Development plans in spotlight
Key documents guiding Taranaki’s economic future are ‘‘more relevant than ever’’, the head of the region’s development body says, despite the grim picture being painted for the entire country’s finances.
Justine Gilliland, chief executive of Venture Taranaki (VT) said progress on the Tapuae Roa strategy would create a strong response to the economic challenges the region will face in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Tapuae Roa is an economic action plan centred on four futures: energy, food, tourism and the Ma¯ ori economy.
It goes hand-in-hand with the Taranaki 2050 Roadmap, which provides a pathway to transition away from oil and gas to a lowemissions economy.
Tapuae Roa and the Roadmap were under way before the Covid19 pandemic left Taranaki facing an 8.5 per cent contraction in its GDP in the year to March 2021, along with the loss of more than 5500 jobs and a $312 million decline in wages and salaries.
Those economic threats were outlined last week in a report commissioned by VT and the New Plymouth District Council.
It revealed the heavy reliance the region’s economy had on the energy sector, which will face a strong drop-off in demand.
However, financial blows would be cushioned by the primary sector, which includes farming and food manufacturing.
Gilliland said the Tapuae Roa and Roadmap documents provided a ‘‘robust’’ framework from which to respond in order to meet the future challenges headon.
‘‘For Taranaki’s economy to be strong, resilient and deliver value to everyone who lives in the region, we need to create and grow a high-value and lowemission economy,’’ she said.
She said the region was well positioned to respond to new opportunities, including the call from central government for proposals for ‘‘shovel-ready’’
Chief executive of Venture Taranaki
infrastructure projects.
But one critic of sticking with the status quo is Adnan Belushi, who, as chief executive of Johnson Corner, considers trends in terms of the economy and the future of work.
He said both documents needed to be reconsidered in light of the new economic reality that will be shaped by the coronavirus and its consequences. ‘‘All of it needs rethinking.’’ Instead of looking 30 years into the future, Belushi said there needed to be some immediate focus on what could be developed quickly within the region to provide a financial boost.
One avenue was for the region to look at creating a digital economy, he said, where people could work from anywhere using internet technology.
Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa chairwoman Liana Poutu, who was part of the lead team that helped develop the Tapuae Roa plan, believed it still had merit but the challenge now was putting the strategies into action.
‘‘I agree we need to look at the things we can get up and running sooner rather than later but I wouldn’t want to see us shelve anything.’’
As the largest iwi in Taranaki, Te Atiawa was well placed to weather the impending economic storm, Poutu said.
She believed the wider contribution by other iwi in Taranaki would make them linchpins in the region’s future too.
‘‘I think the iwi economy is going to be a significant player in the recovery as we are positioned really well,’’ Poutu said.
‘‘We are absolutely committed to Taranaki, and we are committed to the region, and we are not going anywhere.’’
‘‘We need to create and grow a highvalue and lowemission economy.’’ Justine Gilliland