Timely advice to prepare for future on our own

Clive Bibby

Opinion

When replying to Shamubeel Eaqub’s excellent advice on how we might achieve much-needed growth with or without Government assistance, l am mindful of all the submissions made to this and previous councils which have been ignored by those who feel they have a mortgage on what needs to happen next.

Unfortunately, it is an indictment on our local-body leadership that a person of Mr Eaqub’s stature and his enlightened summary is needed to remind us of things we should already know.

It shouldn’t be hard for people with responsibility for our survival to recognise we all need to forget our own selfish ideas for recovery at a time when we have few options — and even some of those options may pass us by if we continue to ignore the messenger.

The good news is that a satisfactory recovery and restructuring is well within our grasp.

Mr Eaqub shows us how it can happen.

This assessment of a future on our own is a welcome addition to those already made that suggest we have it within our power to restructure our economy, taking advantage of the government assistance available while it is still there. This may be the last opportunity to fund our future with that type of help.

But, in doing so, we can’t afford to promote programmes that will benefit only those who have an exaggerated sense of entitlement.

The time for a plan based on everybody’s needs has surely come.

We can do it but it will require contributions that are based on selfless participation in a long-term plan that uses our limited natural resources efficiently and in harmony with the environment.

In addition, while taking advantage of this last remaining opportunity to gain government assistance to help fund the much-needed restructuring, we should be careful to prioritise the key parts of our long-term restructuring plan so that our request for a share of the Government’s $1.2 billion regional infrastructure fund is accepted as such by both government and the local communities who will benefit most.

For my money, that means the bulk of the funds we receive should be spent on building infrastructure that will support a restructured, self-sufficient economy — one providing extra, reliable fresh-water storage facilities and a reticulated Poverty Bay Flats.

The rest will take care of itself, with companies operating on the East Coast in the forestry and livestock farming industries making the changes necessary to make their long-term future sustainable. The new high-end food crops developed on the Flats will provide the employment opportunities and income that have the capacity to make this region the most prosperous in the country.

A no-brainer really.