Southland says it is missing the love when it comes to South Island infrastructure

Business people from across the South Island have met in Christchurch for the first South Island election conference to hear from politicians about their plans for the Mainland.

They covered a range of topics from transport, productivity, infrastructure and immigration, with National announcing its election plan for the South Island.

But the head of the Southland Chamber of Commerce said she still felt her region was badly overlooked and its potential underestimated.

While other parts of the country might be struggling with high unemployment rates, the Southland Chamber Commerce said its region is grappling with how fill a bout 4000 skilled jobs.

Chief executive, Sheree Carey, said there was about 10 billion dollars in new investment and eight major projects in the pipeline, including a data centre and a mineral plant, but Southland wasn't getting it's fair share of infrastructure spending.

"We need some serious consideration from government, and all the parties really, on what can we do for Southland, because if they want to double exports and increase GDP, then Southland is the region that is well on its way. So we need that support back," said Carey.

Sheree Carey said the region could do with improvements to its roading, housing, schools and social services, but she feels there was more focus on Canterbury and Queenstown.

"If they look at all the stats we are the ones that are leading in every statistics that you can see, in growth and exports and everything, and where is the love? Southland wants some love as well," Carey said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said National's South Island plan will build more reliable transport and regional connections and help to grow exports.

The Infrastructure Minister, Chris Bishop, said the plan showed that National was backing the south.

"The Rolleston Rail intermodal rail and freight hub, here in Christchurch, leaning into public transport in Queenstown by way of a gondola. There are three different solutions on the table there. I think we need to think creatively about Queenstown transport issues. There is a strategic network plan being developed by NZTA now, but the simple reality is we just can't keep adding lanes and lanes in Queenstown," Bishop said.

He said the plans build on other investments already underway, including the new Dunedin and Nelson hospitals, and the Brougham Street upgrade in Christchurch.

Labour's Kieran McAnulty said the biggest infrastructure mistake governments make is announcing plans, only to drop them or press pause because of politics or a lack of funding.

"The way we have approached this is first and foremost recognise that the country is sick to the gut of things stopping and starting constantly. There is too much of it. We are never going to get where we need to get if it keeps happening. And people won't have the confidence to run the businesses in the way they want to, if they don't have the confidence that things will be followed through," McAnulty said.

He said Labour wants all Crown projects to go through the Infrastructure Commission's independent assurance process to stop that happening.

The chief executive of Business Canterbury, Leeann Watson, said the two main parties have a lot in common on the issue of infrastructure.

"If there is one part of our conference today where we wanted to see alignment it is in that future investment and infrastructure. Having good bipartisan support to provide a long term plan and some certainty is really important and we saw that today," Watson said.

She said bipartisan support was important, so businesses that have the confidence to continue to grow and invest.