Networking & contacts

A directory of public and private sector partners to help you set up and grow your business in Auckland.

As part of Auckland Council’s economic development agency, our team can connect you with the people and support you need for regulatory compliance, business consulting, networking, marketing, logistics, or leasing factories and offices. See the directory below, and if you need further assistance, please get in touch with our team.

Page contents:

Local government organisations
Auckland logistics hubs
Central government organisations
Private sector
Local business associations

Local government organisations

Mayor of Auckland

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown leads the vision for Auckland to be ‘a city that encourages the best and brightest New Zealanders to stay in this country and attracts the skilled people, entrepreneurs and investment our city and country need’. Auckland’s mayor is elected by residents to lead Auckland Council, the largest territorial authority in Australasia. Read more about the mayor’s office.

Auckland Council

Auckland Council is the overarching territorial authority that plans and manages the city’s infrastructure (including roading and water services), public transport services, waste collection and disposal, climate action plan, building consents, amenities (such as libraries, museums, reserves and recreational facilities) and more.

The council also controls five major organisations that deliver specific services for the region. These are:

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

That’s us. We are the city’s economic development agency with the portfolio to grow Auckland’s innovation culture and key sectors, and to attract foreign direct investment, international events and visitors from around the world. Read more about Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

Auckland Transport (AT)

Auckland Transport provides the public network of buses, trains and ferries. They maintain city infrastructure, such as footpaths, roads, cycleways and parking, while our state highways are maintained by central government. Learn more on the Auckland Transport website.

Eke Panuku Development Auckland

Panuku Development Auckland focuses on urban regeneration. It works alongside other parts of the council, central government, businesses and locals to regenerate the city for the benefit of its communities, while also optimising returns for the council. It also manages around $3 billion of council-owned land and buildings. Read more about Panuku Development Auckland.

Watercare

Watercare is responsible for the infrastructure and supply of clean water to local homes and businesses, and takes care of wastewater treatment and disposal, including trade waste from industry. Learn more on the Watercare website.

Auckland logistics hubs

Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL)

The Ports of Auckland is the logistics gateway to New Zealand, and manages the container terminal, bulk cargo handling, freight hubs and cruise industry facilities, along with numerous other services. Although POAL is 100 per cent owned by Auckland Council, it is governed under the Port Companies Act 1988 and is not strategically or operationally controlled by council. Read more about the Ports of Auckland.

Auckland Airport

With over 21 million passengers using Auckland Airport in 2019, and handling around $15 billion worth of freight, it is now the third busiest airport in Australasia. It has a workforce of 15,000 people across more than 100 businesses in and around the precinct, making it a central business district in its own right. Read more about Auckland Airport and Auckland Airport Freight and Logistics.

KiwiRail

KiwiRail is the state-owned enterprise that manages New Zealand’s freight and passenger rail networks and services, as well as the ferry services that run between our two main islands. The network presently handles 18 million tonnes of freight – including a quarter of local exports – each year, and freight demand is expected to grow by 30 per cent over the next decade. For more information, visit the KiwiRail website.

NZ Inc. – our central government partners

NZ Inc. is a group of government agencies that design simple and aligned experiences for businesses and investors. Our team of investment specialists work alongside these partners to support investment in Auckland. They include:

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE)

NZTE is the government’s international economic development agency, helping ambitious local businesses reach global markets and connecting international and domestic investors with opportunities in New Zealand. Tapping into a global network, and with a deep knowledge of New Zealand business, they help investors discover high-value opportunities for national growth. They play a major role in assisting local businesses grow internationally with capital investment. Learn more on the NZTE website.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)

MFAT negotiates investment obligations in New Zealand’s free-trade agreements to give all parties greater certainty over how their investments will be treated. The ministry ensures these agreements maintain the authority of the government to regulate on issues that are important or sensitive for New Zealanders.

Free-trade agreements can facilitate some visa access processes for New Zealand businesspeople and trading partners, supporting the development of New Zealand trade and economic relationships.

Through its network of 60 posts globally, MFAT supports NZTE-led promotion of trade and economic opportunities. By facilitating high-quality investment, MFAT helps New Zealand companies benefit from increased market access, new technology and boosted productivity. Read more on the MFAT website.

Callaghan Innovation

Callaghan Innovation is New Zealand’s innovation agency, working with ambitious businesses of all sizes through commercialisation services, R&D funding, accelerator programmes and other services. Callaghan Innovation collaborates with universities, Crown Research Institutes and other institutions throughout New Zealand to improve access to science and tech expertise. Through platforms such as Scale-Up NZ, events and programmes, the agency makes it faster and easier for businesses to find and connect with the people, capital and services they need to innovate, incubate and grow. Read more on the Callaghan Innovation website.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

MBIE has an overarching vision for investment attraction, fostering early-stage capital markets to accelerate the growth of our economy. MBIE’s Investment Attraction Strategy identifies goals, coordinates actions among government agencies, and is actively developing policy around New Zealand’s new venture-capital ‘fund of funds’.

Other relevant MBIE responsibilities include: helping New Zealand’s R&D-intensive businesses connect, collaborate and innovate; developing industry transformation plans to foster a more productive, sustainable and inclusive economy; and managing investor migrant policies (via Immigration New Zealand) to attract globally successful entrepreneurs and investors to this country. Read more on the MBIE website.

Immigration New Zealand

To attract overseas investors and entrepreneurs here, the government has a number of visa pathways. To find out more, read our Visas page or visit the government’s Immigration New Zealand website.

Overseas Investment Office

The Overseas Investment Office (OIO) helps to realise the benefits of overseas investment, while protecting New Zealand’s sensitive land and assets. They assess applications under the Overseas Investment Act 2005 from overseas investors wishing to acquire an interest in sensitive assets, such as land, significant business assets (valued at over NZ$100 million) or residential property. The OIO is part of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ), the government department responsible for land-related functions. Read more on the Land Information New Zealand website.

Innovation campus: GridAKL

GridAKL is a dynamic community of entrepreneurs, StartUps and SMEs with a central hub in the rejuvenated Auckland dockyard area known as the Wynyard Quarter. Catering to the large and innovative scene of creative tech startups and entrepreneurs, this innovation campus is designed to help StartUps thrive, to spark collaborations, attract investment, support professional development, and grow Auckland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. For more information, visit the GridAKL website.

Private sector

Professional services

To find a team of professionals who can help you set up in Auckland, visit the relevant websites below, each of which publishes a list of registered private businesses who can assist you.

Local business associations

These local business associations are membership-based and can help you grow your local networks, get to know the local business culture and even have a say in the direction of your industry:

International business associations

There are a number of international business associations and organisations with an office in New Zealand. Find affiliates and networks for your sector below: