The regions matter
New Zealand cities are dominating the country but as Kiwis we must remember that the regions matter. The fact is that the workers in the regions produce the bulk of our exports.
Returning from the South Island’s West Coast I couldn’t help thinking about Warner Bros, SkyCity and Rio Tinto. Imagine the smirks on their faces when the National Government shovelled millions into their pockets.
They went on to make billions in profits, but they didn’t bother returning our investment.
The Government of course made a big hoo-ha about jobs and investment when they opened the purse to these giant foreign corporations. What skilled, well-paid jobs were created by the huge concessions given to SkyCity? Rio Tinto got $30 million but we got no guarantee it won’t close the Bluff aluminium smelter despite the hand-out.
Why hasn’t the Government made a similar ‘investment’ in the regions where it is a tough battle, one being the high dollar which makes their goods rather expensive on the world market. The sphagnum moss industry is a typical example, a great niche industry, that’s suffering through no fault of its own. New Zealand First’s changes to the Reserve Bank Act will bring relief to exporters.
The sad fact is the regions have been neglected, passed over by a Government backing multi-nationals.
Meanwhile, in the regions industries have been shutting up shop on a regular basis – clothing manufacturers, sawmills and mines. West Coast shop owners are feeling the effects of less money being spent as jobs are lost and workers drift away, many to Australia. It is the same everywhere – jobs go, spending reduces, businesses close.
On the West Coast we spoke about the need for New Zealand governments to be fairer in the way they hand out money.
New Zealand First wants 25 per cent of the royalties paid for the mining of minerals, such as coal, limestone, lignite and gold to stay in the regions. That’s fair.
If this had been in place in 2012-13 more than $80 million would have gone towards regional development.
We will let the regions put their share of the royalties into development. Decision making would stay local, the regionals would be in charge of the fund and not politicians in the big cities.
It’s not all doom and gloom on the West Coast, where the people’s resourcefulness has seen them through tough times. An example is a new fish processing plant is being built in Greymouth. But even in the fishing industry there is room for big change in favour of New Zealand’s welfare. Our fish should be caught by Kiwis, we want it processed here, then we can sell it. It is madness that we allow foreign boats to scoop up one our prized resources.
The regions matter, let’s support them.
New Zealand cities are dominating the country but as Kiwis we must remember that the regions matter. The fact is that the workers in the regions produce the bulk of our exports. Returning from the South Island’s West Coast I couldn’t help thinking about Warner Bros, SkyCity and Rio Tinto....
New Zealand cities are dominating the country but as Kiwis we must remember that the regions matter. The fact is that the workers in the regions produce the bulk of our exports.
Returning from the South Island’s West Coast I couldn’t help thinking about Warner Bros, SkyCity and Rio Tinto. Imagine the smirks on their faces when the National Government shovelled millions into their pockets.
They went on to make billions in profits, but they didn’t bother returning our investment.
The Government of course made a big hoo-ha about jobs and investment when they opened the purse to these giant foreign corporations. What skilled, well-paid jobs were created by the huge concessions given to SkyCity? Rio Tinto got $30 million but we got no guarantee it won’t close the Bluff aluminium smelter despite the hand-out.
Why hasn’t the Government made a similar ‘investment’ in the regions where it is a tough battle, one being the high dollar which makes their goods rather expensive on the world market. The sphagnum moss industry is a typical example, a great niche industry, that’s suffering through no fault of its own. New Zealand First’s changes to the Reserve Bank Act will bring relief to exporters.
The sad fact is the regions have been neglected, passed over by a Government backing multi-nationals.
Meanwhile, in the regions industries have been shutting up shop on a regular basis – clothing manufacturers, sawmills and mines. West Coast shop owners are feeling the effects of less money being spent as jobs are lost and workers drift away, many to Australia. It is the same everywhere – jobs go, spending reduces, businesses close.
On the West Coast we spoke about the need for New Zealand governments to be fairer in the way they hand out money.
New Zealand First wants 25 per cent of the royalties paid for the mining of minerals, such as coal, limestone, lignite and gold to stay in the regions. That’s fair.
If this had been in place in 2012-13 more than $80 million would have gone towards regional development.
We will let the regions put their share of the royalties into development. Decision making would stay local, the regionals would be in charge of the fund and not politicians in the big cities.
It’s not all doom and gloom on the West Coast, where the people’s resourcefulness has seen them through tough times. An example is a new fish processing plant is being built in Greymouth. But even in the fishing industry there is room for big change in favour of New Zealand’s welfare. Our fish should be caught by Kiwis, we want it processed here, then we can sell it. It is madness that we allow foreign boats to scoop up one our prized resources.
The regions matter, let’s support them.
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