Outlook for 2001 rosy in the south

Friday 19th January 2001

By Deborah Hill

Christchurch is starting the year with the nation's most optimistic attitude while Wellingtonians are comparatively down in the mouth, the National Business Review-Compaq poll has found.

Asked whether overall 2001 would be a better or worse year for New Zealand than 2000, Christchurch people were most jolly (74% picking a better year) followed by Auckland (73%) with Wellingtonians (63%) and provincial New Zealanders (67%) more cautious about the country's outlook.

Benefiting from the upturn in the rural sector, Christchurch showed a markedly more positive mood than the rest of the country in other questions too; 62% of Christchurch people picked the economy would improve this year compared with 53% in Wellington.

Meanwhile, averaged out nationally, people are starting the year more positive about the country's overall prospects than they have been for a decade.

Sixty-nine per cent of people said this year would be better - the most positive finding since the question was first asked in 1991.

During that time the result has fluctuated from 45% in the depths of recession in 1991 to 68% last year.

People also expect their own personal circumstances to improve, with 43% of people saying they thought their own family's standard of living would rise in the next 12 months.

That compares with 37% when the question was asked in 1998 and 41% in December 2000.

When broken down by income, the NBR-Compaq poll results show those who earn less are more optimistic than top earners. And those who earn middle incomes - in the $25,000-$40,000 band - were most gloomy that the economy would pick up .

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