FAQs

Beyond 2025 Southland is a regional plan that will be presented in June 2023.  It has a dual purpose as the long-term planning workstream within Southland’s Just Transition work plan and the updated Southland Regional Development Strategy 2015-2025 (SoRDS). 

Southland Just Transition

The Southland just transition process is supported by an active partnership between iwi, local government, communities, business, unions, education, and central government (MBIE).  The overall Southland just transition project goal is:

 “Help Southland build its economic, environmental and social resilience through and beyond the planned closure of the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter in December 2024”.

To oversee the Southland just transition, an Enduring Oversight Group (EOG) and associated Secretariat group were established and in February 2022 Southland’s Just Transition work plan was launched.   Within the work plan are seven pou (workstreams) which Southlanders have made clear will make a meaningful difference to the future of Southland Murihiku: Clean Energy, Aquaculture, Land Use, Worker Transitions, Community Capability Building, Business Transitions and Long-term Planning (Beyond 2025 Southland).

 Southland Regional Development Strategy 2015 – 2025 (SoRDS) 

SoRDS was launched in 2015 and had one big goal to achieve 10,000 more people by 2025.  Even with an unforeseen pandemic to contend with, we’re tracking well to achieving this population goal. Building on this work Beyond 2025 Southland will focus on retaining those people and attracting skilled workforce considering our aging population and current low unemployment.

 While SoRDS had one big goal, it identified 51 actions and to date two thirds of these have been completed or are underway.  

The purpose of the plan is to create a shared future vision and pathway for Southland Murihiku beyond 2025. It is based on whakamana, empowerment, and aspirations we’ve identified for our people, environment and economy.   We can only achieve the shared vision when all moving parts come together, therefore our focus has been on identifying projects which embrace change and build resilience and capability for our people.

 Tū tahi ki te Kei

 Lets all stand together in the stern of our waka