Benje uses regional insights to empower organisations to make better decisions and monitor outcomes that matter.
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An Otago Central Lakes unitary authority would give Wellington one clear partner for the Queenstown-Wānaka-Cromwell growth system. That matters because Otago is no longer one integrated region.
I attended Budget 2026 with a parochial Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago perspective. I wanted to know what's in the Budget for us?
Benje Patterson recently released a report that estimated biking’s contribution to the Queenstown Lakes economy in 2025. An estimated 344,500 people biked in Queenstown Lakes in the June 2025 year, up almost 90% over the past four years.
My key goal today was to see “what’s in Budget 2025 for the regions?” and more specifically this year I was trying to see any evidence in the Government’s books of space being created to implement regional deals.
This report estimates the economic impacts on the Blue Mountains economy from spending by trail runners who attended Ultra-Trail Australia (UTA) by UTMB in May 2024.
Otago's population centre is rapidly moving inland. Within 15 years, the population of Inland Otago, encompassing the golden triangle of Queenstown, Wānaka, and Cromwell, could exceed Dunedin's population.
I was thrilled to nab a podium in an ultra-trail race in Germany, with a 2nd place finish in the 50km (with 2,100m of climbing) Heidelberg Long Distance Trail Marathon.
I had the pleasure of attending Budget 2024. Rather than get swamped in the detail, I dedicated my focus to unpacking what is in the Budget for regional economic development.
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand is likely pleased with the decline in one- and two-year ahead inflation expectations, especially the two-year measure near the midpoint of the 1% to 3% target band.
The “Economic impacts of spa and wellness tourism in Rotorua” report, provided by New Zealand leading regional economist Benje Patterson, has unveiled significant positive economic impact and shown the city's prominence as a premier destination for relaxation and rejuvenation.
If further labour market weakness is coupled with any significant downward surprises in inflation or economic performance then the Reserve Bank could begin to consider initiating OCR cuts earlier than anticipated.
Inflation to March was 4.0%pa, down from 4.7%pa in December - its lowest rate since June 2021. At first blush, this appears to be a great result and, while lower inflation is something to celebrate, there were still pockets of concern.