Economy setting political agenda
The political agenda for the next 12 months in Manawatu is set to be dominated by roads and headaches provided by a growing economy.
Politicians are set to switch swimsuits for business suits, with the Ratana Pa celebrations – seen as the first event in the New Zealand political calendar – coming up at the end of January.
The MPS Stuff spoke to – Palmerston North’s Iain Leesgalloway, of Labour, and National MPS Ian Mckelvie, Rangitıkei, and Nathan Guy of Otaki – were focusing on a range of topics.
But they all agreed economic and roading issues were the agenda-setters for the year.
Guy said the Otaki to north of Levin highway project was top of his agenda.
No funding was yet committed, the scope had changed from a fourlane expressway to a two-lane highway, and there was not yet a confirmed date for construction to begin, he said.
Residents were ‘‘up in arms’’ about the road, and those who owned land along the preferred corridor were in limbo, Guy said. ‘‘It is delay after delay.’’
The eradication of the M bovis cattle disease was key for farmers, with things looking good so far, he said.
‘‘Things are more positive than many thought they would be.’’
Many of the working groups set up by the Government would be returning their findings in 2019, but the Tax Working Group’s findings would be vitally important, he said.
The draft report made mention of taxing the use of natural resources – something farmers would be especially interested in knowing about, Guy said.
Lees-galloway said housing, the labour shortage and transport were set to dominate 2019.
An inability to find a place to live was the top reason why people knocked on the door of his electorate office, he said.
The influx of people to work on projects like the Manawatu Gorge replacement road and the region’s strong economic growth would put further pressure on housing supply, he said.
He supported having a separated cycleway as part of the replacement road, as it was usually easier to get it done during construction rather than after a road was built.
He understood people’s problems with the Otaki to north of Levin project having two lanes, but said transport projects in the pipeline needed funding.
The regional freight ring road, designed to link into the proposed new rail depot near the Palmerston North Airport, was one of those projects, he said.
The labour shortage was a sign of things going well, but low unemployment figures could mask the fact plenty of people were underemployed, he said.
Furthermore, the Manawatu Whanganui region had a large number of young people not in employment or further education.
Changing that required work from both the Government and private sector, so those young people could become skilled enough to take on work coming to the region, he said.
Mckelvie said the cost of living was a perennial issue, but would likely become worse.
Wages were rising, which Mckelvie said was a good thing, but that led to goods and services costing more.
The growth of the Defence Force was also key for the regional economy, especially following the deal for Singapore to base a strike force at Ohakea Air Force Base being scrapped, he said.
Racing was another key economic issue for the region, with Mckelvie, National’s racing spokesman, wanting to see what came of the Messara report.
The report, delivered in mid2018 by top Australian administrator and stud owner John Messara, recommended slashing the number of tracks and turning Awapuni into an all-weather synthetic track.
Mckelvie said the Awapuni plan had the potential to boost racing, training and breeding locally.