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Last modified: 29 May 2023 2:48pm

close up aerial view of a woman and man eating at an outdoor table at a restaurantSelwyn’s economy continues to be one of the strongest in New Zealand, with growth and employment outpacing the national average according to new economic figures.

The latest quarterly figures from economic analysts Infometrics show the district’s economy grew by 5.1% in the year to March 2023, almost double the national growth of 2.9% and the third fastest growing district in the country.

Employment grew 6.3%, almost triple the national growth of 2.2%. Employment of Selwyn residents grew in every industry except agriculture, and was led by accommodation and food services which added over 300 jobs in the year to March on the back of the recovery in tourism.

The figures also show guest nights increased 58.5% and tourism expenditure grew by 31.1% on the back of the recovery, slightly ahead of the national average of 52% increase in guest nights and 30.5% increase in spending.

Consumer spending continues to increase, up 15.3% — the largest growth in consumer spending in New Zealand — as the population in Selwyn continues to grow.

The population growth also shielded Selwyn from a national slowdown in house building over the past 12 months, reflected in a 7.9% decrease in residential consents issued nationally, with Selwyn only seeing a slight fall of consents down 2.1%.

Non-residential consents saw a modest increase, up 3.6%, with consents to the value of $243.9 million issued over the year.