Region unites for Porirua in Gigatown race

Porirua is getting help from across the region in its bid to stay in the Gigatown competition top five.

With just weeks to go before the top five towns are decided, Porirua mayor Nick Leggett said he appreciates the support Porirua is receiving from Levin to Wellington.

Wellington City Council staff recently did the Gigatown quiz, and GigatownLevin have redirected their energies to aid Porirua, Leggett said.

‘‘Having the region backing our campaign is really significant.

‘‘If Porirua wins, we want to see many more Gigatowns with gigabit-speed connections right across the region. We can’t do it alone,’’ he said.

Horowhenua District Council mayor Brendan Duffy was proud of GigatownLevin’s valiant efforts in the competition.

‘‘ We may not have had the numbers to stay in the running, but we can certainly add our numbers to support Porirua and I will encourage Horowhenua residents to do just that,’’ Duffy said.

Leggett said it was very encouraging to know people are supporting Porirua as the only North Island town in the running toward the finals.

‘‘Winning the Gigatown competition will transform our region’s economy and the lives of our families. The winning package includes $200,000 toward an incubator project for new start- up companies. This will attract hightech companies offering more jobs and new careers to the region. If we work together on this, we can all win.’’

For more, see gigatown.co.nz.