Fire, Brimstone and Business

In a country renowned for its many unique attractions, Rotorua takes pride of place. What sets it truly apart is the spectacular geothermal activity that lies at the heart of its thriving tourism industry, drawing thousands of visitors every year. "Hell's Gate", 10 hectares of seething mud in the area, is an apt description of the town itself. Yet living and working in Rotorua is anything but a hellish experience – in fact, to go by what locals say, it is the next best thing to Paradise. 

The Rotorua District Council (or Destination Rotorua as it is also called) entices businesses as follows :

“Why not live, work, invest and do business where the rest of the world comes to play?”

If you want to experience the essence of New Zealand all in one place, look no further than this city of sulphurous fumes, fire and brimstone. "Discover the world's most incredible earth forces, explore the many crystal springs, lakes and rivers, and soothe the mind and body in hot thermal mineral pools" we read on Rotorua's official living & doing business website (www.rotorua-business.com).  And in amongst this vast natural playground of lakes, forests, spas, parks, gardens and friendly multi-cultural inhabitants you will also discover many exciting business, career and investment opportunities.

In this place of magic it is possible to achieve what is virtually impossible anywhere else – the balance between work and play. Rotorua is one of the few places in the world where residents enjoy all the amenities and business opportunities of city living, along with the benefits of a provincial lifestyle. 

"Fancy a spot of fishing before work? No need to rush, it's only a 15 minute drive across town. What about a spot of lunch in a cafe and then a mountain bike ride through the red wood forests to unwind after work?"  Enjoy all that nature has to offer a mere hour away from bustling centres such as Whakatane, Mt Maunganui, Hamilton, Taupo, and the port of Tauranga – New Zealand's largest export port. You can be in Auckland within 2 and a half to 3 hours or in the fast growing coastal wine regions of Hawke’s Bay within 3 and a half hours.

With  28 flights a day, Rotorua Regional Airport, one of the busiest domestic terminals in New Zealand, enjoys direct links to Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Owned 100% by Destination Rotorua, it is in the process of being upgraded to trans-Tasman capability. In future, flights landing direct from Australia will open up a whole new world of tourism and business opportunities.

Ray Cook, managing director of Rotorua Lakeside Resort Ltd (owners of the Royal Lakeside Novotel Rotorua and Ibis Hotel Rotorua), and R&B Consultants Ltd; director of the Rotorua Airport Company; and member of the Rotorua Tourism Advisory Board and the BrightEconomy Board would not live anywhere else:  "I am a keen mountain bike rider and I love the lakes. I work in Auckland but I wouldn't live there – after all, it is so easily accessible, why would I need to?" Rotorua is under-estimated as a business centre, he says  – there are so many unexploited opportunities, "especially if you consider the low cost of doing business here".

Affordability, in terms of competitively priced commercial and industrial purchases and rentals is a huge incentive for businesses to relocate to Rotorua. There has been a healthy increase in construction and building – up 53% for the 12-month period ending February 2006. Building consents are driven by commercial, as well as residential developments. In addition to one million dollar plus lakefront houses, there is also an excellent variety of 3 bedroom homes in great suburban locations still within the  $200,000 bracket - a major incentive for workers and highly conducive to a stable workforce.

The vibrant CBD boasts 100,000 square metres of retail space with over 500 shops – including the fast growing Rotorua Central Mall which is situated right next door to the main Tutanekai Street shopping strip, leading to more than 60 restaurants and cafes. There are a number of opportunities for the retail investor or businessman looking to capitalise off the large numbers of tourists visiting the area every year.

Comprehensive health and education facilities are available with a complete range of schooling from pre-school to secondary.  Rotorua Boys' High is renowned for its rugby and has its own driving range and golf academy while  Rotorua Girls' High  focuses on cultural activities and arts. With its own revenue-earning events centre, it is very much a part of the Rotorua community. There are also abundant opportunities at a tertiary level, including  Waiariki Institute of Technology, providing all levels of industry training support to a wide range of businesses.

Mark Rawson, general manager of Destination Rotorua Economic Development , explains that the tourism  industry indirectly gives Rotorua a major advantage over other comparatively sized places in New Zealand in terms of its desirability as a business location. Thanks to the tourism industry, the sound infrastructure and accommodation capabilities required by business are already in place. Telecommunication reception is excellent and there are abundant transmission facilities for regional, national and international link-ups in all major modes.

Destination Rotorua has an open door policy to businesses wishing to set up in the region. It is proactive in giving them access to skilled staff via the Rotorua Skilled Migrant Programme, which it runs in conjunction with the Department of Immigration. It has made a significant investment in, amongst other things, the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, started with a $10 million gift by the Rotorua Energy Charitable Trust . This multi-purpose facility will cater for the existing community as well as all levels of the  Australasian conference and incentive market.

The BrightEconomy economic development initiative was recently launched by the council to provide a strategic vision for the future development of the region. A new economic advisory board, representing a wide cross section of private sector backgrounds and interests in the region has been selected to oversee the implementation of this strategy.

In addition to the council, other local business support services include the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers and Manufacturers Association, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and central government agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Rotorua offers a broad base of services directed towards business development by professional groups such as accountants, lawyers, surveyors, architects and engineering consultants, along with an array of research and development organisations such as Scion  (formerly Forest Research). Also active are the New Zealand Institute of Management and other specialist industry groups within forestry, tourism, education and health.

Rawson singles out the following key areas of opportunity in the region:  the vibrant tourism industry which is poised for the next stage of its growth; research and development aimed at adding value to the wood sector; added value wood manufacturing; machinery to support the forestry sector; niche retail and transport and logistics. A final category of businesses that thrives in Rotorua is what Rawson describes as “lifestyle professionals” ie consulting experts who already have well developed bases in the bigger centres which can be successfully run and accessed from Rotorua.

With a diversity of industries, Rotorua offers a huge range of employment and career opportunities for all skills levels from labourers and trades people to highly specialised technicians and professionals in every sector. There are many training schemes for people of all ages. Employees have the option of living and working in Rotorua or living there and commuting to nearby places of employment within the wider Bay of Plenty region.

Rotorua is an excellent springboard to international business opportunities in, for example, Japan, Korea and China thanks to the around two hundred different business delegations it hosts annually.  It has introduced a novel concept in China, the 2,000 lot residential sub division known as Nanjing Rotorua Town project , based on the principle of Rotorua being a world leading example of people co-existing with nature. Included in the purchase price everyone who buys property in this sub-division gets a 3 day visit to Rotorua, thus opening up significant business network opportunities  between the two countries.

Over the past 12 months, Rotorua has seen an economic growth rate of around 4% per annum, consistently above the national average pointing to Rotorua as one of New Zealand's future growth nodes.

Local residents are well looked after by the council and in addition to affordable housing, they also benefit from cost-effective, discounted access to a majority of the local tourism amenities. So, all things considered, it sounds as though there's nowhere better to live and do business in Godzone, than in the very Gates of Hell.