Southland Regional Development Agency named Great South

Monday, 1 July 2019

Chairperson Ian Collier and CEO Ann Lockhart at the Great South rebranding announcement.

Venture Southland is now Great South.

Monday was the first official day of trading for Southland's new regional development agency which replaces Venture Southland.

To mark the occasion the new Great South brand has been launched.

Announcement of the Southland Regional Development agency rebranding from Venture Southland to Great South on Monday July 1.

Great South has emerged from the Southland Regional Development Strategy which was shaped in 2015.

**READ MORE:

Chairman Ian Collier and interim chief executive Ann Lockhart at the announcement of Great South which replaced Venture Southland as Southland's new regional development agency on Monday.

* Southland Regional Development Agency ready for transition at the end of the month

* Southland Regional Development agencies focus of primary industries

* Destination strategy a priority for Southland Regional Development Agency**

Central to the strategy was the ambition to increase Southland's population by 10,000 people by 2025.

Interim Great South chief executive Anne Lockhart said they needed to wait for census details, but she expected a good chunk of that 10,000 increase had already been achieved over the past four years.

The four goals of Great South are to diversify the economy, innovative business, create jobs, and grow the population.

Chairman Ian Collier said the name reflected that 'we are located in the great South and it is aspirational for what we will strive for'.

A koru has been included in the new branding which was a nod to Venture Southland which also included a koru in its logo.

While the logo and brand was released on Monday the signage at Venture Southland has still yet to be replaced.

Great South was working through if the Southland NZ branding, which has been used to market Southland, will remain.

'The Southland NZ brand is obviously very well recognised so we are going to have to look at how we run that in the future,' Lockhart said.

A new structure will allow Great South, a council-controlled organisation, to be more commercially focused than under the Venture Structure.

Great South's board will report to the joint shareholders committee which includes; Invercargill City Council, Southland District Council, Gore District Council, Environment Southland, Southland Chamber of Commerce, Southern Institute of Technology, Invercargill Licensing Trust, Matarua Licensing Trust and Community Trust South.

Southland Regional Development Agency shareholders committee Gary Tong said while Venture Southland was able to 'achieve many wins for the region', Great South's commercial focus will allow for greater expansion in the area of regional development.

'The possibilities are endless and we are all looking forward to what the future will hold for our region.'

While the majority of Venture Southland staff have transferred to Great South, the community development team have transferred to the Southland District Council and have not been offered new contracts with the new entity.

Lockhart said the main focus of Great South was to create better lives for Southlanders through sustainable development.

'It's now time to maximise on all the work and planning which has been undertaken in the last few years and be inspired by Southland's unlimited potential to be recognised as the best place to live, work and play,' she said.

The Great South board is made up of members from inside and outside the region. They are Collier, Dean Addie, Sarah Brown, Joc O'Donnell, Lucy Griffiths, and Maria Pera.

In regards to Pera's place on the Great South board, an independent review has been launched.

In May, Stuff revealed the Southland District Health Board had, in 2006, found that Pera and two other trustees of Murihiku Whanau Services had inappropriately spent $340,000 of public money, much of it for personal gain.

The health board also said there were no instances of fraud, theft or misappropriation involved.

Tong, when alerted to the findings in relation to Pera, said an independent review would be held.

On Monday he said Pera was still a Great South board member and had continued to work towards the start date beside the chair and her colleagues.

'At this point the inquiry into the matter is not complete,' Tong said.

The matter was being handled professionally to ensure no accusations into an incomplete inquiry could be made, he said.