Good morning Terry

Now there is a challenge! Increasing the income of every ratepayer and reducing unemployment must be tackled by having positive and influential relationships with the Government, and also by working with industry and other business groups to increase opportunities for jobs.

Training partnerships are a beginning but identifying potential investment opportunities to encourage the establishment of work opportunities is key.

Rates will become easier to pay if we have growth, but to get growth we are going to have to work harder and smarter than all the other areas we are competing with.

It must be the kind of growth which produces employment without compromising our existing resources, for example a business which employs extra people but also costs ratepayers by requiring Wanganui to invest more into the infrastructure it needs is counterproductive.

We need to identify what capacity we have in our exosting infrastructure and resources and try to target the kind of growth which gives net growth.

I hope this makes sense, growth which shares existing cost is a particular passion of mine.

Kind regards

Annette