The growth would be achieved without the need for the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates because of inflation pressures, he said yesterday.
Both Mr Christie and Otago-Southland Employers Association chief executive John Scandrett are bullish about permanent and temporary employment prospects associated with the rebuilding of Christchurch, something expected to start in earnest this year.
Mr Christie said he was aware of chamber members either hiring people for work in Christchurch or preparing for the extra work and planning on how to operate in two cities.
"We know there will be a significant shortage of certain skills that Christchurch will soak up."
That, along with other areas of the region, such as horticulture, sheep and dairy farming would give Otago the boost it needed to get a head start on the rest of the country, Mr Christie said. Both he and Mr Scandrett were commenting on a Hudson Report which showed hiring intentions in the South Island are at an eight-year high.
A net 40.1% of employers in the region intended to increase permanent staff numbers in the first three months of the year, more than double the national average.
Across the rest of New Zealand, a net 18% of employers are planning to increase their net permanent employee numbers between January and March this year, down 4.6% on the previous quarter and 6.4% on the previous corresponding period.
Hudson executive general manager Roman Rogers said Treasury had predicted that the influx of government and insurance money would contribute to an economic rebuild that was now likely to be larger and longer lived than previously thought.
"Many employers are considering the potential impact of external factors, like recent events in Europe, and carefully assessing their current talent pool before taking on new hires," he said.
Mr Scandrett said the standout elements in the survey were the positive South Island readings in permanent and temporary forward employment expectations.
"Within this context, the big green light around the Christchurch rebuild is certainly shining brightly. We can safely assume, I think, that Otago-Southland interest elements are well wrapped into those construction-based projections."
Mr Scandrett was concerned that it was difficult to look deeply into the South Island survey material and draw fully accurate conclusions about local business health and future employment views held in Otago and Southland.
"As we head into the early weeks of 2012, I'm sure many of our regional manufacturers and exporters will be holding concerns about the deteriorating financial stability now seen in many international markets."
They would also have concerns about the associated currency cross-rate difficulties that would make their goods and services more expensive to off-shore customers, he said.
The Hudson material did not present strong manufacturing optimism around anticipated forward employment expectations. While it could be assumed from recent Performance in Manufacturing results that Otago-Southland manufacturing and export performance was tracking above the national average, local firms would be continuing to scrutinise all operational aspects - forward staffing levels included, Mr Scandrett said.
Mr Christie agreed that regional manufacturers were not immune from the global financial crisis, but his members were showing optimism from the number of forward orders they were receiving. Also, Otago had a strong base of education and health sector institutions that were showing no signs of cutting back on student or staff numbers.
The University of Otago, the Otago Polytechnic and the Dunedin Hospital were all major players in the economy and all seemed in good heart, he said.
If numbers of students held up at recent levels, that would help support the economy as the other sectors grew.
"I'm not saying this will be the best year we have ever had but I do believe the economy will grow faster than the rest of New Zealand and that is a good thing for the region."
Mr Christie's big wish for the year was to see more exports from the region.
