SoRDS strategy closer to unveiling
It’s not meant to be a tease, but the Southland Regional Development Strategy’s much-anticipated bottom lines are emerging like the dance of the seven veils.
An update will be presented to Southland’s business community on Thursday after four of the nine action teams reported to the governance group on Wednesday. The other five report on August 8.
Though action group chairmen have been giving glimpses of the way things are headed – aquaculture looming large, for instance – the single concise plan featuring a small number of specific measurable goals to grow Southland’s population by 10,000 people by 2025, isn’t likely to publicly emerge until a launch in late November.
This week’s updates are part of a process leading up to the group taking its messages to Southland’s mayoral forum in September.
The public has been assured the draft strategy will be available for community consultation and feedback but that’s the other side of the mayoral forum.
SoRDS governance group chairman Tom Campbell said only then would the group be in a position to lay the entire strategy before the public.
‘‘There’s a lot of stuff which is not secret at all,’’ he said.
‘‘Most things we are unveiling as we go.’’
SoRDS programme director Sarah Hannan yesterday confirmed that the November launch would be where ‘‘big bottom-line’’ specifics like rationales, time lines, investment required, and various partnerships would emerge.
In some cases, such as the vibrant urban centres team recommendations, a significant degree of consultation would be required.
Less so others that may, for instance, relate to industries already engaged in the formation of the goals which would then just need getting on with their own agreed tasks.
The strategy is a two-year programme commissioned in late 2014 by the mayoral forum to provide a singleminded, united approach to regional development.
Such is the importance being placed on it that in some cases longstanding projects like the rejuvenation of the Invercargill central business district have been synced in to ensure they harmonise with the strategy’s wider pictures.
The nine action teams are: new industries; innovation; welcome Southland; ease of doing business; inclusive communities, destination attraction; tourism; business extension and vibrant urban centres.
Campbell said the effort and time put in by the teams had been extraordinary.
‘‘I’ve got no doubt that if Southlanders are determined enough, and prepared to convert those plans into firm actions, then SoRDS’ twin objectives of significant population growth and economic diversification will be achieved,’’ he said.
More people was the key to economic growth, skilled workers, vibrant communities, a better lifestyle and improved health, education and social services in Southland, he said.
Hannan acknowledged that because the nine teams had been liaising closely with their governance group, Wednesday’s reports would not contain great surprises for them.
But that did not make them rubberstamp meetings.
It was a case of increasingly getting down to specifics and in that respect the group representatives would be challenged and questioned on the details.
Among the indications that have already publicly emerged, the ease of doing business team headed by Southland District Council chief executive Steve Ruru is working on getting more consistency into the treatment developers have from Southland’s councils, and looking for examples of district plans being needlessly restrictive.
The new industries team headed by SouthPort chief executive Mark O’Connor has confirmed that acquaculture is an industry ‘‘we are paying a lot of attention to’’.