The role of regions, and looking after them

Friday, 20 October 2017

Marlborough's contribution to GDP, driven by the wine industry, leapt a whopping 32 per cent to $2.6 billion in five years - the biggest jump in the country.

Queenmaker Winston Peters described Labour and National as 'big city parties with big city views' when he was on the campaign trail.

Both Peter's and PM-elect Jacinda Ardern promised regional New Zealand would get more attention, and cash, than they had under a National government.

A new Minister for Regional Development has been proposed for the incoming government and Marlborough is among those hoping the love will flow.

Largely driven by the wine industry, Marlborough's contribution to GDP leapt a whopping 32 per cent to $2.6 billion in five years - the biggest jump in the country.

**READ MORE:

Marlborough District Council's strategic planning manager Neil Henry wants continuity in economic planning for the regions. (File photo)

* Marlborough largest five-year GDP improvement in NZ

* International migration increases

A broadband mast goes up above the Waihopai Valley, and better connectivity is a crucial driver for Marlborough's regional economy.

* Business groups to share boss

* More money needed for development in regions**

Peters had likely seen the tap turned off on water tax, keeping farmers and grapegrowers on-side, and his push to see the GST harvested from tourism spending returned to the regions had already made the Labour/NZ First/Green shortlist for economic development.

Marlborough District Council's strategic planning manager Neil Henry said regions could bid for development cash from Central Government before National took office, but for some years with National most of it went to the main centres.

This changed in the last government with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's regional growth programme (RGP) emerging to include a much stronger regional voice in economic development.

'If you want to invest in regions you don't want it to be willy-nilly, you want a plan and understand why you're doing it,' Henry said.

Henry wanted the new Government to build on the work done through the regional growth programme, which includes Marlborough and Nelson/Tasman as a top of the south entity.

He said it made sense for Marlborough to work with Nelson/Tasman in partnership with Government to deliver projects and the process had just started.

'It seems likely the new Government won't change that too much because we have just got that underway, and by chance we were already working across the top of the south.'

He said there was no cash attached to it yet, but the action plan developed for the combined region would attract investment from sources such as Government, iwi, business, and local government.

'The idea is that Government and the regions will co-invest on projects important to that region.'

'We met with [the ministry] last week and asked if the RGP would survive. At that point they didn't know but they expected it to continue based on what all the parties have said about regional development in their campaigns,' Henry said.

He said the region had specific needs and focus must be kept on them.

'Marlborough and Nelson/Tasman have similar primary sector economies so there will be issues for our wine industry and horticulture across the top of the south, port activities, tourism, aviation, rural broadband, immigration, regulatory processes around food safety - some will be policy stuff we want to work with Government on - and we'll have industry representation around the table as well.

'Some things need to change, but it depends on who you talk to. Immigration is important for industries in horticulture harvest and they'll want to work with the Government on that, whereas for us it could be rural broadband to bring better connectivity and also allow industries like aquaculture to use sensors if broadband technology allowed that.'