Improved business viability

Policy being released in June.

Successful and profitable businesses are an important part of the Wellington economy. They create well paying jobs and good businesses bring prosperity to the region through investment and innovation. It is important that Wellington is a place where businesses can succeed and are able to compete on a world stage.

I can see three areas to focus on to improve business viability:

• In Wellington businesses pay 370% higher rates than households. This is unsustainably high and needs to be resolved.

• Disruption due to city improvement activities is a key issue for businesses. Those businesses should receive fair compensation during periods of disruption.

• Growing Wellington will provide increased opportunity for businesses to access specialised resources, improving productivity.