The political year started this week with a major reshuffle of Cabinet on Sunday with the PM’s emphasis on health and economic development. My priorities for Nelson in 2025 are economic recovery and city revitalization, making progress on our big infrastructure challenges and improving our city’s future resilience.
I worry about the impact on Nelson as an exporting region of the new US administration. President Trump promised to levy tariffs of 10-20% on all imported goods to the US, with 60% for China and 100% for Mexico. It may be bluff. Tariffs of this scale risk a global trade war. The uncertainty makes rebuilding economic confidence in Nelson more difficult.
Council over the past two years has prioritised fixing the damage from the August ’22 storm. We are well advanced and ahead of other regions hit by similar climatic events. This work moves this year to improving our resilience to future storms with stopbank and stormwater upgrades.
The top priority for Council shifts this year to city revitalisation. We are hopeful of securing exciting central city investments from the private sector. We start physical work on the Bridge to Better project with major infrastructure upgrades and the new Millers Acre bus interchange.
Last year we secured the last of ten titles around Haven Road and established the Waterfront Redevelopment Taskforce. This year Council will be advancing design plans for this area. We also need to be open to further ideas on how we attract more visitors, investment and life to the city.
I have three priorities for Nelson with central Government. We need cabinet approval this year for the major development project at Nelson Hospital. We need NZTA to get on with the detailed design of the Hope Bypass where congestion to Nelson’s southern entrance continues to harm our economy. We also need a positive decision for NMIT to be reestablished as an independent polytechnic.
I am confident our Nelson economy will recover this year but it will be a long hard haul. Council will need to be careful with its spending while active in attracting public and private investment to the city.
