The LocalNZ participant’s final presentation video is now on YouTube!
LocalNZ connected 35 New Zealanders between the ages of 18 and 25, providing a collaborative space for them to identify existing and emerging opportunities and challenges. This initiative formed part of the McGuinness Institute’s TalentNZ project – creating an informed, focused and networked group of young New Zealanders able to engage effectively with government and the communities in which they live. Participants explored the question: How do regional goals align with national goals, and how might these goals need to change in order to aid regional growth?
As a result of the TalentNZ March 2014 tour (during which we visited 10 councils around New Zealand), it became apparent that there is a growing void between regional New Zealand and the major cities. The LocalNZ workshop was a direct response to this void. We wanted to bring together a group of young New Zealanders from throughout the country and provide a collaborative space for them to identify existing and emerging opportunities and challenges for the regions.
Participants presented at parliament in front of 200 guests. The presentation was a great opportunity to see the results of the participants four days of hard work; the range and depth of thought that came out of the Workshop was truly impressive. In the presentation the participants discuss three themes (Quality of Life, Embracing Diversity and Visionary Leadership) and make recommendations on these themes can contribute to aligning public policy for the regions.
A huge thank you Hon. Paul Goldsmith for hosting this event at Parliament, to the participants and all those in attendance for making the presentation and lunch such a success.
Watch the video here:
During the presentation participant Oska Rego recited a poem about regional development in New Zealand. This can be viewed here:
The final presentation is one of the six outputs from the LocalNZ workshop. For more information about these outputs see the outputs page on the LocalNZ website.