Balclutha

Had I got something wrong? Was something changing in New Zealand's economic landscape? What had I missed? It was time I took another look at small provincial towns and find out what was really going on away from the main centres.

Balclutha and Tokoroa are at opposite ends of the country.

I chose these towns because while they're both on State Highway 1 and share some similarities, they are in different places on the economic cycle.

Both were deeply affected by the economic reforms 40 years ago.

If you Google Balclutha in 1986, it tells you the town celebrated the centenary of the town's brass band, famous for its performances outside the big old hospital on the hill.

But mostly, it describes South Otago in that year as, and I quote, deeply stressed, caught in the crosshairs of Rogernomics, unquote.

It wasn't hard to find old headlines from the time.

Yeah, not since your Radio New Zealand days.

Now, at the other end, if we look at the areas that are most affordable, they are places like Clutha.

Balclutha, just south of Dunedin, takes 25% of the average income to buy the average house.

South Waikato, 26% as well.

And the reason I like to point some of these things out as well is not to say that, "Oh, if you're a, if you're a first-time buyer and you can't afford a house, you know, just move down to Balclutha-

[laughs]

... or South Waikato." You know? Like, that's not, that's not [laughs] what I'm saying.