Tailoring policy to regional needs

Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Chris Laidlaw says the idea of special regional economic zones is worth investigating. FILE PHOTO

A proposal to the Government to set up special economic zones has been welcomed by Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman Chris Laidlaw.

The proposal made by The New Zealand Initiative research institute reported that New Zealand would benefit from a policy change that would allow local government to request regional variations on national level regulations "to suit local needs".

"In principle the idea of special economic zones is very interesting and worthy of further consideration, even if it raises some potentially awkward questions," Mr Laidlaw said.

"We certainly need more flexibility in the way local government is funded and there is a variety of options that need to be explored.

"The concept of special economic zones is one possible way to introduce more flexibility.

"Although there are questions about how the system would operate, where boundary lines would be drawn and how the environment would be safeguarded, the initiative, along with others, is worthy of further exploration."

New Zealand Initiative executive director Oliver Hartwich said the change is needed because "the policy settings that work for Auckland don't necessarily produce the same results in Southland".

"In the framework we propose, local councils would find the solutions they think would work best for them," Dr Hartwich said.

Masterton District Council chief executive officer Pim Borren will be discussing the report's implications for Masterton in his Monday column in the Wairarapa Times-Age.