Comment: What Rotorua's mayor wants to see in the Budget

Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick. Photo / File

COMMENT:

We need this Budget to deliver confidence – confidence that people who are hurting will be adequately looked after and supported to get back on their feet, and confidence that our economy can re-start and re-shape as needed, in an environment that supports and enables that to happen and, importantly, keeps people in work.

Job retention and creation are crucial for the overall wellbeing of our communities and to minimise the social impacts associated with hardship.

Covid-19 has changed everything and there are still many unknowns, which means the Government needs to allow for a level of flexibility to enable us to adapt to, and address emerging issues.

Some of our businesses won't survive and we can expect to see an increase in the number of people unemployed and facing hardship. That means that our people and our businesses need ongoing assistance and support.

In Rotorua, as elsewhere, we will need more social support and our social agencies, including Central Government agencies and the health sector, need to be adequately boosted to enable the delivery of that support so people don't fall through the cracks.

Businesses also need ongoing support in the form of assistance packages and sector-specific funding to help them continue operating and give them the ability to implement new initiatives and developments. That will then enable them to operate with confidence and if they are in a position to do so, to consider opportunities to grow and/or diversify.

Direct Government investment in infrastructure that supports employment and development like much-needed housing – which ultimately supports community wellbeing – is crucial.

Councils also face challenges and can't do it alone, so the Government's contributions are critical. We look forward to seeing what comes out of the 'shovel-ready' applications that have been put forward for the Rotorua district and to any other assistance for local government to support our leadership role in local economic recovery.

Skills training and workforce development aligned to industry needs and potential diversification are more important than ever and I know the forestry and wood processing sector, for instance, is already working on this alongside Government.

I believe the most crucial thing for effective delivery of outcomes the Budget seeks to address across New Zealand is government agencies working in an integrated way, to ensure the best possible support for our communities.

Rotorua Lakes Council is prepared to work alongside Government, its agencies and other service deliverers to assist with that to get the outcomes our people and our district need.

Steve Chadwick is the mayor of Rotorua.