Here are the best places to live in NZ - but they're at odds with best for business

Tuesday, 20 November 2018

Whitianga is ranked number one in quality of life.

A whole lot of sun and a place by the beach are the key ingredients for a better life.

But if you want to do business, you've got to be close to the main centres.

A study from Motu Economic and Public Policy Research has found quality of life and quality of business don't fit neatly into the same package.

Queenstown was also rated has having a high quality of life.

The study, released in November, tracked 130 towns and cities across New Zealand for the past 37 years.

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In 2013, the top towns for quality of business were near the three main centre - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

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If you want quality of life you'll need to head to Whitianga, Motueka, Coromandel, Queenstown and Katikati which scored the highest on quality in 2013.

The lowest were Tokoroa, Hāwera, Te Kauwhata, Eltham and Winton.

Only a few towns score positively on both quality of life and quality of business including Queenstown, Tauranga, Christchurch and Dunedin.

'Households and firms prefer different amenities,' said Motu senior fellow and one of the report authors Dr Arthur Grimes. 'Places with high quality of life often have low quality of business.'

Whitianga motelier at Sovereign Pier on The Waterways, Stuart Bruce, ditched his executive job in New Plymouth for time with family and calmer waters on the Coromandel coast.

David Ogilvie's hometown of Motueka is growing and in June 2018, there was not a single empty shop along High St. Video first published in June 2018.

'We did that for many years, my wife and I, and we just realised when my son was 10-years old, I hadn't been on a school trip with him,' Bruce said.

'Since we've been here we've done a couple of school trips with him and another one pending.'

While Whitianga ranks number one for quality of life, it's near the bottom for quality of business.

That's fine, said Bruce. The town is growing and there is plenty of work and seeing his son walk to school with other kids is priceless.

'They build aeroplanes,' he said. 'How many schools in the big cities have got the time or resources for the school kids to get together with people and build aeroplanes?'

The Motu study looked at the correlation between the cost of living and wages to determine the attractiveness of town.

A place with high cost of housing and low wages must be be attractive for other reasons, according to the study.

Motueka faces those financial strains said community board member Claire Hutt but the good weather makes a huge difference and the tight-knit community is vital.

'People look out for each other and there is still a really good sense of community spirit,' Hutt said. 'You come to Motueka and it's like a magnet. You can't leave.'

In 2013, the top towns for quality of business were near the three main centre - Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

High rents and high wages are offset with higher productivity otherwise businesses would move.

Rolleston, near Christchurch, is the highest ranked town and Selwyn Business Group chairman, and Harcourts branch manager, Richard Tait said locals are fiercely loyal.

'You've got to get your service right out here,' Tait said. 'We're pretty proud of our community and we do want to do our business within it.'