Celebrating our Success
Have we, in the Waikato, been too humble for too long?
Christchurch, Canterbury and the rest of the South Island are singing their own praises in concert and are getting attention and investment at present.
It is time for the Waikato to sing our own praises more. We have one of the most complete economies that covers rural, tech, manufacturing, education, medical, hospitality, energy, health, tourism, logistics; the list goes on.
It is time for our city and regional leaders to point out to the rest of the world just how good we and the region are.
Take one example. Tourism. One in six visitors to New Zealand come because they will visit Hobbiton. That is phenomenal. But we locals all know there is more, much more. Waitomo Caves, Sanctuary Mountain, the surf at Raglan, Hamilton Gardens, the pristine beaches of the Coromandel, our lakes and rivers and our green, verdant grass, farms and forests.
We are humble to a fault. The $100million we wasted on a train to Auckland would have bought us a lot of smart publicity talking up the benefits of visiting or living, working and playing in the Waikato. Our leaders need to get on that train.
Economic Activity in the Waikato is Rising
The Waikato is the leading economic growth region in the North Island.
For the past year, economic activity in the Waikato has been rising. Infometrics reports that our GDP growth rate has been 2.3% over the year, in excess of New Zealand’s 1.7%.
Increased rural returns have been the foundation for Waikato’s record, and with the recent announcement of an increase to the dairy payout for next year to a midpoint of $9.75 ms/kg, that foundation is looking stronger. The global outlook for protein is high and increasing, which should give us confidence in our near- and longer-term future.
That economic good news is being replicated quietly across the region as farmers and other export-oriented Waikato industries report good returns and invest their cash in their businesses. Banks are reporting farm balance sheets are strong as farmers have paid down debt and have money on deposit for a rainy day.
It has been a while, but the return of cranes to the Waikato skyline at the Ruakura Superhub, the University Medical School, Union Square and the Mistry Centre Pullman hotel development is a welcome sign that the Waikato is beginning to boom.
Housing
For some time, we have been following Tony Alexander’s research into the housing market. It is timely and grounded in frontline insights. The continued presence of FOOP, the Fear of Overpaying, continues to haunt the residential market. Residential housing has been a significant driver over the past few decades of New Zealand’s economic growth, and that growth is currently tepid.
In the long run, demand and supply dictate house pricing, and at present we seem to have an oversupply in parts of the market with big developments such as the Peacockes and Rotokauri projects. If that is the case, then the FOOP negative headlines will be around for a long time.
Tony Alexander: Where real estate agents are seeing the steepest house price falls, All things property, under OneRoof
The Fundamentals are Changing for Local Government
The RMA changes, AI and transfer of water assets.
Local government is changing and swiftly. Despite the hold on the Simplifying Local Government process until after the general election, there are other forces at play in this issue. The RMA has gone, and the legislation that replaces it will require fewer staff and less delay. Couple that with Fast Track and add in the changing administrative paradigm that comes with AI, and you have a significantly lower need for council staff. Add to that the transfer of water assets, and you can envisage that the size and scope of local government will be much diminished in future.
The biggest change to New Zealand in a generation is flying under the radar | Stuff
The New Zealand judicial system has a lot to answer for the delays and the resulting reduction in getting stuff done, as Deborah Chambers eloquently points out.
RMA reform: How the courts helped drive NZ’s fast-track regime – Deborah Chambers - NZ Herald
We must ensure our infrastructure developments do not get bogged down by excessive red tape and get sabotaged by judicial activism. New Zealand’s productivity is abysmal; the new legislative changes will make a difference.
The Government We Deserve
“Every nation gets the government it deserves.”
Wrote French philosopher Joseph de Maistre in 1811. More than two centuries on, it remains a reminder as New Zealanders head to the polls this Saturday.
It is tempting to treat elections as something done to us. They are not. The quality of the next government will reflect the quality of attention we give this one decision: whether we read past the slogans, question the costings and weigh what each party would actually mean for jobs, investment, infrastructure and the cost of doing business in the Waikato.
Businesspeople make hard calls on imperfect information every day. Voting asks the same of us. Advance voting is open now, and polling places are open from 9 am to 7 pm on Saturday.
If you are enrolled, vote.
If we want a government that earns its keep, the effort has to start with us.
2026 Waikato Business Awards
With 905 guests seated at the Arena in Claudelands for the 2026 Waikato Chamber Business Awards, supported by Fosters, this Friday night will be one to remember.
A big thank you goes to the 32 independent Judges under the leadership of Jason Trower.
The Awards process started back in April, and the finalists were announced in September, so it has been a long haul to the gala dinner evening.
We wish those involved all the best. Whatever the outcome for you, the independent judging process and judges' feedback will be worth the wait.
Regards
Don Good
