Where’s the national strategy?

There is nothing more certain in today’s environment than the old saying ‘‘one of the very few constants in life is change’’, which by its very nature creates uncertainty and fear of the unknown in our minds.

The Gore District Council’s Long Term Plan, setting out our work programme to 2025, probably fits the change criteria perfectly given the large capital spend planned for water assets and the proposed modification to how rates are allocated.

Certainly, questions have been raised in some quarters about the need and timing of the large projects, and of course why on earth would you change the way rates are allocated. These are both very good questions. Over the next couple of weeks the council will consider in earnest each point raised and vital role in building its future.

In short, the agricultural component of New Zealand has in many ways delivered the high standard of living we enjoy. We have been riding on the sheep’s back, so to speak. Of course the poor old sheep has, in recent years, had to take a back seat to dairy cows, but the adage still rings true.

Rampant technological development means the agricultural sector is visibly different to even a decade ago.

One thing remains the same, though, and will do so well past my lifetime, that vibrant agricultural businesses need vibrant and thriving communities to service them. In short, we need each other.

For many reasons rural towns have been on the back foot for probably about 30 years.

Now the challenge of meeting increasing Government standards and community expectation means we have reached the point where the rubber meets the road.

The cost of infrastructure capable of meeting ever increasing demands, both in the regulatory sense and community expectations, have really pushed