Economic backwaters like Northland and Gisborne should learn from the West Coast, Waikato and Taranaki which have embraced mining and intensive dairying and are now reaping the benefits, says Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce.
Joyce yesterday released the Regional Economic Activity Report which is the first time all the available economic data on the 16 regions had been pulled together for comparison.
"The report is designed to encourage more debate about what it takes for a region to be successful, and to more clearly link the decisions that are made by local stakeholders about resource allocation and usage to the number of jobs available in a region," Joyce said.
"It is my expectation stakeholders will want to use it to compare and contrast the economic fortunes of different regions around the country, and ask themselves what lessons and opportunities there are for growth and jobs in their region."
Unsurprisingly, the urban economies of Auckland and Wellington topped the household income level measure.