The latest poll from the Tauranga Business Chamber reveals that infrastructure and economic growth remain the top priorities for the city’s business community in 2025.
The survey, which gathered responses from Chamber members and non-member customers, asked respondents for their priorities for their business, city, and wider economy in 2025.
Tauranga Business Chamber CEO, Matt Cowley, says “this poll does two things: firstly, what businesses are focusing on this year to improve their situation; and secondly, what they would like local and central government to focus on to improve the economy.”
Priorities for Organisations
The top priorities that organisations are focusing on in 2025 are:
- Increasing revenue: reviewing pricing, increasing marketing, or investing in business development to generate more sales.
- Training and upskilling your team to prepare for growth and/or change.
- Managing costs / keeping costs low / reducing overheads. This includes downsizing operations.
- Reviewing your strategy: developing new offerings or entering new markets.
“It’s pleasing to see the data support the anecdote that organisations are prioritising training and upskilling team members, presuming in preparation for the economy improving later this year,” says Matt.
Priorities for Wider Economy
Respondents also shared their preferences for growing the wider economy:
- Invest in infrastructure (transport and realising more industrial/residential land)
- Review commercial tax settings to stimulate growth,
- Attract tourists (domestic and international)
- Encourage more businesses to innovate and R&D.
“Just outside of the top 4 priorities was for IRD to change its hardline approach to instead work with companies. IRD’s more recent methods are causing headaches for businesses and their ability to grow,” says Matt.
Priorities for Tauranga City
We were also keen to see if our Chamber audience priorities for Tauranga City had changed since last year’s local election for Tauranga City Council, so we ask for their top priorities for the city and compared the results in the following table:
| 2025 Tauranga City Priorities | 2024 Tauranga City Priorities |
| Address traffic congestion. Address the housing and rental supply shortages and affordability. Address the cost and bureaucracy of applying for council compliance/approvals. Support a thriving and vibrant city centre. | Address traffic congestion. Address the housing and rental supply shortages and affordability. Support a thriving and vibrant city centre. Address the cost and bureaucracy of applying for council compliance/approvals. |
“The consistency between the 2024 and 2025 poll results is striking,” Matt notes. “Our Chamber audience has been clear in its priorities, and it is essential that both local and central government listen and act accordingly. The need for infrastructure investment, regulatory change, and economic support remains as urgent as ever.”
Investing in Infrastructure
Additionally, respondents were asked how they think the city should fund the infrastructure needed to support the city’s continued growth. The top results, comparing 2025 and 2024, are in the following table:
| 2025 Tauranga City Priorities | 2024 Tauranga City Priorities |
| 1. A combination of all the available tools (50%) 2. Via Government sharing its tax revenue from gains of growth (18%) 3. Via user pays – levies, road tolls etc. (10%) | 1. A combination of all the available tools (45%) 2. Via Government sharing its tax revenue from gains of growth (30%) 3. Via user pays – levies, road tolls etc. (10%) |
“Our Chamber audience remains consistent in wanting local and central government to use all the tools available to address the long-standing issue of funding and financing growth infrastructure,” says Matt.
“While the Chamber poll is not scientifically relevant, it is used as a temperature check with our wider audience to gauge overall direction. Our audience wants to manage their costs; they also want the city to grow new economic opportunities, which they acknowledge will take investment.
“A key takeaway for local and central government is to ensure they invest wisely and get a good return on investment to address the key infrastructure bottlenecks and set the economy up for success,” says Matt.
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The poll was taken during February 2025. For more information, contact Tauranga Business Chamber CEO Matt Cowley at ceo@tauranga.org.nz or 027 698 9548.
