How two provincial New Zealand towns went from ‘zombie’ to resilient

# Overview

# What changed in Balclutha Balclutha had experienced decades of decline after the economic reforms of the 1980s. Local leaders and residents say a shift started about a decade ago. Several concrete factors came together:

• Low house and section prices made living locally affordable for people priced out of larger cities.

• Local leaders framed recovery around practical objectives: get a job, get a house, get a life.

Former Clutha mayor Bryan Cadogan recalls the shock of rapid economic loss in the 1980s, and says the district's later recovery was driven by looking at existing local assets and aligning policy and community effort to fill jobs and match housing to workers. Long-term residents and returnees now describe renewed pride and connections to place.

# What's happening in Tokoroa Tokoroa's story is different. Once relatively prosperous, the town is now dealing with closures in forestry processing that are removing local employment. People there emphasise strong community bonds and mutual support — Thelma Popata, who runs a local gym, describes a place where people help one another and choose to stay.

Eaqub's project focuses on people and place rather than only on numbers. Key themes that recur in the reporting:

• Connection to place matters: roots, community networks and local initiative are not captured fully by headline economic indicators.

• Policy gaps remain: a decade ago Eaqub criticised the lack of a regional lens in central government. That thread remains part of the narrative about what enabled or constrained change.

# The project format This reporting is presented as a multi-format project funded by NZ On Air: four video episodes and a seven-part podcast produced for Newsroom and RNZ. The series uses on-the-ground interviews and local storytelling to explain economic and social shifts rather than relying solely on macro data.

# What to watch for

# Bottom line National megatrends continue to reshape provincial New Zealand, but local actions, affordable housing and available jobs can reverse decline in specific places. The outcomes vary: Balclutha shows sustained growth after a long downturn, while Tokoroa faces fresh job shocks despite strong community solidarity.