First, I’m incredibly pleased funding has been confirmed for eight new specialist classrooms at Māruawai College.
I worked closely with the school’s leadership and board advocating for this to progress, and the school’s motto: "No reward without effort" rang true in this situation.
This government’s focus on improving education has shifted school property from delays to delivery, and I’m excited for the students and teachers who will make the most out of these new spaces.
Securing funding for flood mitigation is another of the local projects I’ve been pressing hard for, so I’m stoked to see the announcement from Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson in Gore last week confirming funds for the work.
This will reduce the risk of a large flood event forcing water into the Gore township, and like Māruawai’s classrooms, it has taken effort to get the go-ahead.
The project works include building rock walls and new stopbanks, strengthening and extending existing stopbanks, and riverbed gravel works across near Gore and Mataura.
More flood mitigation is needed across Southland, and I will continue advocating for this to be prioritised for our community. Changes to the RMA will mean fewer bureaucratic hold-ups.
In the international arena there has been the recent signing of the India Free Trade Agreement which will also have positive effects for Gore. Our meat, dairy and trees now have greater access to the massive Indian market. The Indian economy is forecast to grow to $US7 trillion (NZ$NZ12t), with a middle class expected to number more than 700 million, by 2030. This is a once-in-a-generation step forward for New Zealand.
Tariffs on sheep meat, wool, coal and many other products will be removed immediately. This is great news for our community.
Finally this week, it was pleasing to see so many people join Health Minister Simeon Brown and me in Winton last week for a meeting on public health. Mr Brown’s grandfather grew up in Tuatapere, so he has strong ties to the south.
The group attending were pleased to hear of the government giving greater focus to rural communities.
