Progress for Christchurch is good for the country
Funding has been committed to protecting the unique landscape and biodiversity of the Mackenzie Basin.
OPINION: The Budget will have people across the region breathing a sigh of relief.
The announcement of a $300 million capital fund delivers critical and much-needed certainty for Christchurch.
It delivers on a promise Labour made when its prospect of winning the election was far from a certainty – there were no guarantees this would eventuate until 2pm on Thursday when the Minister of Finance rose to deliver his Budget.
But more than certainty, it also shows that the Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods has sway with her cabinet colleagues.
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This Government was facing a great many competing priorities and had begun the process of managing expectations downwards ahead of Budget Day as it came to terms with infrastructure needs across the country.
Woods would have needed to convince her largely North Island colleagues that the needs of Canterbury were in line with national priorities.
She would have needed to argue that the prosperity of Christchurch, which should flow from further investment in the rebuild, would benefit the country.
It should not have been a tricky argument to make given Canterbury contributes 12.5 per cent of the national GDP and, with headroom for growth and affordable housing, offers solutions to many national problems and capacity constraints.
The success of Canterbury leads to national success.
This should not be lost on Wellington and yesterday's Budget was a recognition of this.
Joanna Norris: "The success of Canterbury leads to national success."
The additional funding will help continue our city's positive rebuild momentum, providing confidence with a forward work program for the construction sector and support further investment by the private sector, particularly in the central city.
To be an attractive place for people to live, Christchurch needs infrastructure in line with its size and importance as the South Island capital and the second-largest city in New Zealand.
A key element of the Budget that will help the city go from strength to strength is the commitment to inject an additional $1 billion into business research and development.
This incentive will see eligible businesses receive 12.5 cents back for every dollar they spend on research and development.
The funding is available to all businesses spending more than $100,000 a year on research and development.
A new fund for Christchurch showsMinister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration Megan Woods has sway with her cabinet colleagues.
This additional spending is welcome as it will help our businesses rapidly test and commercialise new ideas.
A further $100 million of new capital funding for the Green Investment Fund, designed to encourage private-sector investment in high-value, low-carbon industries, clean tech and new jobs.
The Green Investment Fund also aligns with the Christchurch City Council's strategic priority to be a leader in climate change and commitment to being net carbon neutral by 2030.
Another $2.6m has also been committed to protecting the unique landscape and biodiversity of the Mackenzie Basin funding as part of additional Department of Conservation operating funding of $181.6m.
This is a positive step to maintaining a quality visitor experience in the Mackenzie Basin which is very well served from Christchurch as the gateway to the South Island.
The $62m allocated in new capital investment for the Christchurch Schools Rebuild programme will go some way to ease the anxiety within many Canterbury communities post-quake.
Investment to date and the additional funding confirmed today has resulted in some modern fit-for-purpose environments and will be a comfort to the sector and community.
The unique post-quake environment in Canterbury has resulted in immense budgetary pressure for the Canterbury District Health Board.
Additional funding to Canterbury, from the $2.2 billion confirmed for District Health Boards over the next four years will go some way to relieving pressure on an overburdened system.
The mental health burden in particular needs specific and targeted funding.
On balance Canterbury and the South Island should benefit from this Budget, though a great deal of the policy detail will determine whether it delivers on its promise.
Joanna Norris is chief executive of ChristchurchNZ
- Stuff
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