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AUGUST 3, 2023
A fire alarm interrupted Waipā councillors’ questions to economist Brad Olsen following his State of the Nation speech this week, but it provided time for an interview with senior writer Mary Anne Gill.
‘Momentum’ in Waipā
Leading economist Brad Olsen has told Waipā residents to prepare for fewer infrastructural projects in the short term across the district because of huge increases in the costs of building roads, bridges and footpaths. Talking to councillors at a workshop before the Strategic Planning and Policy committee meeting this week, the Infometrics expert said his company was increasingly telling councils to have a greater level of priority. “That means a difficult and important conversation with your communities.” Do the top five (projects) and the
six to 10 would have to wait. “It means saying no to some stuff,” he said. But elsewhere in the presentation, Olsen was generally positive about the outlook for the district in his fifth annual State of the Nation address for Waipā. Spending is up and “there are now clear economic indicators, more people, they’re excited, they’re energised.” While the district had a lot of economic activity coming through – thanks to the investment in industrial and commercial areas in places like the airport – increasingly other districts were being seen as
attractive. South Waikato was one district providing competition. “Waipā did avoid the much larger hit that the national economy did during Covid. There is a lot of momentum behind the Waipā economy.” He said that included strong levels of employment growth, particularly among Māori which was up eight per cent. Total growth of 3.1 per cent was double the national average. The district has the 14th best economic outcome among all 63 territorial authorities but those ahead of Waipā – like Waimate in the South Island - were coming from a
lower base, said Olsen. Employment in the primary industries, construction, manufacturing, retail and science and technology leads the way. Having those technical services in fifth position was good news for Waipā because it is a group that increasingly works from home and chooses to live in this district, he said. Accommodation, food services, education and health were growing. House prices in the district had not declined as much as other districts and importantly were now above 2021 but lower sales levels
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Brad Olsen kicked into the Waipā District Council carpark during a fire alarm this week.
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Photo: Mary Anne Gill.