Our Future - Our Potential - Our Choices

3rd Regional Development Conference, Hawke's Bay 2005

Welcome to the website of the 3rd Regional Development Conference, which will be held in the Hawke's Bay from 21-23 March 2005. The conference is themed Our Future - Our Potential - Our Choices.

Regional New Zealand has been growing very strongly in recent years. Every region is building on its own vision for the future, based on maximising the potential of its competitive advantage and on the choices it made during the development of its regional economic development strategy. But much remains to be done. As participants in regional development, we all share a responsibility to foster innovation and enhance global connectedness. We are all working within a changing international environment, which demands that we continue to assess our strategies and actions.

This conference will challenge delegates to become committed to, and actively involved in, the shaping of their region's future. We'll also share best practice and lessons learnt, celebrate progress, and brainstorm ideas for really stepping up the quality of regional development programmes and policies.

Our Future - Our Potential - Our Choices will emphasise shared ownership of the issues and outcomes for regional development. As participants in regional development, you and other delegates will have an opportunity to learn, form networks and partnerships as well as work with others to influence outcomes for regional development.

The Hawke's Bay conference is being hosted jointly by me, the Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, EDANZ (Economic Development Agencies of New Zealand) and the Hawke's Bay region. It builds on the highly successful previous regional development conferences held in Rotorua in 2001 and in Timaru in 2003.

You are invited to register through the site, as well as look through the programme and other material. This will be available shortly and will be updated regularly.

I am looking forward to meeting you in Hawke's Bay in March.

Hon Jim Anderton MP
Minister for Industry and Regional Development
1 September 2004