State of the district is mostly rosy, says mayor
Manawatu¯’s mayor says the district is experiencing a boom and employment opportunities are abundant, although housing pressure is increasing.
Speaking to an audience of urban and rural community leaders, Helen Worboys on Tuesday delivered an optimistic state of the district speech to the Makino Rotary Club.
‘‘If you want a job there is one,’’ she said.
Worboys said the Manawatu¯ district was growing rapidly before
Covid-19 struck and continued to do so - despite the pandemic - due to the strong primary industry sector and low reliance on tourism.
According to the district council’s April quarterly economic update, the region is expecting to see $4.7 billion ‘‘flow in’’ in the years leading to 2035.
The district’s unemployment rate was lower than elsewhere, but house prices had more than doubled in the past six years to more than $520,000.
Worboys said the consequence of the increased opportunities in the region, and subsequent increase in population, was rents rising 14.7 per cent and public housing demand almost doubling.
To combat this, the council intended to consult the district about social housing investments, including medium- or highdensity housing, as it developed its housing strategy.
Worboys said the council would consider a rebate scheme for housing developers, preferably non-profit ones, to try to mitigate the trend of developers focusing on upscale housing, to turn as much of a profit as possible.
Housing demand had exceeded expectations for predicted growth in the region, and Worboys said the hakea airo¯ force base expansion would mean 300 personnel and their families ‘‘dribbling in’’ next year.
To keep up with this housing demand, Worboys challenged central government to engage with local government on their desire to build more houses, which she said they have ‘‘proven they’re not able to [do]’’.
‘‘Every community has solutions ... Work with us. We have the land ... We know what our community’s needs are.’’