Dismantling the theory of ‘Zombie towns’

A national research project using Timaru as a case study is being welcomed by the business and local government for taking aim at the idea of ‘‘zombie towns’’.

The government-funded research, titled ‘‘Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities’’ is challenging the idea, expounded by economists such as Shamubeel Eaqub, that New Zealand towns are in permanent decline.

One of the research’s authors, University of Auckland Professor Deborah Levy, said there were ‘‘big debates’’ across the country in regards to so-called zombie towns.

‘‘This [concept] just didn’t feel quite right to us and we wanted to look more into it,’’ Levy said.

From the national commentary around the decline of the regions, ‘‘we were expecting to come into a zombie town here in Timaru, and that was certainly not what we found’’, she said.

‘‘Growth is happening quicker than people realise, and there’s not zombie towns, especially in tourism.’’

Timaru District Mayor Damon Odey poured scorn on the idea of Timaru being a zombie town.

‘‘I’ve heard economists for years when I have been at local government conferences ... especially in the North Island, getting up and telling me about zombie towns.

‘‘You come down here where my unemployment levels are at 2 per cent, and people are enjoying really good income streams because of our national and international companies in our region.

‘‘When you look at what is happening in our district, with some of that growth, with some of our housing numbers ... I definitely wouldn’t class us as a zombie town

South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce chief executive Wendy Smith welcomed research that provided hard evidence of the growth in Timaru and South Canterbury.

‘‘I think any research into the development of the regions and the associated recognition of supporting services required is valuable.

‘‘In Timaru we are challenging a lot of the Stats New Zealand data around growth because we think that is flawed. We believe there has been significant growth here that outstrips the Stats New Zealand figures.’’

Smith said the research project could help to provide the ‘‘additional hard data’’ that was needed to prove the recent growth in the district and wider region.