Both are ahead of the national level for the September quarter, according to the Waimakariri District Infometrics quarterly economic monitor report.
The quarter saw the Waimakariri economy bounce back, with 2.0%pa growth, according to the provisional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates.
On an annual basis, Waimakariri GDP rose 0.4%.
The largest contributors to the expansion were professional services, information media and telecommunications, and transport equipment manufacturing industries.
Employment of Waimakariri residents grew 1.2%pa over the year to September 2025, compared to a year earlier.
Growth in employment was positive given employment fell sharply at the national level (-1.4%pa), and narrowly in the Canterbury region (-0.2%pa).
The largest contributors to jobs growth in Waimakariri were education and training, food and beverage manufacturing, and health care.
Despite employment growth, Waimakariri residents appear cautious with their spending, as consumer spending fell 2.6%pa according to electronic card data from Marketview.
However, Andrew Blackwell, director of Blackwell’s Department Store in Kaiapoi, says since September there has been a ‘‘little bit’’ of a lift.
‘‘But what is more pleasing it has been a consistent pattern.
‘People are getting out and about and spending a bit more, and with Christmas coming on we are selling a lot of Christmas gifts,’’ he says.
Mr Blackwell said during the year up to September, there had be a really good month, but then it would go flat, lifting again before going flat for a couple of months.
Other industries he had spoken to had also experienced the up and down cycle, he says.
But the September quarter had been consistent, with a small gain on previous years.
‘‘It is promising and encouraging,’’ he says.
Enterprise North Canterbury’s Business Support manager, Miles Dalton, says the Infometric report looks good, with signs of recovery being led by the primary sector but filtering through to the rest of the local economy.
‘‘It’s too early to make bold statements but what we see in this report is reflective of what business owners are telling us, and this could be the first solid sign of economic recovery in Waimakariri.
‘‘Has the tide turned? It’s still too early to say, but fingers crossed that this report is the first of many showing improving underlying numbers.''
He says once again North Canterbury is moving towards recovery quicker than other regions.
‘‘We are seeing definite signs of improvement in most sectors, although hospitality continues to find it tough going due to slower growth in discretionary spending.
‘‘This recovery is being led by the primary sector with the benefits filtering through to the rest of the local economy.
‘‘The numbers that are coming through now are the best news we have had for quite a few years and augur well for us,’’
Mr Dalton says it has taken some time for OCR decreases to impact fixed mortgages, but many households are now seeing the impact of reduced borrowing costs.
‘‘This is showing in increased consumer confidence and a modest increase in consumer spending which in turn supports our local businesses.
‘‘The national picture indicates that we should start planning for gradual growth, but it is still early days and we are hoping for discretionary spending to increase more before we can be sure that we are at the start of a real improvement for our business community.’’
The Infometric report says annual spending is now at its lowest since the year to December 2023, even before adjusting for inflation.
But the primary sector led economic recovery has helped Waimakariri over the past 12 months.
The 2025/26 dairy payout is estimated to be $317m, just $3m lower than last season assuming the same production volumes.
Sheep and beef prices remained high with slaughter prices for lamb up 31%pa over the year to September, and beef up 29%pa.
Although, volumes are down 3.9%pa over the same period last year, higher prices were partially being driven by lower supply levels.
The Waimakariri housing market is gaining momentum, with house sales up 17%pa, and at their highest annual total in more than 20 years, according to the report.
The number of new real estate listings is pulling back from recent highs, with a sharp 17%pa fall in the September 2025 quarter.
House values have risen 3.4% from the September 2024 quarter, the fastest growth in three years.
House values are now 5.6 times the average household income in Waimakariri, increasing from 5.5 times in the previous quarter.
The number of public houses in Waimakariri increased 18%pa over the year to September, adding around 40 public houses to the district.
