Positive future plans for Wairoa

Meat works upgrade and a focus on Maori cultural tourismA multi-million-dollar upgrade at AFFCO meat works has added impetus to the economic recovery of Wairoa, but the river town is focussed on other sources of economic development.
Low stock numbers had caused uncertainty with the town's biggest employer, AFFCO Wairoa meat works.
Unemployment had risen and the district's main export had become its young people.
Wairoa deputy mayor Denise Eaglesome said the town had moved to decide its own destiny.
"We are not going to flounder around and hope something will happen - we're going to do it ourselves," she said.
The council organised a Think Tank meeting to identify opportunities, facilitated by Auckland economist Fraser Colegrave.
"There were a lot of enthusiastic people there - you've got to have enthusiasm," he said.
Ideas discussed included using the Wairoa River as a tourism focal point and Maori culture experiences. Over 60 per cent of Wairoa is Maori.
Ms Eaglesome said a group had since been formed to action items. "We are going to push forward things we can do now and plan longer term goals." Mr Colegrave said the focus was on a cultural and tourism point of view for economic development.
The sealing of the road to Lake Waikaremoana, SH38, "would definitely help", but central government funding was still several years away.
On the same day as the Think Tank was the announcement of AFFCO Wairoa's multi-million investment in a new lamb processing facility.
Developments included a single high-capacity chain to replace two existing chains, which would help the plant remain competitive in both the high and low parts of the season.
It was expected to be ready in September.
Wairoa Federated Farmers chairman, John Ross, said it was a boon for Wairoa. "We need a vibrant economy in town to keep all the service businesses that farmers rely on."
He said the plant was very well located to service the district.
Prior to the Think Tank, Ngati Kahungunu had organised for Wairoa rugby clubs to invite players, teams and supporters from around the world to take part in rugby matches and festival activities during the Rugby World Cup.
Other good news for Wairoa was that in the past six months unemployment had almost halved. In March 380 people were unemployed, down from 621 in September. Miss Eaglesome said the AFFCO investment cemented the town's new optimism. In the recent annual council-commissioned survey 94 per cent of Wairoa residents took a positive view of their quality of life.