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Leader Christopher Luxon says a re-elected National Party-led government will invest in the infrastructure, exports, energy and public services needed to drive the South Island’s next chapter of growth.
“The South Island is a powerhouse of the New Zealand economy. Worth around $100 billion a year, its farms, vineyards, mines, ports and tourism operators help drive growth, create jobs and generate export income that benefits the entire country.
“National is already delivering for the South Island, including by increasing transport investment by 42 per cent to nearly $4b and securing a free trade agreement that will provide a major boost for farmers and growers across the island.
“There’s a lot going well in the south, but there’s more we can do to unlock its full potential,” Luxon says.
“National backs the South Island to succeed, and we’re announcing a package of commitments that will drive further growth and create more opportunities, jobs and higher wages.
“We’re investing in infrastructure to support growing communities, cutting red tape that’s holding back energy generation, jobs and tourism, and delivering better public services with more hospital beds and classrooms.”
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s campaign chair Kieran McAnulty says everything National has announced “should already be under way”.
“Instead, South Islanders have had delay after delay, downgrade after downgrade, and a government that has treated the South Island as an afterthought.
“After ignoring the South Island for most of this term, it’s like they suddenly remembered it exists and dipped behind the back of the sofa to see what promises they could dust off.
“National’s record speaks for itself: critical transport projects stalled, botched ferries, Nelson and Dunedin hospitals bungled, and infrastructure plans repeatedly pushed further into the future while costs climb.
“South Islanders don’t need another glossy announcement. They need spades in the ground and a Labour government that delivers,” says McAnulty.
“Labour will take the politics out of infrastructure decisions and make sure the South Island gets the investment it deserves, not a last-minute burst of promises when an election is around the corner.”
Luxon says: “By getting the books back in order and managing the economy responsibly, National can continue investing in growth while improving the public services New Zealanders depend on.
“We’re fixing the basics, backing growth and building the infrastructure needed to help the South Island reach its full potential.”
Luxon says commitments in National’s Plan for the South Island include:
- Enabling investment in the Rolleston intermodal freight hub.
- Making public transport funding available for Queenstown gondola solutions in the National Land Transport Fund.
- Development of a new Government Policy Statement on mining and extraction under the Fast Track Approvals Act.
- A new requirement for data centre projects to be accompanied by new, firmed generation.
- Completion of Tower Three at Christchurch Hospital, delivering 96 additional beds for patients.
