Let's get on board the ferry project

DISCUSSION GROUP: Neville Johnson (left), the man behind the ferry proposal, and business analysts Nik Zangourpoulos and Warwick Walbran present the Whanganui to Motueka feasibility study to Whanganui district councillors last week.

IT IS a common problem in many small towns and cities around the world. Plenty of academic interest has initiated frequent studies by economists, geographers, planners and tourism experts, trying to dichotomize how to develop/regenerate stagnating local economies.

These studies have concentrated on policies, practices and the various challenges for tourism and industry. The "rust belt" in the United States is an example of how some big cities have also fallen by the wayside when deindustrialisation takes hold as manufacturing declines, caused by automation and new technology which creates unemployment.

Many regions throughout New Zealand face similar challenges. Some media commentators have suggested these are zombie towns with little hope of ever recovering. We know that is certainly not the case in Whanganui--a place we are all very proud of and a place that the rest of New Zealand, and the world, have yet to discover. In Whanganui, it's our $64,000 question as well--how do "we" fix the problem?

The Whanganui District Council has restructured its economic development arm, Whanganui & Partners, reducing some of the bureaucracy and appointing a seven-member board to oversee it. With a budget of $2.7 million, the council is now considering extending this by another $200k so it can take on new staff to manage and promote Whanganui business, tourism and education opportunities.

The secret here is that you have to spend money to make money. Staff at Whanganui & Partners have been stretched to the limit to do the job we expect of them, so this financial boost will be much appreciated if the council agrees to it--and why wouldn't they? This is our economic future we are talking about here; it must be adequately funded and no doubt the new board will ensure ratepayers get value for money.

Steve Baron

Whanganui Holdings, the council's investment arm, is pumping on all cylinders, our population is growing for the first time in a long time ... things are looking positive.

But -- we cannot be complacent -- there is more required for economic success. If we are to propel our local economy to bigger and better things, then we need to pump a few more steroids into it.

As I have said in previous articles, we have to take more calculated risks--we have to find worthy projects, worthy people and we have to press government to support these projects that fit in with their voiced support of regional development. We cannot let them pay us lip service during election time, to win votes.

I think we have found a worthy project and a worthy person in a determined old bugger called Neville Johnson, who is putting 110 per cent effort into his proposed Whanganui-Motueka ferry service.

We have heard of several similar projects like this in the past that have ended up going nowhere, but this time Neville and a small group of comrades have taken it to the next level and produced a compelling and professionally compiled feasibility study to back up their idea.

The good news is that this project is highly likely to be profitable within its first 12 months. While first indications are that a freight ferry is likely to be far more profitable than a passenger ferry, once the project is running, and profitable, a passenger ferry may be the next stage.

Even if that stage is not so profitable, just imagine the axillary economic benefits to our local community through the tourism that will be driven into Whanganui, Taranaki, Manawatu and Ruapehu regions. For way too long these areas have been too far off the beaten track to get our fair share of tourism, but with a main highway route from Motueka-Whanganui to Auckland this will all change and act as an obvious tourist loop to go up and down the North Island.

It also fits in nicely with many of the policy statements that government hopes to implement and offers an unusually high level of unexpected benefits in many areas that either do not cost the government, or reduce government costs with aspects like road congestion and environmental effects.

It is also a much-needed backup should Wellington suffer from the inevitable earthquake that will possibly destroy the Wellington port and access to the South Island. Perhaps we don't need a gold-plated project with the high associated capital costs to start with. Perhaps a basic terminal, a leased ferry and dredge may very well suffice to get the project off the ground ... baby steps to start.

July 1, 2021, may go down in the Whanganui history books as the day the rejuvenation of our local economy finally took off and started to flex its economic muscle--the day of the first planned sailing of the Whanganui-Motueka ferry.

This is a calculated risk we cannot afford to pass up, even if it should eventually fail, which is looking less likely by the day. Political leaders in Whanganui, the region and government must all get behind this project and simply make it happen.

Steve Baron is a Wanganui-based political commentator, author and Founder of Better Democracy NZ. He holds degrees economics and political science.