Trust Tairāwhiti is partnering with Hawke’s Bay Regional Economic Development Agency HBREDA) to commission an assessment of the potential economic benefits of improving resilience on State Highway 2 (SH2) between Gisborne, Wairoa and Napier.

We‘ve engaged the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) to assess the level of economic activity that depends on SH2 and the costs of improved resilience.

Part of this involves understanding how Tairāwhiti businesses are affected by SH2 road closures and diversions.

Joe Williams, Regional Business Growth and Innovation manager for the Trust, encourages local business owners and sector leads to complete a survey that will capture the local impacts.

“The survey will help us understand how improved resilience between Gisborne and Napier would address those negative effects and potentially improve business confidence and investment decisions for local businesses,” he said.

NZEI will compile NZTA traffic data on traffic volumes and the proportion of heavy vehicles to determine the number and types of trips that depend on SH2.

The assessment will also cover the size of the economies along the route, including GDP, population and jobs, to determine what is at stake.

It will review the potential for growth along the route, the social impacts of poor resilience and provide an indicative cost estimate of improving resilience.

“This joint project between the Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti EDAs could potentially support a compelling case for investment to central government and other investors so that we can be more resilient in the face of future disruptions,” Joe says.

The survey should take around 15 minutes, and responses will remain confidential.

It will remain open until 5pm Sunday, 12 January 2025.

 

Complete the survey