About Venture Timaru
As the economic and tourism agency for the Timaru District, we're passionate about this region and committed to working with individuals, businesses and industry sectors to grow the vibrancy, profile and well-being of the district.
Whether you are already here or keen to discuss why you should be - contact us today as we'd love to have a chat about why you should be living, working, studying, running a business and investing here.
As detailed within our Statement of Intent our priorities for 2023 - 2024 year are:
We are currently working on:
- Towards 2050 - following a specially commissioned report examining where the district could be by 2050, we are now working on a project to engage and collaborate with our community to look aspirationally at the district's future and consider the possibilities. Learn more.
- Driving a collaborative Regional Workforce Initiative assisting local businesses to be more actively engaged within and between industry sectors to tackle workforce issues. This includes:
- Establishing Business Connection Groups (BCG’s) across industry sectors. There are now four BCGs up and running: Transport & Logistics; Food Processing & Manufacturing; Construction & Trades; Professionals.
- Understanding and addressing businesses' training and development needs via improved communication with, and knowledge of, all local training providers and staffing companies offerings.
- My Next Move is a youth transition initiative designed to expose, educate, and excite South Canterbury secondary school students about the vast world of work and the diverse career pathways available in our region. Our goal is to empower students with the knowledge and confidence to be able to make as fully informed decisions as possible about their future.
Endorsed by the Canterbury Mayoral Forum, this initiative was launched in 2017 in response to a workforce survey that highlighted challenges businesses faced in attracting and retaining young employees. The survey also identified the need for stronger connections between businesses and secondary schools. In 2020, My Next Move became the basis for Education to Employment Brokerage service, funded by the Ministry of Social Development, which is now in over 25 locations throughout New Zealand.
Led by our vocational coordinator, the programme works extensively with local businesses, industries, and secondary school career advisors and teachers to foster meaningful connections, organise engaging career events, and inspire rangatahi to explore local career and further education opportunities. By bridging the gap between education and employment, we aim to retain and attract more young talent to study and work within our district. Learn more about our key events in the initiative: Pathways Expo, Inspiring the Future, Contextualised Learning - Bringing the classroom to life.
If you're looking to increase awareness of the roles and career opportunities within your business or want to connect with local schools, get in touch with us today! - Establishing and building key strategic partnerships with relevant people, businesses and agencies locally and nationally that can ultimately benefit the district, the communities and our people.
- Working alongside the Timaru CBD Group, the key stakeholders of our town centre, to assist with their aim of enhancing the Timaru CBD area to make it attractive to people and businesses.
- Working with key local stakeholders to enhance and provide resiliency across key economic enablers: Workforce, Energy, Water, Infrastructure and Housing.
- Advocating for an environment that excites and inspires new enabling investment into:
- diversifying our housing stock (inner/near city living, apartments & townhouses along with medium and large-scale residential development) and
- "shovel ready" commercial and industrial property opportunities.
- Working with the Timaru Sister City Committee to assist in fostering cultural and economic exchanges and further promote overseas relationships. Our sister cities are:
- Orange, New South Wales, Australia
- Orange, California, United States of America
- Weihai, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
- Eniwa, Japan
- Visit the Timaru District Council for more information on our Sister Cities
Promoting Timaru District to live and work
We’re also promoting Timaru District as a great place to live and work. Check out our latest workforce attraction videos.
Your first point of contact for business
Venture Timaru is your first point of contact for new business development, looking to invest, study or simply learn more about what this great part of New Zealand has to offer you, your family and your business. For those interested in investing in our district, we can assist with information about industrial and commercial land available in the district for potential development.
We encourage you all to take a closer look at the Timaru District.
Why choose Timaru District / Housing Affordability / Jobs / Our Story video / Our economy
Get in touch: Email or phone our office 06 687 2682
Our Economic Development Strategy and Destination Management Plan
We completed our Economic Development Strategy and Destination Management Plan for the Timaru District in 2021. These documents have guided our economic and tourism activity across the district in recent years, with our annual priorities detailed within our Statement of Intent.
View the documents:
Economic Development Strategy and Destination Management Plan (summary)
Economic Development Strategy (full)
Destination Management Plan (full)
More information about Venture Timaru: Privacy policy ; Terms of Use (Both updated 21.07.2021)