Why a National Growth Summit?
13 and 14th July 2026
The Challenges and Opportunities?
Welcome to a pivotal forum focused on regional prosperity and the important role of local government and economic development across the cities and regions of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The online summit brings together a distinguished line-up of speakers and key stakeholders like you to unpack major shifts—legislative and policy changes, post‑COVID economic challenges, global uncertainty, and national political dynamics—and examine their collective regional impact.
These sessions will explore what the shifts mean in practice, and the implications for local and regional authorities along with the economic development agencies that work with them to drive growth, resilience, and opportunity in our regions.
Together we will explore a collective strategic response and priorities, and the key objectives to ensure sound economic development in the evolving economic and regulatory landscape. That exploration will be made in the context of how partnership, innovation, and leadership can best support thriving communities and strong regional economies.
The Summit is designed to foster meaningful collaboration across all levels of government, EDAs, and regional leaders — empowering participants to make informed, future-focused decisions that deliver lasting benefit for their regions.
Change is coming
The imminent legislative changes are significant and represent some of the most far-reaching reforms to local government in New Zealand’s history. Proposed changes include a total refocus of Local and Regional Council limits to rates capping, performance measurements, changes to Resource Management, Civil Defence and Emergencies.
Collectively, these reforms will affect not only local and regional councils, but also economic development agencies that rely heavily on local and regional partnerships to deliver their growth strategies.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” Socrates
Potential Impact
Local Government
Local Government in New Zealand is struggling with a lack of resources, an overwhelming breadth of responsibilities, and a raft of legislative changes. They include concerns for diminished democracy within the new framework, a desire to see well-being continue as a function of local government, increased centralisation of decision making, and the changes that will be wrought to services and organisational capacity through rates capping. These are just some of the concerns raised.
Economic Development Agencies (EDA's)
The majority of regional and local EDA's, rely heavily on Councils for funding and the proposed governance and rate capping initiatives will require a high level of co-operation between Councils within each region and new funding mechanisms if current levels of ED funding are not to decline or in some regions disappear entirely.
Call to Action
The changes pose both challenges and opportunities. The NZ Economic Growth Summit will tease out what those opportunities are and how best to ensure they become a part of the new look Local Government and EDA ecosystem within Aotearoa New Zealand.
Together we have a small window in which to clarify the proposed changes and identify opportunities - Join us at the Summit and help lead and guide change in your region!