Economic Action Plan outlined

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

DISTRICT councillors and the Mayor should be careful in their comments made about the Tairawhiti economic action plan, in light of the fact they were asking the Government for a lot of money, council chief executive Judy Campbell advised them this week.

She was presenting the council with a report on Te Huarahi hei Whai Oranga (the road to regional prosperity) the district’s regional economic action plan.

There has been recent criticism from Mayor Meng Foon and others that the council has not been directly involved in the preparation of the action plan, requested by Cabinet Minister Steven Joyce who said it needed to be business- led.

A draft plan was submitted to the Government on May 9. The plan is expected to be launched here by the Government in late July.

“You will be aware that the governance group has submitted an action plan to the Government,” she said.

“That included a request for funding. I would remind councillors that we are in the midst of asking this Government for many millions of dollars. You might want to be nicer to them.

“That means if you insult the negotiator, he tends not to bend over backwards to help you,” she said.

Regional development was about hard work and persistence, the council was told.

“There have been numerous studies and reports completed in the past that gave an indication of how we can stimulate economic development.

Lacking co-ordinated and persistent effort“What has been missing is co-ordinated and persistent effort by all parties in alignment around the key priorities for economic transformation.

“The time has come to move past the discussion of economic barriers and start acting. Te Huarahi hei Whai Oranga Tairawhiti economic action plan is our first joined-up economic action plan and represents the priorities we will action together over the next five years.

“The plan has been developed by Tairawhiti businesses and agencies supporting economic development. It represents our shared investment in the future. The emphasis is on supporting businesses to thrive in Tairawhiti.

“Our focus is on creating the optimal pre-conditions for capital investment, whether it be from existing businesses expanding or new businesses choosing Tairawhiti to build a prosperous future.”

The group had worked with Kimihia he Oranga, 11 local iwi to prepare a Maori Economic Development Plan for Tairawhiti-Mohaka ki Potaka that had many synergies.

Some priorities in the plan were specific to sectors such as agriculture and tourism.

That would involve tapping potential in the primary production sector, particularly value-added production for wood processing and agriculture (manuka honey), protecting and growing horticultural capacity with the managed aquifer recharge project, promoting our place to enjoy great lifestyle opportunities and be a great place to visit including the Air NZ initiative, key tourism activities such as Tairawhiti Navigations and sestercentennial events and preparing a tourism development plan.

Enabling actions would address some of the challenges faced by the region to break down barriers to economic success.

That would include improvements to State Highway 35 and State Highway 2, the East Coast wood logistics solution, and fast tracking the Government’s broadband programme in urban and rural areas.

Decisions on priority actions for the next three years would be based on two key aspects — transformational capacity and feasibility.

“Te Huarahi hei Whai Oranga is a living document. As we deliver the priorities in this plan, new actions will emerge for us to progress,” Mrs Campbell told the council.