Council Support For Businesses Creates Jobs

The Dunedin City Council has directly assisted in creating more than 400 local jobs in the past five years, and in generating more than $40m in sales – and there is more to come.
A recent analysis of Council grants to local businesses found 416 new positions and $44 million in extra income was created as a result of projects where the Dunedin City Council supplemented the investment already being made by those businesses.
It is expected recent grants in the 2010-2011 year will add something like a further 100 new jobs to this total.
The analysis, conducted by the Council’s Economic Development Unit, was presented to the Finance, Strategy and Development Committee on 14 March this year.
Councillors agreed to release the report which, with commercially sensitive and confidential information removed, is attached.
Committee chair, Cr Syd Brown, says “This is a very satisfying vindication of Council’s policy to provide continuing support through these business-friendly initiatives. The results show that local businesses have been quick to embrace the assistance offered by these Council schemes where we can assist by investing alongside commitments already made by the Dunedin business community.”