The Government has delivered the Budget, and it confirms that New Zealand’s economy is strengthening despite global volatility and the fuel crisis.
Forecasts indicate that the country’s books will return to surplus in 2028/29, which is a year earlier than anticipated. This is the result the Government’s strong economic management, a commitment to fixing the basics and building the future, and the determination of everyday Kiwis up and down the country.
In the face of global turmoil, the economy is expected to grow, on average, 2.7% each year over the next four years. Over this period, the growing economy is set to create 220,000 new jobs, with wages outstripping inflation. That means more opportunities for people to get ahead and a more secure future for all New Zealanders.
Here in the Coromandel, we’ll benefit from this growth, as well as $85 million of confirmed funding for resilience upgrades on State Highway 25 and the replacement of the Kirikiri Stream Bridge on State Highway 26. Our region has been impacted by more than its fair share of weather events, and we know the damaged that can be done to our roads and infrastructure. I welcome this new funding because we can’t stop severe weather from happening, but we can be much better prepared for it.
In other news, my colleague Hon Simon Watts visited the Coromandel electorate last week in his capacity as Local Government Minister. It was a great opportunity for the Minister to brief the area’s district and regional councillors about the Government’s proposed local government reforms, and to answer any questions that they have about the process and how it will impact our communities.
A lot of the discussion focused on the Government’s Head Start pathway, which gives councils a three-month window to put forward proposals to fast-track local government reform in their region. This initiative comes as a result of the feedback we received from some councils that they wanted to move faster and have more say on how they want to reorganise.
These proposals should focus on creating unitary authorities which combine regional and local council functions into a single organisation, reduce duplication, simplify decision-making, and have a structure that works better for their communities.
It was a robust meeting and I’m encouraging all the councils in our region to get to the front of the queue and take the opportunity for more localised control of regional functions.
