Better infrastructure critical to economic improvement

Simon Telfer
Simon Telfer
Queenstown-Lakes residents have been advised to look outside the square in the future.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group has found a number of critical infrastructural issues have to be addressed if the region is to have a long-term regenerative economic recovery.

Chairman Simon Telfer said the group found the region’s mountainous terrain made it a highly desirable place to live, but it was hampered by a lack of energy resilience, digital resources, affordable housing and transport connectivity.

The Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group (RRAG) was formed in July 2020 in response to the challenges of Covid-19 and was made up of ‘‘diverse individuals from across our district’’.

The group was tasked with coming up with ideas on how to diversify the economy of the district in the medium to long term.

In its final report it found economic development in the district had been under-resourced and relatively narrowly focused for of years.

It provided five principles to guide towards a regenerative recovery and outlined seven areas of recommended actions, including investment in holistic community wellbeing, diversified economic development, the creation of clusters and impact investing via innovative public and private partnerships.

Mr Telfer said one recommendation was to build economic clusters.

‘‘Different communities within our district have their own unique strengths.

‘‘Rather than taking ‘a one-size-fits-all’ approach we can build economic clusters to foster a ‘what grows well and where’ approach,’’ he said.

Mr Telfer said district leaders were also asked to reflect on what the economic impact on the district would be if the climate crisis caused an influx of climate refugees and if there was a major earthquake along the Alpine Fault.

Mr Telfer said the economic recovery of the district was never going to be a short-term exercise.

‘‘It could take decades,’’ he said.

kerrie.waterworth@odt.co.nz

 

Comments

And after reading this, I must have missed what your actual ideas are?!

Please explain what an economic cluster is?

Also Queenstown won't receive an influx of climate refugees...we will shed them as a massive part of the economy is focused on winter tourism! Hopefully I've read this wrong as it sounds ridiculous!

Following that, what has an earthquake on the alpine fault got to do with economic diversity?! We all know there's a risk but however diversified we are a big earthquake will cause problems for all residents.

 

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