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Growing Apart: Regional Prosperity in New Zealand
‘If we rank our regions internationally, Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury are comparable to France, Finland and Saudi Arabia respectively. But the smaller regions look like Timor-Leste (Northland), Greece (Manawatu-Whanganui and Gisborne) or other emerging economies such as Cyprus and the Seychelles.’
The gaps between New Zealand’s regions are increasing. Many local economies are stagnating, some are faced with grave decline and just a select few are advancing. Deep-seated economic forces are driving these tectonic-like shifts. High-profile economist Shamubeel Eaqub uncovers these forces and what they mean for the changing economic fortunes of our regions, and the future of New Zealand.
The gaps between New Zealand’s regions are increasing. Many local economies are stagnating, some are faced with grave decline and just a select few are advancing. Deep-seated economic forces are driving these tectonic-like shifts. High-profile economist Shamubeel Eaqub uncovers these forces and what they mean for the changing economic fortunes of our regions, and the future of New Zealand.
- GenresNonfictionEconomics
92 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 25, 2025
I have a lot of respect for Shamubeel Eaqubs current work, and I do agree that our regional inequality is an issue that needs addressing in Aotearoa.
However, I feel like I lost brain cells reading this book. What a load of self contradictory liberal handwringing - old people are burdens, need to work longer and stop living as long, people just need to be supported to up and leave their region/country, growth just happens and nobody can either predict it or cause it, least of all the state, and yet subsidies should only exist to set up a self sustaining market in a particular good or service?
This book proves to me that conventional neoliberal economics sounds more and more vacuous as our recession deepens with no clear ending, the world becomes more polarised and cost of living bites. Maybe Kiwis are more ready now to hear alternative ways of imagining our economy as a system which generates real prosperity with agency, rather than through means which Eaqub himself admits is impossible to predict?
Absolute rubbish, do not read this book.
However, I feel like I lost brain cells reading this book. What a load of self contradictory liberal handwringing - old people are burdens, need to work longer and stop living as long, people just need to be supported to up and leave their region/country, growth just happens and nobody can either predict it or cause it, least of all the state, and yet subsidies should only exist to set up a self sustaining market in a particular good or service?
This book proves to me that conventional neoliberal economics sounds more and more vacuous as our recession deepens with no clear ending, the world becomes more polarised and cost of living bites. Maybe Kiwis are more ready now to hear alternative ways of imagining our economy as a system which generates real prosperity with agency, rather than through means which Eaqub himself admits is impossible to predict?
Absolute rubbish, do not read this book.
September 19, 2017
For someone who is supposed to be a shining light in economic thinking this was pretty shallow, trotting out old cliche stuff. Didn't learn a thing
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews