advertadvertadvert
advertadvertadvert

Murray Douglas: Can Councils Stimulate Local Growth?

August 21, 2010

The recent well-publicised problems of our  regional economic development agency (EDA), Venture Hawke’s Bay and their budget woes suggests that once again we need to re-assess what is the role of local authorities in economic development. This question is even more poignant when we recall that our EDA over the last 10 or so years [...]

Read more...

Murray Douglas: Great Climate … But No Jobs!

May 17, 2010

Great Climate … But No Jobs By Murray Douglas, CEO, HB Chamber of Commerce A couple of years ago I was involved in a stand at a Jobs Expo in Auckland. We were there at a time when Hawke’s Bay was suffering from some skill shortages, and a number of businesses co-ordinated by the Chamber [...]

Read more...

The HB Economy … Cautious Optimism, by Murray Douglas, CEO, HB Chamber of Commerce

February 15, 2010

Thankfully the 2009 economic roller coaster is behind us. 2010 is still going to be challenging, although with  the credit crunch is well behind us and business confidence levels rising, we  have a  more stable – if not positive – outlook. Sadly in Hawke’s Bay, we are still suffering some residual outcomes of 2009 both [...]

Read more...

Guest Buzzmaker: Murray Douglas – The Goldilocks Dilemma

August 31, 2009

The size of local government units has been a major debate in New Zealand for many years. And the process of local government consolidation is often contentious, easily degenerating to the level of bumper sticker simplicities. In local government, “amalgamation” to some people is a dirty word, while “status quo” can be sweet and acceptable. [...]

Read more...

Murray Douglas – Clean air at what price?

December 16, 2008

While Hawke’s Bay has to think and work through the implications of the global credit meltdown, a more potentially insidious issue has crept through the backdoor.  It came about through a well researched, quiet paper considered by the Hawke Bay Regional Council last week. Back in 2004, the Ministry for the Environment promoted legislation which [...]

Read more...

Murray Douglas – Plain(s) Inaction

November 13, 2008

Pleasingly, I am not going to talk about the election. But I am going to talk about the local state and especially the Councils on the Heretaunga Plains. Local Government under its Act has only one purpose: “to enable communities plan for their future.” Yet we find so much of local government reactive, responding squeaky [...]

Read more...

Murray Douglas – Any Road Will Do

September 19, 2008

As the Cheshire Cat said to Alice in Wonderland, any road will do when you don’t know where you are going. I often think we are a bit like this in Hawke’s Bay. We have plenty of opportunities and alternate roads.  Our guide posts are often confused by five different councils, a plethora of government [...]

Read more...