The Kāpiti Business Ecosystem:
A message from our Chair
The business landscape of Kāpiti is pretty diverse. We are a coast of unique communities, each with its own identity. We are a mix of entrepreneurs, sole traders, and SMEs—with a few larger organisations.
We sit between our capital city of Pōneke, Wellington, which connects us to the rest of the world, and the soils and food basket of Ōtaki and Horowhenua, which provides Aotearoa—and further—with innovative products and ideas. This position offers us unique opportunities that we can leverage.
At the same time, it comes with complex relationships and governance structures to navigate. There is rarely more than one degree of separation between businesses, community leaders, and local decision-makers. Many of us serve on boards, community groups, and business associations. This diversity is our strength but can come with challenges when rallying behind a cohesive vision for our district’s economic development proposition.
Most days, there is a sense that we’re moving forward—new businesses are emerging, development is taking shape and sound, strong partnerships are forming. We should be proud of what we are building and the resilience that defines our business community.
Kāpiti Business Chamber Chair, Ben Jamison.
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Monthly meet-up @ The Bond Store
At the same time, new structures are forming within our business ecosystem, adding new layers to unpack and navigate. One example is the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board, whose current focus is establishing itself as an independent Limited Liability Company–and evolving our economic development strategy for Kāpiti. Initially, this new entity will be 100% funded by our local business rates—to the sum of $8M odd dollars.
Historically, the Chamber has played a leading role in shaping this direction, advocating for the business community and ensuring that key decisions reflect the needs of those on the ground. When new entities and leadership emerge, it takes them time to understand their own structure, strengths, and relationships. As this unfolds, there is an increasing need to ensure that business voices remain at the table, that advocacy is strong, and that the correct levels of accountability and transparency guide how business rates are allocated and managed.
Equally important are the local leaders and politicians who champion Kāpiti’s story, advocating for investment, capability development, and the physical and social infrastructure that enables our growth. When business and community meet, and the advocates and leaders of a place listen, that’s when our visions and aspirations become possible.
“One example is the Economic Development Kotahitanga Board, whose current focus is establishing itself as an independent Limited Liability Company–and evolving our economic development strategy for Kāpiti. Initially, this new entity will be 100% funded by our local business rates—to the sum of $8M odd dollars."
This is where advocacy is essential to bridge the gap between the community and the wider system. Ambiguity and miscommunication leave businesses struggling to navigate complex processes, and it is up to us all—through the Chamber and other business networks—to ensure our voices are heard.
To build a better future for our whānau and ourselves, we need a strong vision that everyone feeds into and believes in. Diverse, inclusive, and mindful of bringing everyone along on the journey. A cohesive story that brings businesses, leaders, and the community together under a shared purpose.
The Kāpiti Business Chamber is focused on ensuring that the Chamber is a strong, visible, and effective advocate and conduit for our business community—engaging with our members and key partners through our events, workshops, and surveys. We are building on the legacy of Monique Leith, whose leadership has positioned the Chamber as an organisation supporting positive change.
We are geared up to roll out new business support and sustainability initiatives in collaboration with 2degrees, Greater Wellington partners, the MBIE’s TechStep programme, national and local chamber partners, and Work Ready Kāpiti. These initiatives and workstreams help us deliver business support networks, resources, a sense of belonging, and resilience.
The Kāpiti Business Chamber remains vital to our local ecosystem—independent, transparent, and committed to supporting businesses when they need us most.
Ngā mihi,
Ben Jamison
Chair, Kāpiti Business Chamber
We gather business insights through regular networking, direct engagement, and public forums—using this feedback to advocate for practical, locally informed decisions that drive positive outcomes for our business community.