Hon Steven Joyce
Minister for Economic Development
Hon Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries

Report reveals Manawatū-Whanganui opportunities

The Manawatū-Whanganui region has strong growth potential and could become a much more prosperous region if new investment can be attracted into a number of significant opportunities, a new report on the region has found.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy today released the Manawatū-Whanganui Growth Study: Opportunities Report, which highlights emerging opportunities in fields as diverse as tourism, aged care and business process outsourcing, as well as scope to build on the region’s existing strengths in the primary sector.

“The report identifies this region as being full of promise,” Mr Joyce says. “It is already identified as an innovation hub, with its agricultural strengths driving strong research and development specialties in areas such as biotechnology, agricultural technology, animal health and food technology. Tourism and visitor services are seen as the most immediate opportunity, closely followed by a range of agri-based development opportunities.

“Despite having strong foundations for growth, there needs to be a focus on a range of enablers such as investment attraction, transport, distribution hubs and increased access to ultra-fast broadband to realise the region’s significant economic potential. Strong local leadership and collaboration will be needed to take these opportunities forward.”

The independent report was commissioned to help increase investment opportunities, employment and incomes in the Manawatū-Whanganui region, Mr Joyce says.

“The Regional Growth Study Programme seeks to pinpoint and prioritise significant economic opportunities to improve outcomes in selected regions and therefore throughout New Zealand. Through its Business Growth Agenda, the Government is committed to helping all of our regions attract investment and create more and higher-paying jobs.”

The report proposes a package of opportunities that together, could increase jobs, incomes and investment in the region. They include eight sector-based opportunities, as well as cross-cutting opportunities to support growth, Mr Guy says.
“There are some great things happening in the region, ranging from Māori-agribusiness to successful poultry and horticultural production. There is scope to get more out of the rich and extensive hill country resource, which is now the number one region in the country for sheep and beef in New Zealand.

“Lifting on-farm performance offers major benefits, because we know the top 20% of red meat farmers in New Zealand achieve returns four times more than the average farmer. So there is significant potential to lift the productivity and profitability of the land, and add further value to the primary products the region produces.”

The Manawatū-Whanganui Growth Study was commissioned by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment and the Ministry for Primary Industries. It builds on the East Coast Regional Economic Potential Study that was released in April 2014. The Northland Growth Study was released in February 2015 and theBay of Plenty Regional Growth Study in May.

For a copy of the report: http://www.med.govt.nz/sectors-industries/regions-cities/research/regional-growth-programme/manawatu-whanganui-growth-study

ENDS

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