Former National Party leader and now Auckland Business Chamber chief Simon Bridges spoke last month in Matamata – and Viv Posselt found him in an optimistic mood.
Former National Party politician Lindsay Tisch and his wife, Matamata Rotary Club member Leonie Tisch, with fellow Rotarians Peter and Ineke Thissen, were among guests at a recent Chamber of Commerce talk with Simon Bridges as guest speaker. Photo: Viv Posselt
Simon Bridges predicts a lowering of interest rates in the second half of 2024 could usher in a more buoyant period for the business sector.
Speaking at a Matamata Chamber of Commerce luncheon last month, he said business optimism remains high, particularly among those who sought change at last year’s election, but acknowledges the challenges still being faced by many around the country.
“My personal view is that it is still not plain sailing. The first half of this year is going to be reasonably tough,” he said, “but I am realistically optimistic that the second half of this year things will see things improve. I reckon interest rates will come down in the second half of 2024, and that will have an effect on business confidence. There is something else we need to factor in … I believe the relatively new three-party coalition government will be going well by then and will be hitting more substantive reforms in areas where it is most needed.”
He suggested tackling crime would be one of those areas. Concerns expressed in an Auckland business survey last year switched from a lack of volunteers and technology in the first half of the year, to crime topping the list in the second half.
“I think we will see more going on in that area by the second half of this year.”
Seen waiting for Simon Bridges to begin speaking at a recent Matamata Chamber of Commerce luncheon are, from left, Sue Coatham, David Parker, Leonie Tisch, Matamata Chamber of Commerce chairperson Lynette Stanley, and Peter Thissen. Photo: Viv Posselt
Bridges said that at almost 170 years old, the Auckland Chamber was one of the oldest business associations in New Zealand. It oversees business chambers across the upper North Island.
“We are like an octopus with many tentacles. For example, on the back of a decision a few decades ago that the country needed to help young people get their driver’s licence, we have grown into New Zealand’s largest driving academy,” he said. “We are the country’s biggest purveyor of export documents and certifications, and we are a massive events organisation, running about 150 of those a year. But at our heart, we are about making it easier for businesses to operate, particularly small and medium sized businesses.”
He signalled the importance for chambers in the region, essentially from Taupo northwards, to work together for the benefit of all, adding that each was fundamentally too small on its own to maximise its effectiveness. There can be no room for parochialism, he added.
Describing the upper North Island as the ‘engine room’ for growth in New Zealand, he outlined several factors crucial to success. One was a good transport network, which he said was proven to bring a raft of benefits, with others being good broadband connectivity and a growing agri-tech sector.
Auckland Business Chamber head and former National Party leader Simon Bridges thanks Matamata Chamber of Commerce general manager Steve Edwards for his introduction before addressing a recent lunchtime gathering of Matamata Chamber members. Photo: Viv Posselt
“I think agri-tech is going to be our number one sector in the next few years,” he said.
“Realistically, we are a small country with too few people; we don’t have the money to do everything we need, but this government understands the value of private sector investments. They will become an important tool in the next three years.”
Bridges said New Zealand was an attractive, safe option in a world facing security challenges.
“We are the smallest, most remote developed country in the world. Our strategic disadvantage in terms of supply issues could over the next decade become a strategic advantage. I think New Zealand is entering a good period.”
Simon Bridges with Matamata Chamber of Commerce chair Lynette Stanley.
