Over the next few days, the Central App will introduce readers to the candidates standing for the Southland electorate. 

We asked each candidate to comment on some issues of concern to Central Otago residents and elsewhere: housing and the cost of renting; the cost of living; the future of tourism; Christchurch International Airport's plans to develop an international airport at Tarras; and one other issue they wished to address.

We open the series today with Southland Member of Parliament Joseph Mooney. 

Housing and cost of renting

“Our region, like most of New Zealand, is short of houses,” Joseph said. “We are not short of land, but a broken planning and infrastructure funding system has artificially constrained housing growth, contributing to New Zealand’s status as one of the least affordable housing markets in the world.

“National will fix New Zealand’s housing crisis by unlocking land for housing, building infrastructure, and making sure communities share in the benefits of growth.

“Our Going for Housing Growth Plan aims to unlock land for building new houses. We will reform the Resource Management Act to simplify planning rules and make resource consents for houses cheaper and faster. We will also reform the Building Act to simplify the rules around building houses and increase competition in the building materials market.

“We will improve the rental market by restoring interest deductibility, taking the bright-line test back to two years, unlocking Build-to-Rent as an asset class, and making sensible changes to our tenancy laws to incentivise landlords into the market, thereby making more rentals available.

“National will also supercharge social housing, backing our community housing sector to grow and provide warm and dry homes to Kiwis in need.

“National’s vision is for a thriving and productive Central Otago region where everyone has a warm and dry place to call home and communities share in the bene­fits of housing growth. If people can find affordable places to live and work, families thrive and businesses find it easier to attract and retain talented staff.”  

Cost of living

“National will fix the economy to lower the cost of living. We will lift incomes, stop wasteful government spending, provide tax relief and deliver the skills, infrastructure and innovation Kiwis and New Zealand need to thrive.

Joseph said National would bring down the cost of business by “cutting red tape”. 

“Our Family Boost policy will provide a childcare tax rebate of up to $75 per week to help low and middle-income families with the costs of childcare.

A cost-of-living crisis is hurting New Zealanders, he said.

“Labour’s big-spending, big-taxing, anti-business approach to the economy has failed, forcing the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates, and everyday New Zealanders are paying the price.  

“Food prices are at a record level and earlier this year, the Reserve Bank’s shock 50-point lift in the Official Cash Rate meant far more pain for Central Otago families with some mortgage holders seeing their interest rates rise by more than $400 per week. 

“National will strengthen New Zealand’s economy, restoring careful fiscal management, backing productive businesses and reducing the pressure on inflation and interest rates that contributes to our cost of living crisis.”

The future of tourism

“Tourism is a vital part of New Zealand’s economy and our community. Travellers increasingly want an authentic connection to people and place, and we do that superbly in Central Otago and New Zealand. Tourism also provides vital employment opportunities and helps keep many of the businesses that help connect our communities such as cafes and restaurants going.

“Tourism has a really important role to play for our communities and our country as New Zealand faces a challenging period.

“Core Crown borrowing more than doubled between 2019 and 2023 to $194 billion, and our total gross national debt is now at a record high of $793 billion.

“The cost of servicing government debt has also soared. Core Crown finance costs hit $5.9 billion in May this year - a similar sum to what is spent on law and order in a year.

“New Zealand also has the worst current account deficit in the OECD (the difference between what we buy from the world and what we sell to the world). Broadly speaking, the country is living well beyond its means, which is filled by borrowing.

“It has never been more important for us to grow our economy so that we can fund our public services and infrastructure. Our world-class tourism sector will play a really important role in this.”

Christchurch International Airport's plans for Tarras

“National doesn’t have a formal position on the Tarras Airport proposal,” Joseph said. “The proposal has a number of steps that it needs to go through before any proposal would be put to a Minister for consideration. A decision will be reached through the RMA process with the opportunity for public submission.”

Final issue: Health

“Health is really important for our community. New Zealand’s health system is in crisis, with a severe shortage of frontline staff,” Joseph said.

He said National had already announced policies which would help Central Otago, including promising an additional $29.5 million to deliver beds, operating theatres and radiology services.

“National will also have incentives to encourage more Kiwis to study nursing or midwifery, bonding to keep nurses and midwives in New Zealand after graduation, and competitive immigration settings to attract more overseas nurses and midwives.

“National will also establish a third medical school at the University of Waikato, with satellite training centres in regional areas. This model is designed to deliver more doctors committed to serving in provincial and rural parts of the country such as Central Otago.

“National will also increase the number of medical school placements at Auckland and Otago by a total of 50 from 2025. 

“Together, this will see New Zealand graduating 759 doctors a year by 2030, a significant increase from the 539 we graduate today.”

PHOTO: Supplied