Budget 2020: What's on Whanganui's wishlist?

Money for infrastructure and support for Covid-19 hit businesses and individuals is at the top of Whanganui's Budget wish list. Photo / Bevan Conley

With Government preparing to deliver Budget 2020 in what are extraordinary times, we asked what is on the region's wish list.

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall expects the "fun" days of the Provincial Growth Fund may be over but he still expects help for the regions in this year's budget.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson will deliver Budget 2020 on Thursday and McDouall would like some infrastructure spending - help to keep Whanganui-Auckland flights going and improve the broadband that keeps businesses running in a lockdown.

"I still think there will be some commitment to the regions, but it won't necessarily be project-based," McDouall said.

This "Recovery Budget" was also a chance to reimagine a greener economy, he said.

Virtual connection is also key, and that is where broadband comes in.

"We have got to imagine a future with Zoom rather than kilometres on the road."

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall

The other important factor will be people's welfare.

McDouall wants see a Government move to acknowledge the "heavy lifting" done by social service groups such as Jigsaw, Balance and The People's Centre.

"A pathway to partnerships was discussed 10 years ago but it didn't get anywhere with the previous government," he said.

Budget has to be "welfare x 2"

Former Whanganui River Maori Trust Board and Te Oranganui head Nancy Tuaine said this was an extraordinary Budget.

She liked the emphasis Government had on the future of work and concentration on Maori and Pacific peoples pre-Covid-19.

But she said a new group who had never needed Government help had been added and the Budget now had to be "welfare x 2".

Māori would be part of that but many had been essential workers for the last six weeks, "otherwise it would have been extra catastrophic for us".

Tauine said Government's Welfare Expert Advisory Group's recommendations, released last year and not implemented, were insightful and would help a lot.

One was to increase income support to a level adequate for meaningful participation in communities.

Nancy Tuaine headed Te Oranganui Iwi Health Authority for four years. Photo / Bevan Conley

"Those that are fortunate enough to be still in employment and have cashflow need to be spending locally," Tuaine said.

Financial anxiety

Jigsaw Whanganui chief officer Tim Metcalfe hopes to see some relief for struggling families.

"There's a lot of financial anxiety amongst our families so it will good if there are some budget announcements that will help to alleviate it," he said

"Some good investment in health, small business and education will be reassuring for families."

Metcalfe said he also hopes to see pay parity for social and support workers in the not-for-profit sector.

'Farming must pull country out of recession'

Government can help farmers by spending on infrastructure such as the roads needed to get product to market and the cellphone and internet connectivity that helps people do business, Rangitikei/Manawatu Federated Farmers president Richard Morrison said.

With drought widespread, he would also like to see investment in water storage and community water schemes.

"Farmers have been lucky in the lockdown - able to continue working and earning. They must be part of the productive sector that pulls the country out of recession - especially now that tourism is in trouble," Morrison said.

He sensed a "defrosting" of attitudes toward farmers and hopes spending to resuscitate the economy will go into long-term sustainable projects and not into vote buying.

Retraining could focus on conservation

An economic slowdown after Covid-19 is an ideal time to retrain jobless people for important conservation work, Whanganui environmentalist Keith Beautrais says.

The former science teacher is on the Te Kopuka na Te Awa Tupua group, figuring out a strategy for the Whanganui River, and also has a part-time educator role at Bushy Park Tarapuruhi.

He can see a big need for tree planting and revegetation projects and said people who lose other jobs could be retrained.

The work could happen in conjunction with the Conservation Department, a regional council or an iwi, he said.

Keith Beautrais took up a fellowship at Whanganui Regional Museum. Photo / Stuart Munro

The environment spend should keep a focus on renewable energy too, Beautrais said.

"We don't want any backsliding towards reducing pressure on our reliance on fossil fuels.

There's a widespread feeling that people don't want to return to "the old normal".

Regional hospitality and tourism 'really struggling'

Rangitikei mayor Andy Watson would like to see targeted support for small businesses, especially within the hospitality and tourism sectors, as he could see they were really struggling.

"The Government has gone out and been fantastic about wage subsidies across all sectors but some sectors are struggling more than others."

He said Rangitikei had told the Government they had several spade-ready projects that it would be fantastic to see supported.

"We want to see our people up and working and council has taken that view that we won't try and retrench and we will try and save money where we can but we want to see people back in employment."

Increased support for worst hit

Whanganui & Partners chief executive Mark Ward would like to increased support for the sectors that have been most affected by the pandemic, such as tourism and hospitality.

"If we neglect affected sectors instead of helping them adapt and innovate through this period, we'll lose the great work that's already been done to establish these sectors and businesses," Ward said.

"Some sectors, such as agribusiness and manufacturing, especially in the food and beverage area, are better positioned than others to bolster our economy during the predicted downturn ... it would also be great to see funding for training and redeployment initiatives that support job growth in those sectors.

"I'd also like to see significant investment in both physical and digital infrastructure."

Support for elder abuse victims

Age Concern Whanganui manager Michelle Malcolm said she was pleased the Government had earmarked $25 million to support victims of elder abuse.

"Other than that I tend to think this will be a recovery Budget and support for business and families will be very welcome."

Malcolm said Age Concern will not know the full impact of Covid-19 until the next funding round.

"The regular funders we rely on to support us as a charity are likely to have been impacted but we won't know where we stand until the next financial year."