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Share Economic Development Strategy on FacebookShare Economic Development Strategy on TwitterShare Economic Development Strategy on LinkedinEmail Economic Development Strategy link
We're developing a new Economic Development Strategy to help guide how we support economic growth and wellbeing across the district.
Fostering an enabling economy and ensuring our community has access to education and employment opportunities is one of Council’s community outcomes in the 2024-34 Long Term Plan.
Our Enabling community outcome guides us to:
be a business friendly district.
encourage a diverse and sustainable business community.
enable economic growth by supportung business investment and development.
support the growth of employment opportunities within our community; with a particular focus on our rangatahi (youth).
carefully balance the needs and wants of our district when funding services and infrastructure.
encourage partnerships to collaborate with Mana Whenua for the benefits of the Stratford district.
A lot has changed since Council adopted our current Economic Development Strategy back in 2012.
The regional economy has transformed significantly, a new Regional Economic Action Plan for 2025/26 was adopted earlier this year, and the economic environment right across New Zealand continues to evolve, responding to a more fiscally constrained climate and shifting government support opportunities.
While we've addressed some of these changes in other planning documents, such as our Annual Plans and Long Term Plans, and spent some time working with stakeholders on a refreshed economic development vision in 2022, we've still got work to do.
We're currently diving into the needs and aspirations of our local economy, identifying specific areas of focus for the future, alongside our iwi partners and local businesses. This mahi will help us draft a new strategy for community feedback in 2026 - watch this space!
We're developing a new Economic Development Strategy to help guide how we support economic growth and wellbeing across the district.
Fostering an enabling economy and ensuring our community has access to education and employment opportunities is one of Council’s community outcomes in the 2024-34 Long Term Plan.
Our Enabling community outcome guides us to:
be a business friendly district.
encourage a diverse and sustainable business community.
enable economic growth by supportung business investment and development.
support the growth of employment opportunities within our community; with a particular focus on our rangatahi (youth).
carefully balance the needs and wants of our district when funding services and infrastructure.
encourage partnerships to collaborate with Mana Whenua for the benefits of the Stratford district.
A lot has changed since Council adopted our current Economic Development Strategy back in 2012.
The regional economy has transformed significantly, a new Regional Economic Action Plan for 2025/26 was adopted earlier this year, and the economic environment right across New Zealand continues to evolve, responding to a more fiscally constrained climate and shifting government support opportunities.
While we've addressed some of these changes in other planning documents, such as our Annual Plans and Long Term Plans, and spent some time working with stakeholders on a refreshed economic development vision in 2022, we've still got work to do.
We're currently diving into the needs and aspirations of our local economy, identifying specific areas of focus for the future, alongside our iwi partners and local businesses. This mahi will help us draft a new strategy for community feedback in 2026 - watch this space!
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Two workshops with the business community are scheduled for Wednesday, 10 December 2025:
Workshop 1: 12:00 – 1:00 pm, at the War Memorial Hall - Function Facility.
Workshop 2: 5:30 – 6:00 pm — a shorter session held as part of the Stratford Business Association BA5 event, hosted by TET Stdaium Bar & Bistro.
The workshops will focus on:
Opportunities and challenges for economic growth and doing business in Stratford.
What support and initiatives would make the biggest difference for local businesses.
The insights gathered from these workshops will help inform our draft Economic Development Strategy and ensure it reflects the priorities and needs of the local business community.
Page last updated: 08 Dec 2025, 04:15 PM
Timeline
Stakeholder engagement
Economic Development Strategy is currently at this stage
We're workng in partnership with local iwi, and alongside our regional economic development agency Venture Taranaki, and businesses to help inform a revised economic development strategy.
Draft Strategy available for public feedback
this is an upcoming stage for Economic Development Strategy
Feedback considered as we finalise the Strategy
this is an upcoming stage for Economic Development Strategy
Final Strategy adopted by Council
this is an upcoming stage for Economic Development Strategy
