Last weekend Mayor Barbara Arnott and I spent the weekend in London at the New Zealand Opportunities Expo. This is an expo which seeks to attract UK people to relocate to New Zealand. The expo has nearly 50 stands with employers, bankers, recruitment agencies and some regions.
This is the fifth year we have done this and from a Hawke’s Bay perspective it is a very cost-effective way of filling some critical skilled roles within the region. Every year we have attracted around 60 families to live in Hawke’s Bay from this one weekend. It involves detailed follow-up work after the expo, but the people who have moved here love it.
This year the response was even greater than normal. Our region’s stand was swamped with people eager to find out more. This follows a similar experience the previous weekend in Leeds. Quite clearly we were one of the most popular stands at both expos. Mayor Barbara and I presented seminars to packed audiences of over 300 people where we shared lots of information about how we live and what we have to offer.
We are well-known in the UK market for three things. Our lifestyle, our wine and Art Deco. It is a pleasure to speak to so many people who have already done detailed homework on the region. Many have even gone as far as to check out individual schools.
I was amazed at the number of highly qualified and skilled couples who simply wanted to bring their children up in a better environment. They understand their incomes will drop, but are staggered at our reasonable cost of living. They believe they can have a far better quality of life in our region. And they can.
It is a courageous decision to up sticks and travel to the other side of the world to live, complete with children, furniture and pets. I respect that courage and if they have the skills we need then we welcome them with open arms. Over the two weekends we had over 600 expressions of interest in relocating. Not all will come, but I am proud to live in a region which is so attractive to others.
Those are my thoughts for the week.
I’m Lawrence Yule.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Balancing recreation with production
The appeal period on the Plan Change for the Regional Sports Park closed on Monday. While not unexpected, I was disappointed that an appeal was lodged by a group of horticulturalists who want to protect the soils on the Heretaunga Plains.
The Sports Park is a 50-year visionary project which seeks to add significant value to our social and recreational wellbeing. It is not just about building facilities - it is about changing lifestyles and health outcomes.
The provision of extra recreational space will always require land and we have tried to locate it in an area that is close to both Hastings and Napier on easily-travelled roads and public transport routes.
The net effect of the appeal is to put the construction on hold, including the Grandstand. I have obviously asked the appellant group to consider removing the grandstand from their appeal. We have the money, the drawings and are ready to go to tender.
The zoning rules allow for the athletics track and grandstand as of right. However, because the grandstand is 2.5m higher than what is allowed as of right, a consent is required. I am hopeful this can all be quickly resolved so the athletics track component, including the grandstand, can be finished before the summer next year.
The more significant issue surrounding the appeal centres on the long-term planning and use of the land on the Heretaunga Plains. It is some of the best in the world, yet its productive value constantly struggles to compete with the values associated with other uses.
The Council is constantly being asked to change land use to either residential or industrial uses. These requests usually come from the land owners who have toiled for years on these very good soils, yet have often only received a fraction of the end value of their products.
I am not saying for one minute that we have the answer to the dilemma. We have a world that is rapidly becoming short of food, yet the value signals returning to the growers are slow and long and often confused.
As we deal with the long-term worldwide food shortage and the current economic meltdown, there will be various scenarios to be considered.
The long-term strategy about the use of the Heretaunga Plains is very important and complex. We have applications on our books for houses, rest homes and factories to name a few.
There is demand for all these uses and usually the current producer on the land is looking to exit the industry with as much cash as possible. How we develop a strategy to handle these competing uses is one of our more significant priorities.
Those are my thoughts for the week.
I’m Lawrence Yule.
The Sports Park is a 50-year visionary project which seeks to add significant value to our social and recreational wellbeing. It is not just about building facilities - it is about changing lifestyles and health outcomes.
The provision of extra recreational space will always require land and we have tried to locate it in an area that is close to both Hastings and Napier on easily-travelled roads and public transport routes.
The net effect of the appeal is to put the construction on hold, including the Grandstand. I have obviously asked the appellant group to consider removing the grandstand from their appeal. We have the money, the drawings and are ready to go to tender.
The zoning rules allow for the athletics track and grandstand as of right. However, because the grandstand is 2.5m higher than what is allowed as of right, a consent is required. I am hopeful this can all be quickly resolved so the athletics track component, including the grandstand, can be finished before the summer next year.
The more significant issue surrounding the appeal centres on the long-term planning and use of the land on the Heretaunga Plains. It is some of the best in the world, yet its productive value constantly struggles to compete with the values associated with other uses.
The Council is constantly being asked to change land use to either residential or industrial uses. These requests usually come from the land owners who have toiled for years on these very good soils, yet have often only received a fraction of the end value of their products.
I am not saying for one minute that we have the answer to the dilemma. We have a world that is rapidly becoming short of food, yet the value signals returning to the growers are slow and long and often confused.
As we deal with the long-term worldwide food shortage and the current economic meltdown, there will be various scenarios to be considered.
The long-term strategy about the use of the Heretaunga Plains is very important and complex. We have applications on our books for houses, rest homes and factories to name a few.
There is demand for all these uses and usually the current producer on the land is looking to exit the industry with as much cash as possible. How we develop a strategy to handle these competing uses is one of our more significant priorities.
Those are my thoughts for the week.
I’m Lawrence Yule.
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