Here are a few thoughts to challenge your thinking and to keep you aware of issues that may impact your company.
Simplifying Local Government
As much as local and central government politicians debate council boundaries, some truisms dictate the shape of countries and will ultimately dictate our local government regions.
Geography remains the fundamental factor in shaping the political, economic, and strategic choices of nations. It offers a compelling lens to view international and national affairs, showing that while ideas, technology, and leadership matter, the physical landscape often sets the boundaries within which nations and their local government entities operate.
The Waikato Regional Council boundaries of the Tasman Sea, Firth of Thames, Pacific Ocean, Kaimai and Mamaku ranges, Ruapehu and the Bombay Hills will define the boundaries of the Waikato long after lines drawn on a map by politicians fade away.
Our leaders need to be bold and sensible to accept that the Waikato Regional Council boundaries are logical, simple and workable.
One Waikato unitary authority is very acceptable to businesses who struggle with artificial boundaries that enforce different rules on either side of a boundary street.
We need to unify the 11 Waikato councils into one, using those physical geographic boundaries and get on with becoming stronger together.
It is then that the Waikato can truly begin to fulfil its destiny and become the prosperous powerhouse of New Zealand it has promised for so long.
It is a Tough Budget for Tough Times
So many hoped for a handout, but the cupboard is bare. Our rainy-day funds were spent over Covid, and now the global rating agencies are watching us like a hawk. Not only have we spent up to the limit of our credit, but their commentary highlighting the attitude of so many Kiwis wanting to put more on the government card is of concern.
Have we as a people become so addicted to borrowing that we cannot wean ourselves off the hit of borrowed sugar?
However we got here, the choices we had as a nation for this budget were few and far between. The strategy of borrowing to pay for operating costs only compounds the mess we leave for our children.
The 2026 Budget was finely balanced, with investment in projects that deliver a great return and bolster both health to cover most of us, and education to improve the educational outcomes for our young people. As we know, education is the rising tide that lifts all, and health fixes us when we fall over.
Aside from a tax on banks, the Minister left tax alone. It has been amazing to hear Australians talking us up as a tax haven. Who knew?
Investments that have been Greenlit
Cambridge to Piarere and the Waikato University Medical School are underway and funded. Both projects will have multi-generational paybacks for New Zealand.
One of the questions that comes out of the expressway funding is how we pay for it, and the idea of tolls has been raised.
In line with our user pays philosophy with Te Huia, we are supportive of tolls on our expressways. Alternative routes to the Waikato Expressway can easily be accessed, but the ease, time savings, speed and fuel savings of the expressway are a counter to the expense of paying a toll. It raises the question of when a national tolling system will be created for all state highways.
Our roading advocacy focus now turns to Southern Links, Piarere to Tauranga, and indeed extending the Waikato Expressway to Taupo and Rotorua.
We continue to focus on roading resilience, which is critical for roads such as SH25 on the Coromandel Peninsula and SH3 to Taranaki that connect our communities.
Fieldays
This huge event is on next week and will be a litmus test for the optimism of our farmers and our business members. Farmers have come to our rescue with outstanding export receipts and New Zealand’s recovery from recession will again be export led by them. Fieldays will give us insight into where farmers will deploy their cash.
We expect caution will predominate and expenditure will be on reinvesting in their farms with many farm inputs now at much inflated prices.
For those of you enjoying a day at Fieldays, the University of Waikato is holding sessions from their Economic Summit that will give you insights into how the boffins see the economic future for New Zealand. The Indian FTA will be big, and India have a trade pavilion that will be well worth spending time at.
We will be assisting NZTE in the International Business Centre with introducing international visitors to local firms. Fieldays is one big marketplace where businesspeople connect and trade.
Waikato Business Awards and Hall of Fame
This year will be different. We are reverting to having the Waikato Business Awards and the Hall of Fame at the same event. The Waikato Business Awards Gala Dinner allows businesspeople to celebrate the success of their peers; having the Hall of Fame included will see three business leaders honoured for their outstanding contribution to Waikato and New Zealand business.
The Gala Dinner is on Friday 6 November, so mark it in your calendar. It is also the night before election day, which will make the networking and conversations highly interesting.
For those of you who are thinking about entering the Waikato Business Awards, the closing date for your entry to be submitted is 22 June.
Regards
Don Good
