In 2019, I did a commercial advertisement for Auckland City Council as a part of the Mayor Election campaigns. My faces were literally everywhere, and my friends and colleagues asked me, “are you going to run for mayor? How can we vote for you?”
I laughed because I have never been a fan of politics, not to mention participating in elections. I seem not to care so much about who’s the mayor and what he/she could achieve under the bourgeois system. However, ever since I read a story about how Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez attracts talent and aims to build the next tech hub, I felt that being a modern-day mayor could be an innovative job and make a rapid change with the help of technology. Mr Suarez’s viral billboard of “Thinking about moving to Miami? DM me” also triggered me to learn more about the #MovetoMiami campaign. It’s fascinating to see this call to action worked well within a short period, which is the golden element in the startup world.
Balaji Srinivasan recently wrote a post about The Start Of Startup Cities and used Miami as an example. After staying in London for two years, I’m at the stage of exploring my next digital nomad destination. New Zealand seems like a good option because of its world-class reputation of living, doing business and COVID response. Let me analyse in this article whether Auckland, the most populous city in New Zealand, has the potential to lead the startup city trend. (Please note: this is not a tourist guide, therefore you won’t hear much about the amazing landscape and high-quality food from New Zealand, though they are truly remarkable!) Overview of Auckland
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Questions
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Answers
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Cost of living
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Quality of location
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See above image
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Housing
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Climate
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Auckland enjoys a temperate climate without extremes of temperature, with more than 2000 hours of bright sunshine a year.
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Education
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Auckland has more than 400 schools and tertiary institutes and vocational training establishments, and three universities.
It ranks among the world’s top 20 cities for students to get a university education. And if you’ve got young kids, there are more than 1,200 early childhood education options. |
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Religions & Social Community
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There is no state religion in New Zealand, but the principal religion is Christianity, with 38% of the population identifying themselves as Christians. Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism and other religions take up around 8% of the population, and almost 49% of the population don’t identify as any religion.
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Political Ideologies
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New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy with a long record of free and fair elections and guarantees political rights and civil liberties. Concerns include discrimination against the Māori and other minority populations and reports of foreign influence in politics and the education sector.
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Healthcare
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Auckland healthcare is free or low cost for citizens, residents and some work visa holders. If you have children aged 17 years or under they may also be eligible for publicly funded healthcare.
For private healthcare, non-residents should get medical insurance from their home country. Most costs of injuries from accidents are covered through New Zealand’s no-fault Accident Compensation Corporation scheme. Find out more from here. |
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Tax
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The New Zealand tax system is a relatively favourable tax environment for earnings and assets. Taxes are at set rates depending on your income level. Find out more from here.
New Zealand has a 15% tax added to most goods and services (GST), including most imported goods and certain imported services. |
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Public Transport
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You can travel by train, bus and ferries throughout the whole Auckland region, or try cycling and walking on multiple dedicated cycleways and walkways.
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The most important question is to ask yourself, can I fit into the local culture?
My answer to Auckland is a Hell Yeah!
I moved to Auckland in 2010 as an exchange student. After completing this one-year study program, I decided to stay because the diverse cultures and Kiwi lifestyle impressed me in many ways. I applied for the resident visa under the skilled migrant category and worked for big corporates in the tourism and finance industry. In 2017, I registered a media company in Auckland and indulged in the startups and investment world ever since. As a Chinese migrant, I feel safe and comfortable living in Auckland and consider here as my home.
My answer to Auckland is a Hell Yeah!
I moved to Auckland in 2010 as an exchange student. After completing this one-year study program, I decided to stay because the diverse cultures and Kiwi lifestyle impressed me in many ways. I applied for the resident visa under the skilled migrant category and worked for big corporates in the tourism and finance industry. In 2017, I registered a media company in Auckland and indulged in the startups and investment world ever since. As a Chinese migrant, I feel safe and comfortable living in Auckland and consider here as my home.
Conclusion
If you look at Google search data, “how to move to NZ” have skyrocketed during the US election race in 2020. British interest in migrating to New Zealand is up by 40%, and Americans interest is up by 160% during the pandemic.
When Peter Thiel got his controversial New Zealand citizenship, he addressed, “I believe in New Zealand, and I believe the future of New Zealand’s technology industry is still underrated. I look forward to helping it succeed long-term.”
New Zealand has gained its fame as a living paradise and a technology hub. Auckland has the potential to lead the trend as the first fast-growing startup city if it could adapt to the way of selecting a CEO type of Mayor to make clear and specific policies and empower the whole society to implement crypto technology.
It doesn’t need to be a fast leap-forward step for the whole city, and we can start by chartering a special suburb in Rodney to trail the startup city concept like Culdesac Tempet.
Maybe next time I get back home, I could profoundly stand in front of my ‘real’ Mayor Election poster and ask for the vote?
When Peter Thiel got his controversial New Zealand citizenship, he addressed, “I believe in New Zealand, and I believe the future of New Zealand’s technology industry is still underrated. I look forward to helping it succeed long-term.”
New Zealand has gained its fame as a living paradise and a technology hub. Auckland has the potential to lead the trend as the first fast-growing startup city if it could adapt to the way of selecting a CEO type of Mayor to make clear and specific policies and empower the whole society to implement crypto technology.
It doesn’t need to be a fast leap-forward step for the whole city, and we can start by chartering a special suburb in Rodney to trail the startup city concept like Culdesac Tempet.
Maybe next time I get back home, I could profoundly stand in front of my ‘real’ Mayor Election poster and ask for the vote?
P.S. Mr Thiel, shall I invite you as the honourable investor to build the startup city in New Zealand together?
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