Another string to West Coast's bow

It's no secret that the West Coast has the best of all worlds, says Buller Mayor Pat O'Dea.

He was responding to an economic study revealing that households on the West Coast enjoy up to $30,000 more disposable income than those in Wellington or Auckland.

"The climate, the people, the environment ... just because we don't earn as much as people in the city, these other factors are more than enough," Mr O'Dea said.

The report, from Business and Economic Research, concluded that single income households on the West Coast had a much higher disposable income than city households.

The difference was largely because of cheaper housing and cheaper cost of living.

Disposable income was calculated as the gross income less tax and mortgage repayments. The study measured single and double earning households and average house prices.

On average, someone earning $40,000 a year on the West Coast would end up with $24,700 in disposable income, compared with $19,000 in Christchurch, $10,800 in Wellington and just $3900 in Auckland.

With two incomes totalling $65,000, a West Coast household would be left with $47,500, but the same income in Auckland would leave just $26,800. Mr O'Dea said the cost of living - especially rates - on the West Coast was much lower than other areas.

"We've always recognised those benefits.

"Having said that, for a long period of time we've been one of the most deprived areas in the country ... but people's lifestyles are improving slowly but surely."

However, a technical advertising managing director, who recently moved his business from Wellington to Waimangaroa, 17km northeast of Westport, said the cost of living was comparable to living in the city.

Tony Evison, who runs Tecads, said travel costs were much more expensive, electricity was higher and groceries were much the same. His disposable income was about the same.

But he's adamant moving to the West Coast was a good choice.

"Definitely, I should have done it years ago."

He and his wife had moved for lifestyle reasons. Because their business operated via the internet, their income hadn't differed much from Wellington to the West Coast.

The big difference was fewer working hours and less stress.



Mr Evison said the lifestyle made the Coast the ideal place to live and he would recommend it to anyone.

- NZPA