Auckland is a diverse region of towns and villages, each with its own business drivers and local history contributing to the economy of Tāmaki Makaurau.
The success of individual local business centres is no accident. It comes from structured and deliberate mahi, with strong links in many areas to one of 50 ‘business improvement districts’ supported by Auckland Council.
Auckland Council’s Business Improvement District (BID) programme is the glue to a funding model that sustains many business associations, according to Claire Gomas, Auckland Council’s Manager of CCOs and Investment Areas.
“The Business Improvement District programme supported by Auckland Council enables each business association to leverage the value of local people doing what works best for their local area and local business community.
“Our BIDs range in scale from a targeted rate grant of $20,000 a year in Torbay to $5.1 million for Auckland’s Heart of the City. The BID Policy provides structure but also enables each business association to manage itself independently, says Ms Gomas.
The BID programme is delivered according to a detailed BID Policy, and overseen by a long-standing, experienced council team of two. The policy provides a framework which local business associations align to, while the BID team ensures each entity remains compliant and offers advice when required.
The programme works by applying a BID targeted rate to all business-rated properties in an identified area around a town centre or commercial precinct. The council supports the business associations who operate BID programmes by collecting a locally applied targeted rate and passing it back to each BID entity.
Increasingly, BIDs are innovating to supplement targeted rate funding. One example is the Manurewa BID’s Community Guardians contract established with Auckland Transport in October 2026 to provide, recruit for, train and deliver a proactive safety presence on Southern Corridor bus routes.
"It's a significant milestone contract secured by our Manurewa BID to provide a service that aims to keep bus travel safe, support drivers, and provide genuine reassurance for commuters,” says Neil Punja, Manurewa Town Centre Manager.
"Our aspirations for this programme are to support trained local Guardians into meaningful employment long term, build trust with rangatahi on the transport network, and create an important new revenue stream for our BID area.”
Individual BIDs hold good relationships with their local boards, and the elected members who work alongside each BID provide an effective support layer of governance-to-governance connection.
Each BID operates independently, under the Incorporated Societies Act, with responsibility for its own membership, governance arrangements, filing its constitutional rules, holding regular meetings and Annual General Meetings.
The council role extends to annual compliance reporting back to local boards and to the council directly through its Annual Plan and Long-term Plan processes.
While the annual season for Annual General Meetings has wrapped up, anyone who wishes to get involved in their local business association or consider standing for a governance position should make contact with their local BID-operating business association.
Find out more about the council’s BID Programme.