Releasing the ASB-Main Report regional economic scoreboard, Mr Tuffley said his Otago comments about the September quarter were almost a carbon copy from June.
''Activity in Otago remains very healthy. In particular, the tourism sector continues to charge ahead.''
Feeding off the tourism activity, construction - both residential and commercial - continued at a fast pace, he said.
The sector was driving much of the ''whopping'' 70% annual increase in commercial construction.
House prices also increased at the fastest rate south of Waikato.
''If we were splitting hairs, we'd like to see more jobs growth in the region. All up, though, the Otago regional economy is strong.''
Otago remained at four stars with a rating of ''be there or be square''.
Southland had moved up to three stars in September, with construction leading the way. Building activity was up 30% on the same time last year.
The Southland labour market was strong. September-year jobs growth was 3.1%, the third-highest in the country, Mr Tuffley said. The Tiwai smelter contract extension might have been the boost the region needed. The important dairy sector remained weak but it was pleasing to see other sectors pick up some of the slack.
Three stars is ''fair to middling''.
Canterbury was the top-ranked South Island region with five stars - ''the place to be''.
Mr Tuffley said Canterbury retained its five stars. By some measures growth in the region was slowing, but by others it was still charging ahead.
The best example was in the construction sector, where the rate of home building had slowed over the past year but the rate of commercial building had surged more than 60%.
Also, annual jobs growth had slowed to 1.3% from more than 5% last year.
One bright spot was tourists increasingly returning to the region, with September guest nights growing at the third-fastest rate in the country, he said.
Cantabrians remained an upbeat lot. Consumer confidence came in at the second-highest reading nationwide.
''All these things considered, the transition from a rebuild-led economy to business as usual will be tricky for the regional economy. In that sense, it will be difficult for Canterbury to hold on to its five-star rating over all of 2016.''
Q3 economic rankings
1: Bay of Plenty
2-equal: Auckland and Northland
4: Waikato
5: Canterbury
6-equal: Hawkes Bay, Otago
8: Southland
9-equal: Tasman, Nelson
11: Manawatu-Wanganui
12: Gisborne
13: Marlborough
14: West Coast
15-equal: Taranaki, Wellington
