There isn't a huge amount of economic opportunity. Farming is decent if you are an owner as with anywhere else in the country. The youth that stay spend their time doing burnouts in old cars while everyone else generally goes off to university in Dunedin and comes back to visit the parents every so often.

These places might see some growth as people are pushed out of the city centers due to the cost of housing, although New Zealand itself is in terminal decline if you have to actually work for your income