You can feel the tides of Wellington are slowly starting to turn
The tides of Wellington go in and out over the years, the popularity of our city moving in and out of the nation's consciousness. I think we are on the verge of another sea change. We have experienced a protracted period of another brain drain, being embattled economically, skills shortages, with everpresent generational frustrations. Now it is the time for change.
Why? Because the drive to try new things feels tangible, and because we owe it to ourselves. We’ve been suffering too long from the effects of a global downturn; often the victim of forces beyond our control. But I sense here in Wellington there’s a growing appetite, a collective attitude shift, towards something better awaiting us. I don’t think that this is political but rather deeply pragmatic. We can’t control everything, but we can lean into those aspirational qualities that we consider our cultural bedrock; community spirit, collective action, a society that values social justice and wants to innovate. I’m not at all ready to give up on this idea.
That’s the culture I grew up with and have held onto in adulthood. Admittedly it came with some challenges - with a creeping sensation that I was sold a lie as a child of the 80s and 90s with an image of egalitarian, meritocratic society, that is perhaps more a cultural mirage than reality. Indeed, as one of the older millennials, I see that our society suffers cognitive dissonance. Gone are the days a family could be sustained by a single worker. No longer is it easy to imagine owning a house, vehicles, a small bach (and a boat to boot!) - if we simply put in the time on average income jobs.
The realities of renting, cost of living, and urban life in Wellington inform a far more difficult path towards financial security and the comfortable Kiwi lifestyle I remember so fondly growing up.
Moving to Wellington for university in the mid 2000s, I was captivated by the Absolutely Positively Wellington campaign and it resonated with my experiences here. It was the city of culture, arts, events, friendship and opportunity. I used to joke with my friends that “The American dream is alive and well, but it’s here in Aotearoa”. I really felt we were a city on a path to unbreakable brilliance; having just launched Lord of the Rings, with a new buzzing creative sector, it felt like there was nothing we couldn’t achieve if we set our mind to it.
The feeling is still with me. I love this place. The things that brought me here keep me here; a deep appreciation of the diverse people, the wonderful urban environment circled in forests, our vibrant events sector, our ability to band together and work through our issues; even when they seem intractably difficult.
I’m still holding onto that Wellington culture that has its eyes forward. It's one that profoundly values our foundation in Te Ao Māori, our unbeatable natural landscape, our biodiversity and commitment to preserving the green and the blue. Our inbuilt understanding that our natural heritage is what we pass on to our children; in the form of hiking our mountains, swimming in our rivers, growing fresh produce and living in harmony with our land. It’s also our commitment to a prosperous people, adept at global trade and being the best place in the world to do business.
Like a lot of people my age I’ve considered moving overseas, earning better money elsewhere where I might have the chance one day of owning a home within my own lifetime. But after years of being down about it, I’m ready to accept the challenges and tackle them head-on. I started my businesses here from humble beginnings and was given a chance by this society to grow them. Wellington has been good to me, even if, like a lot of people my age, it feels like there’s an impenetrable glass ceiling. Now, however, I feel is the time for us to punch through it.
So what do we need to do differently to rise to our own cultural identity? The answers aren’t easy and they confront us all, young and old.
We millennials need to accept the economic conditions we grew up with are not the ones we have now, regardless of how fair or not we feel that is. To grow Wellington’s and the country's prosperity, we need to think entrepreneurially, embrace a positive business culture, and focus on the kinds of exports that will bring money in from overseas. These exports should connect to our brand as leaders in the environment and innovation; things like ecotourism, soft power in the form of cultural/media/ arts, “weightless exports of Kiwi talent” such as our digital services and products sector - not to mention our burgeoning games sector, which is already a force to be reckoned with. We need to grow our presence in fintech and make our domestic banking sector stronger.
Our primary industries historically catapulted us to leadership in the developed world; they keep us going and we shouldn’t undervalue them. However on their own they’re not going to sustain us into a new global economy that is increasingly competitive and rewarding to those who can think ahead of the curve.
The challenge for our generations is also a personal one. We need to work together, accept the significant divides in culture that have separated us, and learn from each other. Millennials need to accept the mantle of leadership and the burden it brings, and boomers need to acknowledge that we are just as hard-working and focused as they were.
I’ve never been more convinced of our ability to embody a positive collective spirit, capable of overcoming significant obstacles, as I was during the TEDxWellington event recently held at Rutherford House, for which I had the pleasure of being a main organiser. Seeing our local talent on-stage, young and old, being broadcast to a global audience, made me so proud of what we are capable of.
Our ideas are fresh, our people are amazing, our drive is palpable. While we can’t shy away from the inequities in front of us or sweep them under the rug, we can start having seriously pragmatic discussions about what growth looks like and take the initiative.
I for one love this place too much to not be excited about the future. I owe it to my 1-year-old daughter to try to fulfil that positive cultural image I was brought up with. Even if it's going to involve a lot of hard work, focused discipline and time to get there, I think we all owe it to ourselves to give it a damn good go.