Whanganui will need young people embarking on agricultural careers, Mark Ward says. Photo file / Stuart Munro
The Whanganui-Manawatū Region is reaping the "first fruits" of years of economic planning, the new head of Whanganui's economic development agency says.
Mark Ward was inducted into the Whanganui & Partners job on January 7. He's encouraged by what economist Brad Olsen says about the wider region - especially its
overall economic growth, retail spending and house prices topping the national average.
He said dedicated business people, with local and central government, have been working on economic strategy for eight years or so. It is now being implemented, and the result has "enormous potential".
The economy should continue buoyant if export prices for agricultural produce stay high.
But continued prosperity will depend on finding enough skilled people in the export industries - and that is getting increasingly difficult, he said.
