‘Building foundations for future generations’

Tony Bowater is a well-known figure in the Nelson region. As Chief Executive Officer of Bowater Motor Group, a business started by his grandfather over 75 years ago, he’s known as an innovative thinker, passionate about sustainability, and doing what he can to make Nelson a great place to live, work and play.

For Tony, the infrastructure improvements that will come with the Bridge to Better project are much needed.

“With the support of some funding from central government, we have the opportunity to upgrade our inner-city infrastructure. So, if we're digging up the road, surely, we want to put it back better than what it was. Here's an opportunity for us to really make a game changer,” Tony says.

“It’s about being able to build on foundations. You need to know that your foundations are good, and we know that our foundations aren't good, so they need sorting. We could be average and put some plaster on it, or we could do it properly. And if we think back, if the generations before us did it properly, we wouldn't be worrying about it now. So, do we want it to be our problem, or our kids' or our grandkids’ problem? If we truly are concerned about being better, the better outcome is we don't want our kids to have to worry about it.”

Tony cites the Nelson’s region mix of five primary industries, forestry, fishing, agriculture, horticulture and tourism, along with its stunning climate and environment, as being attractive to both businesses and the people who work for them. But he says that we must continue to innovate to attract the best people.
“This mix of industries brings a diverse blend of people in. We need to be doing everything in our power to support those businesses that are bringing smart young people to our region, because they really bring energy to our city.

“Technology enables you to basically work anywhere in the world and live anywhere you want to live, so people have a choice. You can do and access anything from Nelson now. The reason why many people live here is the lifestyle it offers you. People move here and they love it, and then they don't want it to change. At times, that attitude has held us back.”

Tony says that Melbourne, Wellington and Christchurch are all places that have focused on central city living.
“Wellington is so easy to walk around, and it’s got lots of café life. Melbourne’s inner city is hugely vibrant and experience orientated. And walking around Christchurch, you can’t help but notice that the streets that have taken the opportunity to beautify and upgrade at the same time are attracting people to them. To revitalize a city centre, you got to give people a reason to come, with a mix of business, leisure, shopping and hospitality. One of the biggest criticisms of central CBD Nelson is there's nothing happening. It was wonderful to see the cruise ships in port over summer. But what are we offering them in central city, particularly in the evenings? They must walk around here and think, crikey, there's not much going on!”

There is an interconnectedness between good infrastructure, community well-being, and business success, according to Tony.

“We see the importance of a healthy, vibrant, sustainable community that's happy. Because if you've got that, then it's quite easy to have a healthy, vibrant company or business. But if you don't have a healthy community, it doesn't matter how good you are in business, it's not going to work. If we truly understand better, we need to continually be looking to improve and upgrade and continually provide a reason for our communities to be vibrant. Better to me is having a vibrant community and a community that enjoys and cherishes where it lives, and can stand up and go, wow, this is my home and I'm proud of it.”