May:
- Took my Youth MP Daniel to Halswell to meet with members from the Summit Road Protection Authority. We discussed a lot of things such as anti-social driving along the Port Hills and my Dark Sky Reserve project. Fantastic to have Dan come along and have his input too.
- Visited ARA trade training site in Woolston and met the team who are helping train our youth. A key educational option for many kiwis, including my youth MP Daniel.
- My staff spent the day visiting people who have been affected by May’s flooding. This included the Living Streams Native team, luckily the plants all survived with not too much damage except for the office building. They also called in to see Lisa at Preloved Goods at Little River to help with some storage solutions while she sorted out her shop (I am glad to say she has since reopened). They also spoke to the staff in the Petrol station who were badly affected as well. Sarah and her team at the Little River Inn are back to business but had to dry out the carpets. The Co-op are doing great and suffered no water coming into the building.
- Visited the team at Independent Fisheries with Minister of the South Island James Meager. This was my second visit with the Minister this year.
- Supported my colleague Catherine Webb MP for Tukituki at her “Menopause: Not Just a Phase" event. As a GP I know the struggles menopause brings to many women. Women need to be supported and know menopause shouldn't be something to suffer through alone.
- Joined Minister for Health Simeon Brown to award student volunteers from Cashmere High School, who won the Minister of Health’s prize for volunteers. Thank you everyone who generously gives their time, energy, and kindness to support Hōhepa.
- Hosted Grant McCallum MP for Northland in Halswell. I explained how well the Te Kuru stormwater facility held during the recent flood event for Christchurch. As a farmer, he knows the importance of flood management. Te Kuru also won two top awards at Aotearoa New Zealand Public Works Engineering Excellence Awards last month.
- Joined Hamish Campbell MP for Ilam for a tour of Air New Zealand’s engineering facilities. I even got to drive an electric ‘luggage tug’, the vehicle which is used to move the luggage from A to B.
Community Update:
Since becoming MP for Banks Peninsula, I have been advocating to get better infrastructure for Banks Peninsula schools. So, I was excited to share the news that the Government has committed a further $53 million to add 51 new classrooms, including a new school in the wider Canterbury region to meet the growing student population including:
• A new primary school on Milns Road, which includes 12 classrooms, admin block and multipurpose spaces,
• Two classrooms at Somerfield Te Kura Wairepo,
• Four classrooms at Te Kura o te Tauawa Halswell School.
I was honoured to call the school principals, Stewart, and Meagan to tell them the good news. The Government’s responding to rapid population growth in Canterbury with a $161 million investment into school property, delivering close to 2,500 student places in the region’s growing school network.
My survey for the Dark Sky initiative has been sent out to rural residents, and I have also launched an online Dark Sky survey. Please check out my Facebook page if you would like to submit your thoughts on the project. Feedback so far has been positive, and I am looking forward to working with the community to make part of Banks Peninsula become a Dark Sky reserve.
I have rescheduled my Pub Politics to be on Thursday 12 June from 5.30-7pm at Two Thumb Redcliffs. I hope if you are in the area and free, you will take this chance to come and have a chat with me.
For more information, follow me on social media:
Instagram: @vanessaweeninkbankspeninsulamp
National News:
- RMA national direction overhaul: The Government is proposing new amendments to national direction to reduce red tape and help grow the economy. (Beehive PR) (Beehive PR) (Beehive PR)
- Further drop-in cash rate good news for Kiwis: The Reserve Bank has reduced the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 3.5 to 3.25 per cent, the sixth consecutive reduction since August last year. (Beehive PR)
- Budget 2025 boosts primary care funding : Budget 2025 provides a significant boost to ensure more New Zealanders can see a GP, get timely care, and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. (Beehive PR)
- New sanctions drive benefit accountability: Beneficiaries failing to meet the obligations they agreed to can expect two new measures to encourage people off welfare and into work. (Beehive PR)
- More regional events to get funding boost: The Government is driving economic growth in the regions by investing $2.6 million in 152 regional events, Tourism and Hospitality. (Beehive PR)
In the Media:
Chris Lynch Friday Politics May 9th: Facebook
Politics Friday: 'Hard decision to make' May 9th: Politicians butt heads over pay equity legislation
Out and About in Banks Peninsula:
- Spent the day in Lyttelton helping with the ‘Mother of all clean-ups’. We found all sorts of litter including plastic cutlery and food scraps.
- Joined the community emergency day in Governors Bay. The response team demonstrated how to do CPR. A skill I believe every New Zealander should learn.
- Put my gumboots on and planted some native plants at Barnett Park and Halswell Quarry, over 800 plants are now in the ground thanks to the volunteers.
- Watched Cashmere High School students play basketball and rugby. I also had a chat to principal John Stradwick about receiving confirmation of a new 10 classroom block.
- Walked through the new sustainable housing development in Somerfield. Brilliant to see more housing developments in Banks Peninsula that are focused on providing more sustainable living options.
- Visited Hillview, Our Lady of the Sea, Sumner, and Tamariki School principles to discuss how they will benefit from the education budget.
- Had a tour of the GIB factory in Woolston. A great team supplying much-need GIB for New Zealand’s building sector.
- Celebrated St Anne’s School’s tunnel project ceremony. It was great to speak to teachers about how excited they are about the new education budget and how it will make a huge difference to their students.
- Attended Summit Road Society presentation about the increase in numbers of bird species in Banks Peninsula. Congratulations to all members and thank you all for the work you do.
- I visited few local businesses in Woolston. I was lucky enough to meet June (on the left), who works at Stuff Woolston. On my way into the shop, I saw a beautiful white and black Ricochet coat. As an enthusiastic op-shopper, I always wonder what stories the piece of clothing I am buying has. Turns out, the coat was June's, and I got a full run down of the adventures she and the coat had been on.
To keep up to date with everything I am doing, follow me:
Instagram: @vanessaweeninkbankspeninsulamp