Ryan Bridge: A little too much economic nimbyism going on

There’s a form of economic nimbyism that’s going on in this country.

And if we want to get ahead, everyone knows there must be trade-offs. No economic miracle, new business, or growth opportunity comes without a cost.

Whether its intensive agriculture on the environment or water to run the data centres that power your smart phones, every success costs you something.

The trick is to be reasonable and take risks then mitigate them, or just be willing to wear the costs.

The problem we have here is not a lack of opportunities, not even, in many cases, investment. 

I was in Otago just recently - beautiful place, stunning. 

There’s a gold mine permit been issued. Sam Neil’s dead against the project, as are many others. 

There's opposition and legal challenges, etc, etc. Fair enough. He has a house around there and is worried about trucks on the road, etc.

But it’s also an area that would be serviced by this brand-new hospital Dunedin’s getting. 

Half the towns and buildings in Otago wouldn’t be there to be begin were it not for gold mining. The permit’s been issued and the rest is set for the fast track. 

Wānaka said no to a McDonald’s, in part due to concerns about healthy eating.

Residents objected to a solar farm in part because of something called lunar reflection, that the moonlight might reflect off a solar panel like it would, oh I don’t know, a lake or the ocean.

Which is all well and good but if we want stuff like new hospitals, highways, and potholes fixed, it must somehow be paid for.

There’s a little too much economic nimbyism going on for anyone to be seriously complaining about the state of things.

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