Hon Gerry Brownlee
Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery

6 December 2012 Speech Notes

Launch of the Canterbury Economic Recovery Programme, Addington Raceway, Christchurch

Today’s launch of the Economic Recovery Programme is an opportunity to reflect on how far Canterbury has come since the earthquakes, and the many reasons we have to be optimistic about the region’s future.

It’s an incredible testament to the resilience of the business community that based on recent estimates regional GDP for Canterbury has bounced back to pre-earthquake levels.

Economic activity data has shown Canterbury to be the fastest growing region in New Zealand over the past 18 months, and the rebuild proper is only just beginning.

Here are some of the highlights:

In the latest Household Labour Force Survey unemployment fell from 5.5 per cent to 5.2 per cent; our total labour force rose while jobless numbers declined.

Canterbury is now recording positive inward migration. Official estimates are that the population of greater Christchurch has fallen by less than 2 per cent since the quakes, while Selwyn has grown by 6.9 per cent, and Waimakariri has grown by 3.3 per cent.

Not only are people choosing to stay, Canterbury leads the way in optimism. A net 36 per cent of households expect mainly good economic times in the year ahead.

The growth of consumer spending in the last year is the highest of any region in New Zealand. According to Paymark’s October data, spending in Canterbury increased by 6.5 per cent year-on-year.

Employment opportunities will continue to flow, with SCIRT identifying the need to attract 900 new entrants to the infrastructure rebuild industry over the next 12 months to support its work programme.

An additional 300 people will need to be recruited each year to cover standard attrition.

SCIRT, assisted by a number of industry providers and workplace tutors, will also provide a range of training opportunities.

As the rebuild gathers pace, construction activity continues to accelerate.

The number of building consents for new residential dwellings in Canterbury increased by 80 per cent in the 12 months to September.

And non-residential building consents grew by 81 per cent in the same period.

So Canterbury, post recovery, is going to have a solid economic platform to grow from.

The challenge is to see that we do that, and identifying the best means by which to succeed has been the role of Steve Wakefield and his Economic Recovery team inside CERA.

Before I ask Steve to speak about the Economic Recovery Programme I would like to make two points.

The first is that we’ve been very lucky to have a person of Steve’s experience and capacity inside CERA.

Having led the economic recovery team in the compilation of this plan and its work programme, Steve is leaving CERA to return to his role as managing partner at Deloitte.

And Deloitte will be very pleased to have him back, not the least because Steve has just been named chartered accountant of the year by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.

That is a huge accolade Steve, and one I know is richly deserved.

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your service to the recovery – we’ve been very lucky to have you on board and I know you’ll be missed by the CERA team.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

Among Thursday’s main talking points:

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring: such as trimming by $200 million the amount of new spending next time around.

With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

Budget Report, Lockup Audio & Images: Budget Day 2013 As always and especially after the managerial mishaps of the past few weeks and months, (e.g. Aaron Gilmore, the Mighty River Power share float, the GCSB mishaps) Budget Day 2013 was always going to be a pageant of reassurance... More>>

Budget 2013 Comment: Plain Sailing, But It's No America's Cup Pattrick Smellie: Compared to the last four budgets, this year's reflects an economy moving out of recession and into calmer waters... Yet if the fastest annual growth rate we can expect over the next two years is 3 percent - with the Christchurch rebuild in full swing - then you'd have to say New Zealand's underlying low-growth problem is far from fixed. More>>

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access
• Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
• Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
• Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
• Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

• Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
• Labour - Government to extend protest ban
• Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
• 2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage