay Economic Strategy and Industry Plans
If you'd like to connect with our Business Innovation or Ventures and Partnerships teams to explore opportunities for your business, we'd love to hear from you.
Get in touch
Stay informed, sign up to our newsletter
