Zombie Towns: Everything I Missed
Economist Shamubeel ‘zombie towns’ Eaqub travels to Balclutha and Tokoroa to find out what’s really going on in heartland New Zealand, analysing how struggling communities regain their financial mojo.
Tokoroa (Part 2)
The Tokoroa story is the jobs story. Shamubeel meets a number of young people who are not in employment or training to try to find out why the town's unemployment rate is twice as high as neighbouring Hamilton. And he discovers that, during difficult times with mill closures, the local council has been instrumental in helping people find jobs.
In this episode, Shamubeel talks to:
Gary Petley - mayor of South WaikatoMark O’Leary - Tokoroa business ownerMemphis Rangiwhakawa - school dropout and unemployed’Paniora Daniels - ‘Project Phoenix’Liam Goodwin - unemployedEileen Hauraki - young mother w...Balclutha (Part 3)
40 years ago, the reforms of Rogernomics blindsided many businesses in South Otago as the New Zealand economy transitioned from one where local businesses were protected to one where 'the free market' decided who were the winners and the losers. Shamubeel finds that sometimes the losers and the winners in Balclutha are exactly the same people - but he also discovers a growing conflict between local government and central government.
In this episode, Shamubeel talks to:
Steve Hill - CEO of South Otago District CouncilDr Branko Sijnja - Balclutha general practitionerRebecca Coote - manager at Finegand freezing...Balclutha (Part 2)
Shamubeel is back in Balclutha, trying to understand why some of the financial statistics seem to be tracking in the right direction, finally. And what he discovers is that 10 years ago, some locals - determined their town wasn't going to die - created a unique model to build new houses. But more than that, they set about trying to make sure their towns got 'younger.'
In this episode, Shamubeel talks to:
Bryan Cadogan - former mayor of South OtagoJoyce Beck - community volunteerEvan Dick - farmer and community ‘mover and shaker’Amber Mowat - home owne...Tokoroa (Part 1)
Tokoroa is a new town which sprung up because South Waikato is able to produce some of the fastest growing pine trees in the world. Forestry meant that South Waikato was once one of the wealthiest regions of New Zealand. But today it is one of the poorest as globalisation forced the loss of jobs. Just as Balclutha struggled 40 years ago, Tokoroa is struggling now.
In this episode, Shamubeel talks to:
Andrew Dobbs - redundant mill workerGary Petley - mayor of South WaikatoAlan Blair - former millworkerApii Solomon - Tokoroa teacher and member of the Tokoroa...Balclutha (Part 1)
Economist Shamubeel Eaqub recounts how the term 'zombie towns' created an outcry in rural New Zealand. Now, a decade on, he wants to understand if anything has changed in the provinces. Did he miss something back then? Why have the economic statistics started to change - albeit slowly? What's going on in New Zealand's economic heartland? He chooses to focus on two towns: Balclutha and Tokoroa. He travels first to South Otago, where he quickly discovers locals determined to show him they are not the walking dead.
In this episode, Shamubeel talks to:
Nigel Stirling...Introducing: Zombie Towns: Everything I Missed
Economist Shamubeel ‘zombie towns’ Eaqub travels to Balclutha and Tokoroa to find out what’s really going on in heartland New Zealand, analysing how struggling communities regain their financial mojo.
Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details
