Editorial: Small steps can win big for the Bay

ANZ economist Cameron Bagrie. Photo / Glenn Taylor

Cameron Bagrie is a smart man and I suppose as ANZ Bank's chief economist he needs to be.

After all, the big banks rely on their chief economists to provide forecasts and research on the New Zealand economy and financial markets.

Last week Mr Bagrie was in town addressing a Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce function and he had some interesting things to say about what our province needs to do to turn the economy around.

In fact, the one thing he said we should not do is think that there is a magic potion out there.

"Magic potions don't exist and tend to be snake oil." But, the main message he had for us was that Hawke's Bay needs to think small to stand tall. So, we have to get the small things right for success and not think too big. He said a good example of regions doing this were Queenstown and Wanaka.The most important thing to unfold in Queenstown in the past six months was the relaxation of the airport's night-time curfew rules, he said.

"That is a very simple example of how a localised initiative, which can go under the radar, can deliver over time with a big economic punch."

Whether or not amalgamation is the answer to all our problems, we still need our local leaders - business and civic - working together to see how we can grow our economy.

There are lots of good things about our province - things we do very well - so surely we can all work together to find a way of getting us off the bottom of the regional economic tables where we currently languish.

It may just be that all we need to kickstart the economy is something simple but effective.