Canterbury can offer your business the competitive edge whether you are wishing to relocate your business or you are setting up a new venture.

The CDC’s objective is to actively encourage and promote economic development within the region. Canterbury is well known for its “can do” attitude and the CDC can provide you with the positive assistance required to give your business every chance of success.

Infrastructure & Geographic Advantage

Port	The Port of Lyttelton, 12 kilometres from Christchurch city is one of only two deep water ports in NZ. It offers all modern port facilities and is an international gateway to Asia-Pacific shipping channels. Lyttelton Port Company
Rail	Christchurch is located near the centre of Tranz Rail’s east coast main trunk line, which runs the length of the South Island. Proximity to rail offers processors low impact, cost effective distribution channels.
Air	One of the two major international gateways to NZ, Christchurch International Airport is an important hub for both domestic an international carriers. Christchurch has a fully equipped International Airport operating 24 hours a day 7 days a week for international passenger and freight movements. Christchurch International Airport
Energy	Christchurch energy utility Orion maintains a world-class distribution infrastructure. The retail energy market is a competitive environment with a wide choice of suppliers.
Water	Canterbury’s six major rives (Waitaki, Rangitata, Rakaia, Waimakiriri, Hurunui and Waiau) have their headwaters in the Southern Alps. All flow east, creating huge water resources beneath parts of the Canterbury plains.

Information & Telecommunications Technology

New Zealand is a world leader in per capita expenditure on information and communications technology. Many of the major players in the New Zealand ICT industry are based in Christchurch.

Alongside the revolution in ICT innovation and design, New Zealand has a technologically literate population with one of the highest connection rates for the Internet, the second highest usage of mobile phones and the highest rate of EFT-POS transactions per capita amongst all the OECD countries.

The infrastructure underpinning this highly literate population is vital to its ongoing development so it is significant that New Zealand also has the highest percentage of consumers who are serviced by computerised telephone exchanges. The proliferation of fibre optic, digital and ISDN technology in New Zealand has enhanced the ICT capacity of the population as a whole, making “smart” consumers and workers alike.

The combination of internationally competitive business costs, skilled labour and advanced telecommunications infrastructure make Canterbury a great location for locating back office and e-business operations. Aiding these regional advantages is the fact that New Zealand is the first to start the global business week.

Intellectual Capital
The region of Canterbury has a large base of R & D groups that can give your company a head start in the knowledge economy and partner you in research and development and lifelong learning.

Tertiary Institutions	Lincoln University Canterbury University University of Otago Christchurch School of Medicine Christchurch College of Education Christchurch Polytechnic
Crown Research Institutes	Crop & Food Landcare AgResearch ESR NIWA NZ Forest Research Horticulture & Food Institute
Private Sector Research	Many local and international companies undertake research and development in Canterbury
Fresh fields in R & D	IT Software electronics Biotechnology Biomechanical engineering Environmental technology Agri-technology E-Business Digital & wireless telecommunications Agri-research (seed development, GM, organics)

Investment Friendly
Canterbury is an investor-friendly business environment. New Zealand consistently rates in the top ten of the “most attractive economies” in the World Competitiveness Yearbook and Canterbury has one of the most attractive regional economies within New Zealand.

Minimal and transparent regulations make investing in Canterbury a straightforward process.

A broad based, low rate tax regime supports investors who are here for the long term. The current corporate tax rate of 33% compares favourably with the economies in Europe, Australasia and North America.

Canterbury welcomes foreign investment, with investors free to acquire controlling interest in ventures.

Whether you are looking to invest in an existing business, land-based assets, stocks and bonds or a “green fields” venture, Canterbury is your attractive investment opportunity.

Cluster Development