Bryce Heard: Budget 2019 needs to address longstanding issues

By Bryce Heard

COMMENT:

The Rotorua economy is growing steadily, and the Government's support by way of the Provincial Growth Fund is important and greatly appreciated by the thinking people of the city.

However, some longstanding and serious underlying problems need to be addressed.

First, at a national level, we need a continuation of the previous Government's investment in major infrastructure, such as upgrading roading networks connecting the major North Island cities.

In this context, and closer to home, the main access routes into Rotorua from the West (SH5) and the East (Te Ngae) are now congested and inadequate. Four lanes out to the airport and addressing the Ngongotaha roundabout are local examples of where we would like to see NZTA becoming more proactive.

Strong practical solutions to the ever-growing problems surrounding inter-generational welfare dependency are another priority for Rotorua. This is a very complex issue that begins with an education system that has 41 per cent of our students disengaged; lacks a match between the education of employees and employer needs; has some gaps in the early employment upskilling for higher duties and leads to a culture of welfare dependence.

It is not just a case of the Government throwing more money at the unemployed, but rather a thought-through and comprehensive solution that covers the whole spectrum of related issues.

The prime aim should be to bring school leavers into employment before they fall into the hole of unemployment. A comprehensive solution might feature several ingredients: