Strong leadership key to recovery
Dunedin and the wider region are navigating uncertain territory. Dunedin city councillor looks at how we might bounce back from the Covid19 crisis.
COVID19 is likely to be the most challenging event we have experienced as a society over the past 50 years. It will shape our social, economic and environmental future for generations to come.
It’s a time of unparalleled changes — calling for strong leadership, and novel and brave responses.
The immediate response from the private sector and organisations and agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development, Chambers of Commerce, University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic, Southern Otago Regional Engineering Collective and Startup Dunedin Trust to support business has been excellent.
As community representatives, we are truly grateful for the hard work and long hours being done by everyone to mitigate the immediate shock of this event and to provide support to affected businesses and communities during an unprecedented time.
Our city, which only last month was reporting some of the best growth in the past 20 years, now faces challenges not seen for generations.
The impacts from Covid19 on our community are immediate and real, and being felt by many of our businesses. We have seen and experienced the pain already — and sadly there will be more to come.
The role of the Grow Dunedin Partners has never been more important than it is at this time. Our response to this crisis and the role we can play as city leaders, affords us both the opportunity as well as the obligation to respond to challenges in a way that not only mitigates the pain for businesses in the short term, but provides the basis for strong economic recovery and growth as quickly as possible.
Grow Dunedin Partners, including Ngai Tahu, local runaka and other local leaders, have already met to start working collaboratively on our response to this challenge.
I believe the collective strengths, leadership and wisdom of this group will allow us to quickly identify our collective priorities, establish our short, medium and longterm social and economic goals, and develop wellconsidered, lasting interventions that will take our city, region and New Zealand forward.
We are fortunate that Dunedin has strengths like no other city in New Zealand. In the immediate future we have the $1.4 billion hospital rebuild that can help provide relief for the construction industry and stimulus for the local economy. This is being supported by a range of public sector ‘‘shovelready’’ proposals which have been presented to the Government for consideration and funding.
We have already commenced work with Aukaha, the Ministry of Social Development and industry on determining how best to support the construction industry across the city and region. This work also builds on more specific analysis conducted through the Chamber of Commerce on opportunities arising with the Dunedin hospital rebuild.
In addition, we have worldclass companies and enterprises already providing services remotely from Dunedin, with no need to physically cross borders to successfully do business. New companies have made Dunedin home, helping grow the city and the community. These, combined with initiatives such as Gigacity connectivity and the new centre of digital excellence (Code), provide unique strengths for our city.
That said, it’s important we don’t lose sight of our wider region in this challenge. A strong Otago can support a strong Dunedin, and a strong Dunedin can support a strong Otago. The university, polytechnic, Chamber of Commerce and Employers Association all have a strong foot print and presence across the region.
Over the years we have recognised the value in extending our economic development collaboration across our city and region in partnership with other councils in Otago. This work, which has been supported through the Provincial
Growth Fund, means as a region, we are well placed to engage with the Government on recovery.
Now more than ever we need the collective energy, willingness, wisdom and strengths of the city and region to come together to both support those industries which are experiencing pain and provide a basis of economic and social strength for future generations to come.
Our vision of creating one of the world’s great small cities has never been so important.
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