Fledgling Whangarei industry needs Hundertwasser vibrancy

A key player in Whangarei’s tech sector has outlined the case for the Hundertwasser art centre, from a technology and design viewpoint.

Whangarei offers an enviable lifestyle, gorgeous surroundings, high-speed internet and affordable housing, but the tech industry needs greater creative energy too. (Photo: Iain Urquhart)

On his Mashmatix blog, Nick Williamson says Whangarei needs to embrace technology to keep up with the world, to grow the tech sector and to attract and keep people with digital and design skills.

“Ideally, we want the people who can design, build and export entirely new solutions to some of the worlds biggest challenges. And that’s the key word right there, ‘design’.

“The most successful tech companies understand the importance of great design. Apple and other successful tech companies such as Airbnb institutionalize the design culture…”

Local web developer Iain Urquhart, who works with some of New Zealand’s best known brands, agrees Whangarei needs more to attract and keep people with the right digital and design expertise.

“We don’t have the skills-base in Whangarei to service what we’re currently doing, let alone what we could do. We’ve got ultra-fast broadband, we’re close to Auckland, we live an enviable lifestyle with affordable housing – we’re primed, but not quite there, when it comes to attracting more of the right people and their businesses.

“High earning 20-35 year olds in IT like to spend their money in a vibrant city within a big creative community. Hundertwasser’s not a silver bullet, but it’ll be a big, positive step forward.”

Of course Whangarei is already home to a large community of local artists and creative people, but the depth of the talent here is not generally known by those from outside our district; Whangarei is more likely to make headlines for crime, not creativity. Canadian blacksmith sculptor Daryl Richardson recently commented on the YES! Whangarei website “Whangarei has so many world class artists, but it is easier for me to find their work in the USA than in Whangarei.” The world outside it not seeing enough of our creative connection.

Another local developer and google-summer-of-code mentor, Eileen McNaughton, adds “When I travel to conferences overseas I’m always struck by how the artistic life of a town feeds the tech industry.

“We don’t need huge amounts of money to create IT jobs, be we do need a buzz – some creative excitement. If we put Whangarei on the map with this kooky colourful building and it’s celebration of environmental values and Maori art, we’ll instantly make our city desirable for creative-types. You might not see IT developers as creative, but our job is creative problem-solving and you’d be surprised how excited hard-core geek-fest types get about artistic creativity around them.”

Rachel Chester, another local tech-entrepreneur, thinks Whangarei needs to be doing more to keep the people it already has. Recently featured in the Whangarei Leader for attracting international attention from Google, Rachel plans to move her successful businesses to Tauranga if Hundertwasser doesn’t happen.

While Managing director of Google New Zealand Tony Keusgen says businesspeople like Chester prove you do not need to live in a big city to run a successful business, Chester herself says she needs to live in a community that’s moving forward and attracting like-minded people.

“My business is fully mobile, I can employ people and operate from anywhere. I love my property, my lifestyle, the district, but I won’t stick around if the city chucks this opportunity out. To me it will be a big signal that Whangarei intends to go backwards, not forwards.”

They all agree with Williamson’s summary of what could happen next.

“If there is one hugely positive thing that has come out of this whole debate, it is passion… (the) proposal has brought together individuals and communities from around the world who are united in their passion to make Northland a more prosperous place to live.”

For those people don’t think passion and creative skills are what Whangarei needs, Williamson finishes his blog post by quoting Apple-founder Steve Jobs…

“I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians and poets and artists and zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world.”

Link to the original Mashmatix blog post here.