Demographic and Economic Change in Small Towns in New Zealand and the Responses to Marginalisation

New Zealand's small town transition: The experience of demographic and economic change and place based responses

“…As demonstrated in New Zealand and elsewhere, local leadership and local entrepreneurs often become key change agents with the “hollowing out of the state” in an era of central state withdrawal and neo‐liberalism (Nel & Stevenson, , ). Concepts of new localism and new regionalism are thus useful in highlighting the importance of social capital and resilience in defining the future of small towns.…”

“…As Spoonley (, p. 241) argues, it is possible to “reboot” regions, and “we need to adopt a new realism in understanding and responding to these dynamics (of demographic and economic change), it also invites new policy and political options.” As will be demonstrated in the following section not all towns are in the same bracket, some are declining economically and demographically, while others are growing, often rapidly, particularly those in metropolitan commuting belts for example, Pōkeno (Ryks, Kilgour, Whitehead, Whetu, & Whetu, ) and Selwyn District or in places attractive to retirees and tourists for example, Queenstown and Te Anau. Simultaneously change has catalysed pro‐active local responses in a range of centres, focused on drawing in investment and improving the local quality of life (Nel & Stevenson, , , ), causing what has been called “a renaissance (as some) … Small town communities … are looking for opportunities to reinvent themselves” (McCahon, ) to match new realities. This may well involve seeking to “right‐size” a place to meet the wellbeing and quality of life in place with an altered population size regardless of whether the population has fallen on not (Hummel, ).…”

“…The notion of the “global countryside” has come to reflect the degree to which boutique agriculture and associated amenity based activities can transform selected rural areas and small towns such, such as Cromwell (Perkins, Mackay, & Espiner, ). A parallel focus has been on the role played by local communities, local government and business groupings in ensuring small town survival (Nel & Stevenson, , , ; Spoonley, ), and the importance of having strong local resilience (Brown et al, ). As a result, it is apparent that “not all ‘lagging towns’ are passively accepting their fate.…”

Benefiting from the regional problem: The politics of 60 years of regional development

“…Yet, over the last 60 years, regional economic development has been an enduring, if not always prominent, feature of New Zealand's domestic politics, with no shortage of regional development initiatives proposed by successive governments. Periodic updates on their success and prognosis have been reported in The New Zealand Geographer (Collits, ; Johnston, ; Le Heron, ; Mansvelt, ) and elsewhere (Nel, ; Nel & Stevenson, ; Rowe, ; Welch, ; Willis, ).…”