Our electorate:

The change of season has meant change is in the air, and there has been some great changes this month. I have been prioritising getting out and about to see as many communities as I can across Banks Peninsula.

March has been another big month our community:

• I’m pleased that the Port Hills fire has now been fully extinguished. I visited the Adventure Park which was badly affected by the fires, and I met with General Manager, Anne Newman. I’m thrilled that the Park has been able to reopen this month. The Park is a fantastic local asset for our electorate to use. My focus is now on looking at ways we can help regenerate the area through more native trees and working with other government and community groups.
• I want to acknowledge the 5^th anniversary of the Mosque attacks. I was honoured to spend the evening with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell, and Minister of Defence Judith Collins at the Al Noor Mosque to commemorate the 51 victims who were killed, and to speak and meet with those who were injured and offer my support. As MP for Banks Peninsula, I am here to help all those still struggling following the mosque attacks.
• I was pleased to host Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee at the SailGP in Lyttelton. It was fantastic to show Melissa the wonderful Lyttelton Whakaraupō Harbour. I have since received heaps of feedback from Lyttelton residents about the positive economic benefits the event had on local business owners.  A huge success for the electorate and New Zealand to finish the month with. I will advocate strongly for the continuation of SailGP in Christchurch.

Community update:

I know the community and many wider Christchurch electorates have been wondering about the future of Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). I have advocated strongly for our community by communicating with the Minister of Health, Dr Shane Reti to ensure our community is not forgotten about.  

Shane has let me know that over the next two years the current PMH services will be moved offsite, and Health NZ has advised the future of the site has not yet been decided. I’m interested to hear everyone’s thoughts on what should happen to the PMH site, so please let me know. Feel free to get in touch through the office at 03 384 5717, or through email: [email protected]

National’s Plan:

Our Government’s 100 day plan came to an end on 8 March but we are working hard to continue on with the next 100 days and work to get our country back on track.

Some of the Government’s actions in March include:

• A mental health innovation fund. National is going to deliver faster access to mental health services for vulnerable New Zealanders by boosting mental health within community providers and NGOs.
• Delivering more nurses and midwives. National will incentivise more Kiwis to study for a career as a nurse or midwife and bond them to remain in New Zealand after graduation for at least five years.
• Helping more Kiwis fight cancer. The National Government will fund 13 more cancer treatments and are making them available to patients in New Zealand.

Out and about in Banks Peninsula:

There has been heaps of incredible moments I have been able to experience across the electorate this month.

• I attended the AGM for Halswell residents hosted by the Halswell Residents Association. This was a fantastic way to reconnect with residents and gain a better understanding of what the community needs moving forward.
• I also got to check out the Halswell Menzshed. This group is using their skills to improve our community facilities. I am looking forward to seeing more fabulous projects being done by them to help benefit the community.
• I experienced my first cruise ship. I met with Josh Dolgoy, a captain for Royal Caribbean Group. This opportunity gave me a first-hand experience of what it is like to be on a cruise ship in the Lyttelton Whakaraupō Harbour.
• I visited a few more schools, including Akaroa Area School, Little River School, Redcliffs School, and Mt Pleasant School. I’m looking forward to working with each school principal and its teachers to support them with their projects in the coming year.
• I have also had the pleasure of hosting my first community meeting in Governors Bay. Special thank you to the team from Enable, Chorus, and Orion for joining me on their day off to come chat to the community about building resilience and answering some burning questions from the audience.

Community Drop-In Sessions:

I am pleased to announce my community drop-in sessions for next month. Please do come along to the following session if you are in the area:

Sumner at Joe's Garage on Wednesday April 3 from 2-3pm. 

Cashmere at Zeroes Café on Thursday April 4 from 12-1pm.

Halswell at Red Café on Thursday April 4 from 2-3pm.

For those of you who are busy during the day, you are more than welcome to come to my first “pub politics” session in Cashmere at The Brickworks on Wednesday April 24 from 5.30-7.30pm.

Media:

I got to also catch up with Ollie from Taxpayer Talk to chat about my life before being elected as the MP for Banks Peninsula. Check it out here: www.taxpayers.org.nz/tt_vanessa_weenink

I also spoke on RNZ about keeping the SailGP in Lyttelton Whakaraupō Harbour. Check it out here: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/middayreport/audio/2018931564/banks-peninsula-mp-keen-to-keep-sailgp-afloat

To keep up to date with everything on a day-to-day basis, follow me on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanessaWeeninkBanksPeninsula

Instagram: @vanessaweeninkbankspeninsulamp

Have a great and safe Easter, 

Vanessa.