Now it’s time to play our part.
Given the relevance of local and regional councils to all of us — ratepayers, renters, workers, business owners, students, retirees — it’s now incumbent on us to make the comparatively small effort to have our say.
What is clear is that Dunedin is at an inflection point.
Official government projections suggest Dunedin's population is set to grow by a mere 14,000 people between 2018 and 2068, far below the national average.
Wellington believes we are a dead city. I sometimes wonder if that is not also the prevailing local attitude.
There is a complacency here, built around having a world class university, the polytechnic, a (soon to be brand new) hospital and a major port underpinning the local economy.
We have a magnificent natural environment and retention of character in the built environment, long since lost from other New Zealand cities.
We have good schools and comparatively affordable housing.
We have a quality of life and an economy that muddles along almost regardless of what local leadership does.
However, if we are to grow opportunities and not just bicker about managing the status quo, we need focused leadership that is prepared to hustle.
As associate minister of regional development I can tell you first hand that Southland hustles, Central Otago hustles, other regions like Northland are hustling hard.
Dunedin has all the components, a burgeoning tech sector, a heavy engineering base, new mining projects, cool water for aquaculture and a productive primary sector on its doorstep for which to find ways to add value, create jobs and drive prosperity.
We desperately need a council that can deliver value from our rates, keep the focus on what matters and to make its citizens’ lives better with a genuine sense of ambition for the future.
From my read, we have the calibre of candidates available to deliver this step change.
Dunedin has the potential to be the most vibrant city in New Zealand.
It’s up to us to vote for it.
