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Newsroom
19-07-2025
- Business
- Newsroom
Why Auckland's 2027 America's Cup bid never stood a chance
Auckland's unsuccessful five-month bid to secure the hosting rights for the 2027 America's Cup appears to have been doomed almost before negotiations started with the Government. Documents released to Newsroom show that Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's insistence that the Government allow his council to bring in a hotel bed levy as a funding source, was an early and significant hurdle. The Government had already refused the bed levy request, and Auckland's failure to have any other way of co-funding the event was highlighted repeatedly in advice to Cabinet ministers from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The city's hopes to stage the 38th cup regatta were extinguished on April 1, when Auckland Council's culture and economic agency announced the Government had declined to co-fund it. Following the failure to strike a deal with Auckland and the Government for 2027, the cup defender sold the hosting rights to the Italian port city of Naples. Team New Zealand had revived hopes of a 2027 home defence in October 2024, soon after winning the cup for a third consecutive time in Barcelona. Documents sought by Newsroom from the council agency Tataki Auckland Unlimited, and MBIE, show a five-month negotiation that began with enthusiasm, but that soon ran into difficulty. Four months into that process, Grant Dalton, the chief executive of Team New Zealand, expressed frustration that no one from the Government had been in touch with him. It was 10 days after Team New Zealand's unprecedented third consecutive cup win, that Auckland officials began moves to secure the 38th running of an event the city had last hosted in 2021. Barcelona hosted the 37th cup, after the Labour-led government and Auckland Council, which backed the 2021 Auckland regatta, made an offer to Team New Zealand that fell short of the defender's needs and was rejected. Unusually, Dalton began talking about what a post-Barcelona future might look like, even before the team had secured the Auld Mug in late 2024. At first, Auckland didn't seem to be a part of it. 'Whether New Zealand could host the (next) Cup would be for politicians to decide and make a bid, rather than the team actively seeking a deal,' he told Stuff in a September interview. But on October 27 more than a week after victory, Dalton told this writer, in Barcelona, that confidential talks were underway to explore a joint public-private sector hosting bid in Auckland. 'We are completely genuine in terms of – if we can get this (event) home, we will,' he said. Two days later, inside Auckland Council's culture and economy agency, that work began under a code name. 'We will refer to it from now on as the 'Special Project' or SPWG, rather than the America's Cup,' wrote Tataki's head of major events Michelle Hooper to a chosen group of 10 agency staff on October 29. 'There is stiff competition from other cities to host this event, so we need to move swiftly and with focus to pull together a winning bid to present to Team New Zealand,' Hooper wrote. Tataki Auckland Unlimited (TAU) met in person with Dalton and his chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge a month later. Notes prepared by TAU have all dollar references redacted, but noted 'there is potential private sector funding interest from a consortium of wealthy benefactors to the tune of (blacked out).' 'This sum could be doubled with the right structure, support and campaign, based on discussions with the representative of this group,' said TAU. Newsroom understands the hope was that private backers could provide as much as half of the media-reported hosting sum of $150 million. Barcelona's late and successful hosting bid for the 2024 cup was made possible only when wealthy individuals in just 15 days agreed to underwrite $44.8 million of revenue, kickstarting the formal bid. TAU provided 'high-level' information to MBIE in November and more detail in December, outlining the case for hosting, and some of the key elements in a bid. All the infrastructure was already in place in Auckland, said the local officials, following the investment made for the 2021 Cup, creating space for bases and public viewing. A total of $348.4m of ratepayer and taxpayer money went into permanent infrastructure on Auckland's waterfront, and event-running costs. A TAU briefing prepared for Cabinet ministers in December 2024 doesn't reveal the hosting fee sought by Team New Zealand, but Newsroom understands it was around $40m. An initial cost-benefit analysis commissioned by TAU put the net benefit at up to $1.19 for Auckland, for each dollar invested, and up to $1.15 at a national level. The briefing also outlines what would soon appear to become a significant hurdle for MBIE and the Government. 'The mayor is clear that Auckland's financial contribution is dependent on the introduction of a visitor levy,' said TAU. Brown appeared to be using the cup hosting as a lever to get government approval for a nightly bed levy – something the government had already ruled out. Under Brown, Auckland Council significantly reduced ratepayer funding for major events, in the expectation the government would agree. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is adamant the Government allow his council to bring in a hotel bed levy as a funding source. Photo montage:Before TAU's first detailed pitch went before Cabinet ministers, MBIE's Kylie Hawker-Green wrote back to the Auckland officials to ensure she would be accurately conveying the city's stance on its funding contribution. 'I will be stating that Auckland's cash contribution is contingent on the establishment of an accommodation levy of some form being established prior to the event delivery window,' she put to TAU. She intended to tell ministers that: 'If no accommodation levy is established, Auckland Council will not be in a position to contribute a direct cash contribution to AC38.' Two days later, Hawker-Green presented a 23-page briefing to the Major Events Ministers Group, made up of eight ministers, Sport and Recreation's Chris Bishop, Melissa Lee for Economic Development, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, Minister for Auckland Simeon Brown, Paul Goldsmith for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Trade Minister Todd McClay, and Tourism and Hospitality's Matt Doocey. Hawker-Green outlined Auckland's dependence on a future bed levy, under a section entitled. 'Funding sources are highly speculative'. To that same meeting, TAU argued benefits that would flow into the marine and technology sectors concluding the event would 'provide Auckland and New Zealand with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase its marine and technology prowess'. 'By hosting the event, Auckland cements its position as a world-class destination for innovation, sport sustainable technologies and cultural celebration.' A potential event programme submitted to MBIE by TAU in November 2024, outlined cup events in Auckland spanning a year, from a women's and a men's regatta in February 2026, through to the challenger series and the cup itself from October 2026 to almost March 2027. The December ministerial briefing paper included MBIE's 'preliminary views' such as this fleeting reference to the upsides of hosting. 'Crown investment in an event of this significance and scale presents a strong signal of New Zealand's ability and willingness to host mega events and would catalyse direct economic activity for Auckland.' A subsequent MBIE paper from February 12, 2025, included an ominous line about that multi-minister briefing. 'Pre-Christmas engagement on the opportunity drew mixed views from the MEMG (Major Events Ministers Group). MBIE's advice to ministers in a range of papers provided to Newsroom, highlights what it saw as risks, and downsides for the Government. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's insistence that the city be allowed to introduce a nightly bed levy was repeatedly cited as a hurdle. 'Local government investment remains unconfirmed,' was one sub-heading on a topic MBIE officials would underline repeatedly. The other cash problem was that the undisclosed amount being sought from the Government's coffers outstripped what was available in its Major Events budget, where some money was already ring-fenced for unnamed possible events. 'The Crown would need to establish a new appropriation to provide investment in the AC38,' wrote officials in a March 4 briefing. In short, the Government had no earmarked funds available, nor had Auckland Council. On February 28, TAU lodged a formal application for Major Events funding with MBIE. Along with the formal document, the Auckland agency forwarded an email it had received from a clearly frustrated Grant Dalton. 'To date, in the four months since Emirates Team New Zealand won the America's Cup, I/we have not had any direct contact or indication at all from central government level (PM, ministers or even MBIE) if they are even interested in the America's Cup being hosted in Auckland,' Dalton wrote. 'It is of paramount importance and necessity to have a firm indication from the Government on the extent of their desire to host AC38 before this can progress any further with meaningful direction.' 'In response' noted an MBIE ministerial update on March 4, 'the Minister for Sport and Recreation (by then, Mark Mitchell) contacted Mr Dalton directly to discuss the Crown's consideration of the investment opportunity.' Dalton had wanted faster progress, and had told TAU in late 2024 that if a business case for local hosting was submitted by the end of that year, he would halt negotiations with other potential venues, until the bid process concluded. Seemingly unaware of the skeptical tone in MBIE's briefings, TAU was pressing on. On March 25 it asked the ministry to agree to a timeline in which the Government's decision on funding would be made by April 18. But by the time that email from TAU's Michelle Hooper landed in MBIE's inbox, the hosting bid was dead. A week earlier, in the MBIE briefing to the Minister of Finance, and Economic Growth, Nicola Willis, the ministry said: 'Noting ETNZ's upcoming end of April 2025 deadline, the significant risk around Auckland not having identified a funding source, and the opportunity cost of an investment of this quantum in the present economic climate, we present two options for you to consider'. Willis chose the second: 'instruct officials to cease work on the proposition now, noting risks, and advise TAU accordingly.' On February 21, four days before Hooper's last nudge to MBIE, Willis' private secretary emailed the ministry: 'The minister has signed the paper (attached), agreeing to cease work and notify TAU.' The final six-page paper from the ministry to Willis – which presumably outlines the final view on the merits of funding a cup hosting – has been withheld from Newsroom, by MBIE. Over the following week, much of the material released by MBIE to Newsroom, is about the preparation of a communications plan around the decision being announced. On March 27, MBIE's chief executive Carolyn Tremain broke the news to TAU's chief executive Nick Hill in a phone call, who then told Dalton. The formal letter from the Government came the following day. 'We acknowledge that events like the America's Cup can deliver a range of significant benefits,' wrote Tremain. 'However, Auckland Council's contribution was based on the introduction of a new 'accommodation levy' or similar funding mechanism, which is not a priority for this Government,' she wrote. 'Additionally, the investment risk would require government to identify and ring-fence new money at the expense of other funding priorities such as health and education.' In a statement publicly ending the hosting hopes, TAU's Hill wrote: 'This situation again illustrates the need for a long-term sustainable funding model in New Zealand to support major events.' A month later, further underlining Auckland's shrunken funding for major events, Hill in a memo to local politicians, informed them that an advanced bid to host the Gay Games had been strapped, and a lean funding pipeline also put at risk Lions rugby tours in 2027 and 2029, and an ICC Tour cricket World Cup in 2028. Team New Zealand continues to negotiate with challengers, to agree a protocol – a set of event and design rules – for the Naples cup regatta in 2027.
Scoop
18-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Mayor Celebrates Tech Institute In Auckland: "Another Win" For City's Future Economy
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is celebrating the latest government announcement affecting Auckland. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology (NZIAT) will be based in Auckland, backed by an initial $231 million investment over four years to boost science, technology, and commercialisation. Technology & Innovation was identified as one of three key growth sector opportunities for Auckland in the Auckland mayor's refreshed manifesto. Mayor Brown has been championing this move since May, when he announced his work in the sector under his new manifesto during the Innovation and Technology Forum. The mayor also announced his establishment of new industry leadership under the Auckland Innovation and Technology Alliance at the forum. The Alliance brings together the public and private sectors to attract capital and boost productivity. It will provide strategic leadership, encourage coordination, and drive deal-making and investment to strengthen Auckland's position as a globally competitive tech and innovation hub. Last week, the Alliance Leadership Group was announced. The group brings together some of Auckland's most respected institutions across business, research, investment, and public innovation, led by the mayor. Its joined-up approach is a first for New Zealand in the industry. Mayor Brown says he's pleased the government decided to establish the institute in Auckland, noting the move complements his newly established alliance. He says Auckland is where the funding, research, expertise, and most local government efforts already exist. "They've scored some big brownie points with me today. It was the most sensible decision given all the ingredients for an ecosystem of innovation already exist here. All the work is already being done here; what was missing was the leadership, which I've now provided under the Alliance, and the commercialisation of ideas, which I believe the institute will now provide.' He says the move is another win for Auckland, for his manifesto, and for Auckland's future economy. This follows the government passing legislation to allow Chinese passport holders to more easily pass through Auckland, and the establishment of the Southern Link flight path between Southeast Asia and South America. 'It's worth noting here that when Auckland wins, New Zealand wins. The legislation to allow hoteliers to charge a bed levy is the next logical step. These are things that don't cost the government anything but open up Auckland's economy to some of the largest economies and populations this side of the globe.' The mayor has also offered his leadership and overseas connections to boost city-to-city deals for the industry. 'As former Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman says, world trade is now more city to city than country to country, and I know many of the big city leaders in China, India, and Brazil. I get to see leaders that government ministers can't. 'I'm focused on strengthening our international connections and building on my relations further with city leaders. Auckland must be open for business so our kids don't have to leave New Zealand to take advantage of growth elsewhere.' Notes: Related mayoral releases may be found here:
Newsroom
15-07-2025
- Business
- Newsroom
State of Wayne's Auckland: No easy fixes
It's going to be a difficult job 'fixing' Auckland. Just ask the fixit mayor, Wayne Brown, whose city seems to be drifting lower against its international peer cities on important measures of productivity, opportunity, innovation and knowledge. A new survey does show Auckland performing ahead of overseas centres on culture and experience, sustainability and resilience, although it is losing ground on the 'experience' factor. The latest State of the City report from the Committee for Auckland, Deloitte and the Auckland Council finds the 'prosperity' measure has dropped the most this year of three years of monitoring. That equates to Brown's first term in office, although there are lags between political change and subsequent data. It highlights a range of challenges that in reality would be beyond any individual mayor or council. 'While this reflects the cumulative effect of economic and pandemic headwinds that have hit Auckland, the gaps that have opened up also point to more long-standing and systemic issues that are now acting as a handbrake on progress,' the report says. Brown accepts the findings, telling political, business and community leaders the report 'highlights an urgent need to lift Auckland's economic performance and competitiveness'. But early in his speech he delivered a confronting reality about just how much of that improvement can be influenced by Auckland itself. He dropped the 'R' word and told his audience not to believe central government 'spin'. 'While the economy has improved over the last couple of years, it started off a pretty low base. Auckland like the rest of New Zealand is still recovering from core financial decisions made following the Covid thing by the previous government. 'Despite the spin from Wellington, the Reserve Bank's real time measure of economic activity shows GDP is already sliding back into recession.' That stark prediction cannot have been a comfortable message for the Minister for Local Government, Simon Watts, who also spoke at the State of the City event. Brown said at the heart of the problem was productivity. 'We're simply not producing enough with the resources we've got.' The State of the City report focused hard on the P word. 'It is clear Auckland's own version of the productivity puzzle is long-running, multi-faceted, and requires both national and local focus to fully leverage Auckland as an escalator for productivity nationwide in the way other cities do for their nations.' It says Auckland ranks 99th globally for productivity and last among the peer cities the report has compared it with over time. Peers were Copenhagen, Fukuoka, Vancouver, Austin, Tel Aviv, Dublin and Helsinki. 'Across different studies, Auckland's productivity – at least in terms of economic output per person – is now rated in the region of 15-20 percent lower than comparable cities. As Auckland is the engine of New Zealand's economy with a nearly 40 percent share of national GDP, this lower productivity seriously impacts overall national growth.' On productivity, Brown did not duck the responsibility of Auckland to improve on behalf of all New Zealand. 'You fix Auckland, you fix New Zealand,' he said, quoting his own political slogan since assuming the office in 2022. 'The solution to New Zealand's productivity problem is right here.' Brown said Auckland had made progress since his election on council costs, rate increases, reform of council-owned organisations and winning back transport policy functions from Auckland Transport. He had just announced an innovation taskforce to drive research, knowledge, entrepreneurship and jobs. But he showed some sensitivity to challenges he faced to 'fix' issues faster and more broadly. The mayor told the audience: 'You have to have the right direction, but nothing's easy. 'So when you put your hand up and say [adopts a whingeing voice] 'Why haven't you fixed that problem?' … Just think how difficult it is. How did it get to where it is now? That's an even bigger question.' Brown believed the Government was trying its best, and praised RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and noted a good working relationship with Watts. But his mission to get Wellington out of Auckland's affairs as much as possible remained. 'You've created a regional government. You've got to treat us like that, and don't expect it to be otherwise, not while I'm in charge, anyway.' In true Brown style, there were some pithy put-downs of central Government officials – Ministry of Transport people 'weaselling away trying to find something negative' about the changes to Auckland Transport; other initiatives agreed at a high level in Auckland 'have to go down there and be fought through a multitude of morons'. And the benefits of applying AI to transport, for example, was frequently countered by what he called NS – natural stupidity. 'So it takes a lot of strength, on both sides. We are trying to show we are trying to lead for the rest of New Zealand. There are some important messages we have to sell to the rest of NZ. There's a lot of votes in Auckland but there's a hell of a lot of votes elsewhere as well.' He welcomed Auckland being one of the three first cities or regions to advance to the next phase of applications for the Government's City and Regional Deals – where a 10-year plan of development would be agreed with aligned planning and economic goals. The Western Bay of Plenty, based on Tauranga, is expected to be the first to get the go-ahead later this year. Brown: 'We've got to turn the city deals from a slogan into something that actually works. I'm not in a rush to be first, or second, or third, but we are the biggest. 'It does require a conversation of two grown-ups. It's not [a case] of a school teacher telling me as a pupil what you are going to get. It's got to be … serious grown-up conversations with the Government.' Watts said there was a high degree of alignment between the Government and Auckland Council. He cited his 'having architected the City Regional Deals while in opposition and now having them signed', the Government's water reforms, RMA reform, as being helpful but 'probably not starting to be felt until next year or the year after.' Another benefit from Government could be to 'just get out of the bloody way. Get out of the way of business, get out of the way of local government, acknowledging that sometimes the biggest challenge is we get in the way and we are not the best party to be involved. 'It's just that maturity of perspective.' Watts had lived in Vancouver, London and Singapore and recognised a global perspective was needed. 'Yeah we are great and there are so many things that make us better than so many of those other cities. But there are so many things that we could be and should be better than what we are.' He challenged attendees to step up. 'It's not just the mayor or the minister. It's the people in here and sitting in these seats. You have more power to influence, to affect that change than anyone sitting up on the front stage. 'The concern in the report is that we might fall back. And that would be intolerable.' Acknowledging the State of the City's concern about Auckland lagging in some areas and the risk of falling still further, the minister claimed 'we have got the pillars in place and now need to move into the delivery phase'. 'Auckland is the economic powerhouse of this country. It does drive our success or our failure. I think I would give [Auckland's performance in] the report a solid B, with room for improvement. That's not a bad place to be, where we are, but we shouldn't be satisfied with a B.' The State of the City report summarises the implications of its findings. Report author Tim Noonan, of the Business of Cities urban intelligence and policy group in the UK, said dozens of cities worldwide had held a mirror up to themselves and honestly asked what it would take to improve. Auckland's issues were not insurmountable but were connected and needed an integrated response. It should be a national endeavour, private and public sector, corporates, institutions, and innovators, on behalf of existing and future citizens The State of the City report indicated, through the three years of surveys, that Auckland found itself 'stuck'. Auckland outperforms peers on what he called acquired attributes, things that take generations to develop like natural and physical capital – place and culture and resilience. But in pillars that really drive growth it is not doing well. 'Opportunities remain below par throughout this period of time. Other cities internationally have now moved in some cases quite substantially ahead on investment, business appeal, job outcomes, wages versus costs. 'On balance, more capital, more talent is consistently flowing out to larger and better places. 'Prosperity clearly stands out as the biggest drop across the three issues of the State of the City.' Auckland's productivity problem was more 'vexing' than other cities and had both city-specific and national origins. 'Auckland's not performing as the escalator of productivity as other equivalent cities do for their nations. 'The concern is that the levers for turning the productivity tide are not yet ready to pull.' Noonan said Auckland was now at an inflection point. 'There's a moment here. The ground being lost in important areas is too sizeable to be ignored.' And he had a telling caution: 'The risk that other cities' experience tells us that Auckland has to avert is the slow drip in opportunities elsewhere, a waning of visibility, a softening if you like of ambition and appeal.'
The Spinoff
09-07-2025
- General
- The Spinoff
Obituary: Goodbye my Jaffas, goodbye my friend
Tara Ward bids an emotional goodbye to a national treasure… or is it? Friends, we are gathered here today to mourn the sudden and unexpected loss of Jaffas, the small but powerful confectionary that delighted New Zealand tastebuds for nearly 100 years. Last week, Levin-based RJ's Confectionary announced that they would no longer make Jaffas due to declining sales. Already, the shelves are clear, the sweeties are gone. Jaffas have flown to the big lolly shop in the sky, where they will rest eternally alongside other murdered snacks like Tangy Fruits, Snifters and proper marshmallow Easter eggs. Since Jaffas were invented in 1931, New Zealanders have treasured those tiny balls like they were the fruit of their own loins. We ate Jaffas in boxes and scoffed them from bags. We threw handfuls at the movies and launched thousands down the street. We sent them to friends overseas and proudly recommended them to visitors to our country as an example of our sophisticated palate. Jaffas represented everything that was good about us. Much like a Jaffa, New Zealanders are also quite nice once you break through the hard shell. I fear this is all my fault. Cut me open and you'll find I am approximately 90% Jaffas, 0% of the Auckland kind. This tasty treat has seen me through the seasons of my life: teenage acne, post-natal acne, perimenopausal acne. They have been a trusted crutch, a sweet release, a reliable friend, but recently, things had changed. Our relationship had soured. One bag of Jaffas started costing upwards of $5.19, and in this economy, I had to draw the line. Indeed, I drew it with the smudgy red stain left on my sweaty palms from my final fistful of Jaffas – and look at what happened next. The sudden demise of Jaffas hit the nation hard. Our national news services dedicated several stories to the cruel passing, with one commentator blaming RJ's for not giving Jaffas the respect they deserved and another wondering if they were even any good in the first place. Auckland mayor Wayne Brown called it a 'national tragedy' and despite not knowing where Horowhenua was, ordered local mayor Bernie Wanden to 'sort it out!' One mourner was so struck down with grief that they tried to sell a single packet on TradeMe for $1500 (free shipping). HeraldNow's Ryan Bridge mused that it was all just a conspiracy theory, before asking a question that cut straight through to my choc-orange core: 'Without a national lolly, who are we?' But before we throw ourselves into a bottomless pit of existential doom, I bring breaking news from beyond the grave. Dry your tears, my sweet-toothed fiends, because Jaffas weren't even an uniquely New Zealand treat. Much like Kiwiana icon Frosty Boy actually originating in America, Jaffas were invented in Australia in 1931 by James Stedman-Henderson's Sweets Ltd. They were introduced to both Australia and New Zealand markets and made here by Cadbury until 2018, when the Dunedin factory closed. Jaffas were then made in Australia, before RJ's Confectionary took over as Jaffa's production company in Aotearoa. It said 'Made in Australia' in tiny print on the back of my last ever Jaffa packet. The tangy choc-orange flavour isn't an Antipodean invention, either. The iconic Jaffa flavour was first created in 1927 by McVitie and Price in England, when they invented the Jaffa cake. They named it after a popular variety of orange in Britain at the time, which was grown in the then-Palestinian town of Jaffa. McVitie and Price didn't trademark the Jaffa Cake, which meant that any Tom, Dick or James Stedman-Henderson could pick up the flavour and run with it. Aotearoa, we have been mourning a false idol. Do not stand at Jaffas' grave and weep. They are not there, they were invented in Australia, inspired by the English and named after a town on the other side of the world. The truth about Jaffas may be hard to swallow, but we must never forget that a life full of Jaffas is a life well lived. Jaffas leave behind a grieving family of five million, although some mourners have already begun questionable rebound relationships. Rest in peace, my sweet little Jaffas. In lieu of flowers, donations may be rolled down Baldwin Street.
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Auckland Wins Intelligent Transport Conference
Press Release – Tataki Auckland Unlimited Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland will host the 21st Asia-Pacific Intelligent Transport Systems Forum (AP ITS) in 2027, a three-day event focused on advancing the future of intelligent transport solutions. The forum will take place from 5 to 7 May 2027 at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC), bringing more than 1000 delegates and an estimated $1.27 million in economic benefit to the region. The bid was led by Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand (ITSNZ) with support from Tātaki Auckland Unlimited's Auckland Convention Bureau and Tourism New Zealand Business Events. It received high-level endorsement from New Zealand Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon; Mayor of Auckland Wayne Brown; and New Zealand Transport Agency Chair Simon Bridges. ITSNZ Chair and President Armin Guttke says: 'We are very pleased to secure the hosting rights for this important international forum in 2027. The forum will showcase how the right policy and technology can address New Zealand's transport challenges – making the system safer, more equitable, sustainable and productive. The forum will also create opportunities for local innovators, attract international investment and deliver significant economic benefits.' With the theme Navigating Tomorrow: Advancing Intelligent Transport Together, the event will spotlight key technology-enabled developments in Auckland's transport network – including AI-powered network optimisation for roads and public transport, the City Rail Link, new electric ferries and Australasia's largest all-electric bus depot. Technical tours and demonstrations will include the University of Auckland Transportation Research Centre, a leader in dynamic wireless inductive charging, and ERoad, developers of New Zealand's nationwide electronic Road User Charges System. Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, the region's cultural agency which attracts business events to the region on behalf of Auckland Council, says: 'This win supports our vision of Auckland as a global innovation hub. It shows we are open to international expertise and investment to grow our transport future, while also showcasing our homegrown technology and talent.' The conference is expected to generate more than 3000 visitor nights in Auckland, supporting local hotels, retailers and the wider hospitality and tourism sector. Tourism New Zealand Global Manager Business Events Penelope Ryan says: 'Delegates will not only be able to enhance their learning experience outside the conference venue through the city's new innovation and infrastructure; they'll also be able to enjoy the amazing activities, dining and culture of Auckland.' NZICC General Manager Prue Daly says: 'Our team is excited to welcome global experts in intelligent transport to NZICC in 2027, and with key infrastructure like the City Rail Link at our doorstep, we are well positioned for delegates to easily experience this transformative transport project. We look forward to hosting this valuable knowledge exchange within NZICC, while also ensuring our international visitors enjoy our manaakitanga and an authentic Aotearoa New Zealand experience.' Note ITSNZ is a not-for-profit peak body that supports understanding, development and adoption of Intelligent Transport Systems and technology-enabled transport solutions in New Zealand, to support a sustainable, efficient, safe and environmentally friendly transportation system.
