A need to start thinking ahead now New Zealand's out of a technical recession

Stats NZ figures show GDP rose 0.2 percent in the three months to March, and 0.2 percent in the year to March.

Herald Business Editor at Large, Liam Dann says we aren't out of the woods yet, but he's hopeful.

However, he says getting back to neutral isn't going to cut it.

Liam Dann says past growth in sectors like dairy and tourism may not be repeated and we need to figure out what grows the economy beyond those areas.

He says figuring out the next big thing is the next piece of the puzzle.