City and Regional Deals to unlock growth

The Government has laid out its expectations for City and Regional Deals as long-term partnerships that will increase economic growth, create jobs, and boost productivity for New Zealanders.

The Government has also signed the first Memoranda of Understanding to negotiate deals with Auckland, Otago/Central Lakes and Western Bay of Plenty.

The Government has established five objectives for the City and Regional Deals programme:

• Better coordination between central government and regions, including how we work together and align our priorities.

• Unlocking regions’ unique potential and lifting economic growth, including regional employment opportunities,

• Making room for housing growth.

• Ensuring local governments do a better job at managing and utilising their asset base and make significant progress to close their infrastructure deficits – without new funding from Central Government.

• Ensuring Local Governments comprehensively adopt Central Government priority reforms such as Local Water Done Well, Resource Management Act reform, and Going for Housing Growth.