Computer model of economy agreed to

Press, 15 May 1987, Page 2

Computer model of economy agreed to

A computer model of Canterbury’s economy will be developed by the Canterbury United Council and the Ministry of Works and Development. It will be the first regional economic model in New Zealand and will act as a pilot scheme. The model will be used to predict the impact of any national or regional decision on Canterbury. The chairman of the United Council, Mrs Margaret Murray, said the model would strengthen

Canterbury’s position with the Government. Canterbury had been chosen for the pilot scheme as it had the initiative to be involved and had headed the scheme, said Mrs Murray. The United Council also had its own economist to help set up and run the model. “No other region was better placed than Canterbury,” said Mrs Murray. The United Council had criticised the Government in 1984 because the Budget had hit Canterbury harder than other regions.

The Minister of Finance, Mr , Douglas, had responded by saying the United Council was “a bunch of bureaucrats.” “We couldn’t prove otherwise because we did not have the technical evidence. Once this model is in place we do,” said the chief executive of the council, Mr Malcolm Douglass. Nothing existed now which could assess the region’s performance. The model will cost $250,000 to develop but the lion’s share would be met by the Ministry.