Workforce, housing our way forward

Acomment made by bank economist Scott Lee in a Chronicle interview this week deserves to be picked up on.

Mr Lee reminded us of two things Wanganui has in abundance - job seekers and one of the best home affordability rankings in New Zealand.

Naysayers will see both those as an ailment we should shake off - but we would suggest those who see the glass half empty need to quietly step to one side.

Mr Lee's point was that success and innovation have not been ring-fenced by the major cities. There are a number of Wanganui-owned and operated businesses making a major contribution to the district's economy and punching well above their weight. They are not doing it in Auckland, Hamilton or Wellington; they are succeeding in our backyard.

He highlighted Pacific Helmets which makes safety helmets from its Castlecliff factory, with nearly all marked for the export market. While it has a management and research and development team, the bulk of its workers are unskilled yet are vital cogs in the production line.

Ali Arc is another example - headquartered here in Wanganui with a subsidiary operation in Canada. In a global economy often dominated by massive corporations, here's another local firm doing it's thing on a world stage and doing it well.

Getting product to the ports of Wellington or New Plymouth would not take much longer than trucking the same product from a Manukau factory to Auckland's port when you factor in the inevitable traffic gridlock. Isn't that another advantage for us?

Wanganui has an ageing population and appeal as a retirement destination for cashed-up grey-wavers, but our economy is not going to be built on superannuitants.

Some will say our lack of population growth is a hurdle, but our focus should be on the job seekers already here and looking for work. A labour pool, coupled with cheap housing, is to our advantage, and attention needs to be on getting potential employers to set up shop here.

Forget central government help - its focus is on the Christchurch rebuild and transport infrastructure in Auckland - and economic development has not been a success story for our district council either.

Economic revival must not be an exercise in fault-finding; it must be about finding workable solutions. It needs some fresh ideas, and it will help if we see a glass half full from the get go.