Supporting economic development
Supporting businesses and industries to thrive in our district is one of the Council’s top priorities. Attracting investment in our district that will support business, improving employment and training pathways for our residents, and providing infrastructure to sustain a growing and more prosperous population benefits us all and is where our focus lays for the next few years.
Council has a role to play but we know we can’t do it alone. Alongside the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board, and thanks to feedback from Kāpiti Coast businesses and the community, we’ve created an Economic Development Strategy 2025-27.
We’re building a thriving, resilient, and future-ready Kāpiti Coast. These strategies provide the roadmap for how we grow our local economy—whether it’s supporting local businesses, attracting visitors, building a skilled workforce, or fostering innovation. Developed in partnership with iwi, industry leaders, and our communities, each plan plays a vital role in shaping a prosperous Kāpiti for everyone.
The Kāpiti Coast Economic Development Strategy (2025-28) was refreshed in 2025. It's like our local economy's very own blueprint, showing us the way to a bustling and vibrant community. This strategy brings everyone together to make sure we're all on board for boosting economic development across the Kāpiti Coast District.
Our Workforce Plan is the guide for cultivating a strong and competitive team to fuel our local economy. It's about strategising how we can attract, develop, and retain the talent we need to stay ahead of the game. By digging into our current and future workforce needs, we're able to identify skill gaps and shortages, paving the way for targeted training, educational pathways, and support services. It's all about laying the groundwork for success.
The Destination Management Plan looks at how we should manage all aspects of our district that contribute to a visitor’s experience and attract more visitors to our district. Drawing on extensive engagement with iwi, local partners, and sector stakeholders, and research by Colmar Brunton, the plan provides a strategic framework and over 60 key actions to help increase the number of visitors to the Kāpiti Coast, their length of stay and their ability to spend more while here.
Kāpiti's Food and Beverage Game Plan is a comprehensive strategy aimed at elevating the culinary landscape of the Kāpiti Coast. Designed to celebrate the region's diverse flavours and culinary talents, this plan is all about fostering growth and innovation within the local food and beverage industry. Through collaboration, innovation, and a shared passion for great food and drink, the plan aims to position the region as a premier destination for food lovers near and far.
The Wellington Regional Economic Development Plan launched in 2022 after iwi, business groups, Te Matarau a Māui (Māori Economic Development group), sector groups, place-based groups, and all ten councils in the Wellington Region came together to create a plan to drive high-impact economic initiatives over a ten-year period. It is led by the Wellington Regional Leadership Committee.
The Kāpiti Tech Cluster Action Plan will steer the Tech Cluster's activities over the next two years, shaping the long-term direction of the sector, identifying key opportunities and challenges, and guiding the prioritisation of the initiatives for the future, and leveraging Kāpiti's unique characteristics.
Economic development strategy
The Kāpiti Coast Economic Development Strategy (2025-2028) outlines how the Kāpiti Coast district will enable businesses, industry, and the wider community to flourish in a productive, innovative, and sustainable way.
For this refreshed strategy, the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board reviewed progress in economic development in Kāpiti, in consultation with the business community, partners and key stakeholders, starting in 2023. This work included a review of progress against the current Kāpiti Coast Economic Development Strategy and Implementation Plan 2020-23.
The strategy retains the vision from the previous period:
“Through partnership, we will support the growth of a thriving, vibrant, diverse Kāpiti Coast economy that provides increased opportunity, resilience, and well-being for all.”
To achieve the objectives of the strategy, the focus areas include fostering an innovative and sustainable economy through key industry clusters such as food and beverage, technology, tourism, and creative industries.
Governance
Council has established a new operating model for economic development, following a commitment from Councillors to progress the approach agreed in the previous triennium.
The model involves a Charitable Trust and a wholly owned Limited Liability Company and is intended to support stronger economic outcomes for the district over time, while reducing reliance on ratepayer funding.
Sustainable economic growth is vital for the Kāpiti Coast. This model provides a more flexible, long‑term approach to economic development and will allow access to opportunities Council cannot pursue on its own.
This includes co‑investing in projects with businesses, research organisations, property developers, Māori landowners and central government. Over time, the approach is expected to deliver better value for money while being better able to support local businesses during challenging economic conditions.
Kāpiti NZ Trust
The Charitable Trust, Kāpiti NZ Trust, was formally settled on Thursday 16 April.
While the new entity will operate with greater independence, it will remain accountable to Council through agreed governance and relationship arrangements.
Establishment of the Trust and its subsidiary entity will continue through 2026. Council will provide further updates as this work progresses and the new operating model becomes fully established.
During the establishment period, the independent Economic Development Kotahitanga Board will continue to provide governance, unifying a strategic direction for economic activity across the district in accordance with its Terms of Reference.
Funding
Funding and resource for implementing the plan will come from a number of sources, including Council's existing economic development budget and WellingtonNZ. There may be opportunities to make specific funding requests to Tourism NZ as well.
Kāpiti Coast Tourism Advisory Board
The independent Economic Development Kotahitanga Board established the Kāpiti Coast Tourism Advisory Board to lead the implementation of tourism projects highlighted in the district’s Destination Management Plan. The Tourism Advisory Board will work with key partners including the Kāpiti Coast District Council, iwi and WellingtonNZ to ensure effective implementation.
The Tourism Advisory Board includes tourism professionals, operators and business leaders. It will create important partnerships with tourism stakeholders and work closely with Kāpiti businesses to make sure they’re included in the implementation of this plan.