Our regions are vital to our success. If they don’t succeed, our country doesn’t succeed.
That’s why Labour will take a hands-on approach to helping our regions unleash their potential. We will work in active partnership with their industries and community leaders to support local development, create jobs and economic growth.
This is about creating a country that is fair and benefits all its people. We cannot afford to keep losing the tens of thousands of workers who are leaving the regions in search of better opportunities in Australia.
Under National, Kiwis in the regions are losing their jobs. Their education funding is being cut, including $32 million from regional polytechnics. Money for local roads is also declining as National diverts funding to its Roads of National Significance.
This can’t continue. Labour will stand up for our regions. We’ll modernise our economy so that the heartland prospers again through our skills, our innovation, our investment in higher productivity and high-value exports.
Labour will foster an active partnership with the regions and work with industry and community leaders to create jobs and economic growth.
That said, local problems need local solutions. I want to hear your ideas about how we can boost the success of our regions. Please take a look below and use the form at the bottom of the page to share your views and ideas.
Since National came to power, the unemployment rate in Northland has risen from 7.1% to 8.7% in March this year. We’ve seen 2,293 people leave the region looking for better incomes and a better life in Australia
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Centres like Whangarei can’t afford to lose 1210 of their best and brightest across the Tasman. In the Far North District 861 have left while 222 have moved to Australia from the Kaipara region.
Northland is feeling the sting of job losses. There have been 67 positions cut from the Work and Income contact centre. While in the private sector, Sanford oyster plant cut 66 jobs in Kaeo. The Whangarei District Council has also shed 25 jobs.
- Shane Jones, Labour MP
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis in our towns and small communities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Hamilton can’t afford to lose 1742 people to Australia. Towns like Otorohanga are suffering too with 86 of its residents leaving for better paying jobs across the ditch.
The Waikato region is the productive heart of New Zealand and yet it is consistently over-looked by this Government. We continue to lose our jobs, our talent and family members overseas and to make matters worse, the majority of state assets being sold by National are from our region.
Hundreds of Waikato residents have lost their jobs since National came to power. IRD in Te Rapa has cut 54 positions in the last couple of years while the Department of Conservation has shed 10.
Those working in the private sector are also suffering, with 140 jobs lost at SCA Hygiene, 63 at THL Motors, 27 at Pacific Aerospace and 25 at a bottling plant in Paeroa.
Waikato residents want to work. We know that because 1000 people queued for just 140 jobs at the new Countdown supermarket in Hamilton last year. What our people need is opportunity and an economy that supports businesses and helps them grow.
- Sue Moroney, Labour MP
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Small centres like Hastings simply can’t afford to lose 863 of their best and brightest across the Tasman. Napier said goodbye to 760 residents and 109 left Wairoa for Australia.
Job losses are causing real financial pain in the region. Work and Income on the East Coast has shed 22 jobs under National’s watch. IRD in Gisborne has cut 10 positions and 14 have gone at IRD in Napier.
In the private sector, Ovation meatworks cut 304 positions and Pacific Wood Products has let 41 workers go because of the economic downturn.
People want to work. They just need the opportunity.
- Moana Mackey, Labour MP
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
Since National came to power, the unemployment rate has almost doubled in the Bay of Plenty from 4.5% to 8.5% in March this year. In the year to June, 4024 people left the region for higher incomes and a better life in Australia.
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Centres like Tauranga simply can’t afford to lose 1691 of their best and brightest across the Tasman.
Another 1050 left Rotorua along with 528 from the Western Bay of Plenty and 514 from Whakatane. Smaller communities are also being hit with 137 leaving Opotiki and 104 heading across the ditch from Kawerau.
Job losses are causing real financial pain in the region. IRD in Rotorua has shed 38 jobs while its branch in Tauranga has lost 34. Work and Income has axed 15 positions and 3 have gone from Housing NZ in Rotorua.
In the private sector, there were 40 jobs lost at Goodman Fielder bakery, 38 from NZ Dairy Processing and 37 at SEEKA.
People want to work. We saw that when 350 people queued for just 45 jobs at Rotorua’s new Wendy’s restaurant last year. They just need the opportunity.
- Moana Mackey, Labour MP
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Centres like Palmerston North can’t afford to lose 821 of their best and brightest across the Tasman. In Wanganui, 445 have left along with 146 from Rangitikei.
The hardest hit has been defence force personnel living in the region. A whopping 293 jobs have been cut under this National Government as part of its civilianisation project.
IRD in Palmerston North has cut 22 jobs and Housing NZ 13. In the private sector, 48 jobs were lost at New Zealand Swan Products and 22 at Tangiwai sawmill.
We know that people want to work. We saw evidence of that when 600 people queued for 160 jobs at the Countdown in Palmerston North and 100 stood in line for 12 jobs at the new KFC in Wanganui. What they need is the opportunity to get ahead.
- Iain Lees-Galloway, MP for Palmerston North
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. Centres like New Plymouth can’t afford to lose 914 of their best and brightest across the Tasman. In Ruapehu, 153 people have headed across the ditch along with 242 from South Taranaki and 76 from Stratford.
In the Government sector, we’ve seen Work and Income shed 31 jobs and IRD New Plymouth has cut 34 positions. In the private sector, there were 90 jobs lost at Hurlstone Earthmoving Limited when it went bankrupt and 41 at Yarrow’s bakery. Open Building Solutions shed 27 positions and 42 went at Ensign drilling.
- Andrew Little, Labour MP
MP Labour vows to develop economy - Taranaki Daily News, 8 Aug 2012
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small cities and towns is hurting heartland New Zealand. We’re seeing regional job cuts across both the Government and private sector. In Nelson, IRD has cut 24 positions – 38% of the workforce – since 2008. The Work and Income contact centre has shed 24 jobs too.
In the private sector, we’ve seen the Marlborough Express lose 27 positions.
We know that people want to work. We saw evidence of that when 800 people queued for 70 jobs at Bunnings in Blenheim earlier this year. What people need is opportunity and an economy that supports businesses and helps them grow.
- Maryan Street, Labour MP
Pie shop as good as gone - Nelson Mail, 7 Aug 2012
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. The Buller district can’t afford to lose 118 of their best and brightest across the Tasman. In the Grey district, 121 have left while 52 have headed across the ditch from Westland.
Job losses are causing real financial pain too. There have been 14 jobs cut from IRD in Greymouth and the Department of Conservation on the West Coast has shed 6 positions. People want to work, they just need the opportunity.
- Damien O’Connor, Labour MP for West Coast/Tasman
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small cities and towns is hurting heartland New Zealand. We can’t afford to lose 1030 of our best and brightest people from Dunedin, 409 from Queenstown, 206 from Central Otago and 180 from the Waitaki District.
Dunedin has a lot to contribute to the rest of New Zealand. Our tertiary institutions have a strong reputation that draws students from across the country and further abroad. That is well known.
What is less well-known is that innovation in the health and social service sector has often informed developments in the rest of New Zealand. We also have plenty of success stories in the ICT and technology sectors.
It is frustrating that the Government is gutting services in Dunedin. Instead of sharing our successful social service and health models with the rest of the country, we are having second-best cookie-cutter solutions imposed on us.
When services are centralised, the Government loses touch with the regions. Since June 2009 four jobs have been cut from the Department of Conservation in Dunedin, IRD has cut 42 positions and you can no longer walk into the Housing NZ office without an appointment. This means is that it is getting harder to access services locally that we all pay for.
- David Clark, MP for Dunedin North
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
The lack of opportunity for Kiwis choosing to live in our small towns and cities is hurting heartland New Zealand. We can’t afford to lose 583 of our best and brightest workers from Invercargill, 208 from the Southland District and 134 from Gore.
Job losses are causing real financial pain. There have been 32 jobs cut from the Southern Work and Income contact centre and 53 shed at IRD in Invercargill. In the private sector, we’ve seen Winton Sawmill cut back 22 positions.
That hurts our local communities, businesses and families.
“Funding and services are also being stripped from our regions, including local road funding. The flat-lining of maintenance money for local roads is a huge concern in Southland. It is short-sighted and will create greater costs in the long-term for ratepayers as well as central Government.
Labour will make our regions a priority. We will actively pursue new ideas for growth and find innovative ways to support developments that encourage local industry to grow. We will invest in education so regional residents are highly-skilled.
- David Clark, Labour MP for Dunedin North
Local problems need local solutions. We want to hear your ideas and feedback!
