Hamilton’s bid was a joint one from Hamilton City Council, Te Waka Ltd (Waikato’s Regional Economic Development Agency), Waikato-Tainui and the Waikato Chamber of Commerce.
NZIST Council Chair Murray Strong said the Hamilton bid partners put forward a very strong case for our Head Office to be located in Hamilton.
“Hamilton clearly demonstrated that it understood the Government’s vision for tertiary education. They also demonstrated their strong relationships between local government, iwi and central government and a commitment to learners.
“The strength of Māori business networks was evident as was their commitment to equity for Māori and underserved learners. Their proposal included a warm and sincere welcome and offer of partnership from the Kīngitanga and Waikato Tainui,” Mr Strong said.
Hamilton is also highly accessible with six NZIST subsidiaries in the vicinity. It has a wide reach to learners and businesses and reflects the diversity of the New Zealand economy.
“We look forward to working in partnership with all parties in Hamilton, to share knowledge and expertise with the ultimate aim of providing high quality learning for all students," Mr Strong said.
Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said the decision was an endorsement of Hamilton’s education sector strength and highlighted the city’s strategic importance to New Zealand. In a post-Covid-19 environment, her Council was looking for transformational solutions to deliver the very best for Hamilton. This was one such opportunity and it was now up to the city to leverage it.
“The fact that strategic decisions around skills and technology on behalf of New Zealand will be made right here in our city, that’s important. That’s a strong signal we have the support, people and industry in place locally to help NZIST deliver on its purpose to upskill and train our workforce. As we work to rebuild our economy, those decisions will be critical for the national economy.”