Zombie Towns: Everything I Missed

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 Waikato
• Mark O’Leary - Tokoroa business owner
• Memphis Rangiwhakawa - school dropout and unemployed’
• Paniora Daniels - ‘Project Phoenix’
• Liam Goodwin - unemployed
• Eileen Hauraki - young mother who recently got a building apprenticeship
• Maria Te Kanawa - head of the local iwi organisation Raukawa
• Julius Daniels - head of the Tokoroa YMCA
• Newa Winikerei - renter facing eviction

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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 Council
• Dr Branko Sijnja - Balclutha general practitioner
• Rebecca Coote - manager at Finegand freezing works
• Bill Keith - survivor of Rogernomics and engineering business owner
• Hamish Keith - engineering company owner
• Mike Hurring - Balclutha entrepreneur
• Jock Martin - mayor of Clutha District

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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 Otago
• Joyce Beck - community volunteer
• Evan Dick - farmer and community ‘mover and shaker’
• Amber Mowat - home owner
• Kobe Thomson - home owner
• Mark van Asperen - Balclutha Otago District Council
• Steve Hill - CED of South Otago District Council
• Shannon Burt - builder
• Annaliesse Bissett - school leaver
• Elri Geldenhuys - school leaver
• Mike Wright - principal of South Otago High School

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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 worker
• Gary Petley - mayor of South Waikato
• Alan Blair - former millworker
• Apii Solomon - Tokoroa teacher and member of the Tokoroa Cook Islands community
• Red Middlemiss - unionist
• Lisa Karauma - former millworker, now works in retail
• Larry Sullivan - retailer and Tokoroa stalwart
• Nancy Chhur - Cambodian immigrant and business owner
• Thelma Popata - Tokoroa gym owner

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

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 - South Otago farmer and former RNZ economics correspondent
• Ruth Baldwin - manu whenua
• Bryan Cadogan - three-term mayor of South Otago
• Olive Glover - lost two farms as a result of Rogernomics reforms
• Dr Branko Sijnja - Balclutha general practitioner

You can read more about the series on the RNZ website here

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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