1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Remember these city regional deals the government kept banging on about. 2 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:07,360 Speaker 1: Well we've got a bit of movement here. Three regions Auckland, 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: or Otago and Western Bay have plenty, all agreeing on 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: a memorandum of understanding ahead of actual negotiation for the 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: deals Central Otago. Tama Elie is with me this morning. 6 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,040 Speaker 2: Tama, Good morning, Good morning, Ryan. 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: Good to have you on the show. What if you 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: actually agreed to agree. 9 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 2: On that's a good question. We have kind of agreed 10 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 2: to meet at the starting line. So we have been 11 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 2: invited to the process to begin negotiations, which I guess 12 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,319 Speaker 2: is the first step, hopefully a promising one. 13 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:41,960 Speaker 1: Right, So is this a bit of an announcement about 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: an announcement? They've announced that you guys are going to 15 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: sit down and talk. 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, it is, and you know we love that in 17 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 2: local and central government. So it's a neat place to 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: be in. It is the beginning of a process. But 19 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 2: we have been working on this since late last year, 20 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 2: so it's something that has been and trained for quite 21 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 2: a few months now. 22 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: If this works, it's a ten year deal. Paint us 23 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: a picture. What new things will your area have? Roads, gondolas? 24 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 1: What are we talking. 25 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 2: I guess it could be anything in everything. We've put 26 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: together a list of sort of priority areas for ourselves 27 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 2: and Queenstown Lakes District Council, supported by our regional Council, 28 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 2: and then it'll be up to us to negotiate with 29 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 2: the government and here kind of where they see their 30 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: priorities aligning with ours, recognizing that they've been very clear 31 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 2: that there is no new money coming, So it'll be 32 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: I guess, a process whereby we figure out how we 33 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 2: might pay for any new projects that come out of that. 34 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: If you could have one project, TMA, what would it be. 35 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 2: Hey, we are really short on water storage in our 36 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: area to manage resilience for both our towns and our farmers, 37 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 2: so I would love to see something like that in 38 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 2: the mix. But it isn't a sciation process and we're 39 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 2: just one of the parties there, so we'll see where 40 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 2: we get to with that one. 41 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: Will rate payers end up after this process paying more? 42 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:12,720 Speaker 1: The government says there's no cash to throw around, but 43 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,920 Speaker 1: you will. There'll be visitor charges, potentially, congestion charging, special 44 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: rates for certain areas, development charges. This is all sounding 45 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 1: quite expensive. 46 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:27,359 Speaker 2: Well, and all of those sounding like there are things 47 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 2: that rate payers shouldn't have to pay for. So that's 48 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 2: one of the things that we are looking to do. 49 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 2: We know we have hit peak rates for our people 50 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: and we are looking at tools that aren't going to 51 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: be their back pockets. The idea of investment coming from 52 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 2: outside of the region and making us a bit of 53 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: a shopfront for potential investment opportunities for not just New 54 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 2: Zealanders but also overseas will definitely be something that we're 55 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 2: looking at. 56 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I'm what I'm saying is at some point 57 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: someone's going to have to pay for this, aren't they, 58 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:57,800 Speaker 1: And it's going to be whether directly through rates or 59 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,639 Speaker 1: through tolls or whatever it might be. It'll be your 60 00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 1: people that pay it, isn't it? 61 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: Well, it will. But a big part of it is 62 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 2: also around housing, and we know that more and more 63 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 2: people want to move to this part of the country. 64 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: The more people that you have, the more it's spread out. 65 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 2: But we also know people enjoy living here for particular reasons, 66 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: and we want to protect why people move here in 67 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 2: the first place, the landscape they enjoy, the ease of 68 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 2: life they enjoy. 69 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: Appreciate your time this morning, TALM and good luck with 70 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: your negotiations Ellied Central Otago MIA. For more from Early 71 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: Edition with Ryan Bridge, Listen live to News Talks it 72 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: Be from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast on 73 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio