Opinion: Neglect of provinces divides NZ

SOMEWHERE, possibly on the periphery of your awareness, you will recently have heard or seen reference to the Salvation Army's Mixed Fortunes report. I won't summarise the report for you here, but suffice to say that at the core of the report are various statistics that reflect things you already know - that provincial New Zealand is suffering from poverty, unemployment and the myriad poor social outcomes that flow on from that. In general, Gisborne and Northland perform worst on the various measures, but many other regions are in rough shape too.

What the report's analysis shows is that Aotearoa is on a path to being a divided nation - in general terms (and let's acknowledge that any statistical analysis is always a generalisation) - we are becoming a nation that can be divided into those dwelling in cities, and those dwelling in rural areas. As it stands, those living in rural areas face more hardship than those in urban areas and will not benefit from economic growth as much as urban areas - and I don't think we needed this report to tell us that poor social outcomes follow poor economic ones.

The Mixed Fortunes report offers compelling and well-researched analysis, which challenges us all to consider the New Zealand of the future. There is no evidence the current trend for the growth of the super city at the cost of the regions will reverse without intervention. As a nation we must ask ourselves if we are prepared to accept a future which is likely to include an affluent urban population engaged in the global economy and a disenfranchised, disconnected rural population.

Pan to The Hunger Games, where the provinces exist to provide resources to the city. The further the province from the city, the less valuable the commodity it produces, and therefore the more subsistence-level the existence of its population. Migration is forbidden and the lifestyle of the city-dwellers is indulgent, opulent and obscene in contrast to the meagre existence of those in the provinces.

Leaving aside the science-fiction elements, is this vision of the economic future really that different from the one that we are currently staring down? Migration may not be forbidden, but do we want a society in which our young and able are compelled to leave their community if they want any hope of a bright future, while those born into poverty and unable to move must face a bleak future featuring poor health, educational and vocational outcomes? At the same time, do we support the concept of one super city, with all the problems, pollution and politics that come with it? Sadly the current economic model creates a zero-sum game, where the gain of Auckland necessarily comes at a cost to the provinces.

I believe there are few New Zealanders who would embrace the concept of unfettered growth in Auckland at the cost of the provinces, but at the same time there seems to be little political will to do anything but throw money at Auckland's problems. One very interesting aspect of the Mixed Fortunes report reflected on the disproportionate amount of government money that winds up in Auckland, even when the analysis is carried out on a per capita basis.

There is clear evidence that without a well-planned national strategy, wealth, opportunity and positive social outcomes will only exist in any general sense in the cities. A national strategy must describe the nation that we wish ourselves to be, and must be embraced and supported by all political parties in order to ensure an appropriately long-term vision. Our current reliance on short-term thinking and the politics of popularity will merely exacerbate the current trend - as the proportion of the population in the cities grow, so does the politicians' will to address city issues at the neglect of regional ones.

So what can overcome the tyranny of distance and neglect and provide transformational opportunities for the provinces? Surely part of the answer must be in the establishment and growth of businesses that export knowledge, rather than products. Automatically the playing field is somewhat levelled and regional economies compete with more equality.

Ultimately, we need to bring more money into the regions. Money creates jobs and enables social transformation. It makes no sense to grow economies based on primary industries in which for every dollar that comes into the region, as much or more is incurred as cost to the local environment and infrastructure.

While complacency towards the plight of the regions exists at a national level, we must do what we can at a local level to improve our lot. There are amazing initiatives under way all over provincial New Zealand, but we need coherence and a shared vision.

So what can you do? If you do nothing else, vote with your ... vote. As soon as you're 18 in this country you get to have your say at both local body and national elections - don't waste it. Take the time to become informed about issues and initiatives - make your voice heard and your vote count. Living in the provinces is a great lifestyle choice, but it needs to be better.

-Nicky Solomon is a self-employed mother of two young girls who moved to Gisborne in 2006 to enjoy the provincial lifestyle, and has fallen in love with the first place to see the sun.