Welcome to my July Newsletter.
It was fantastic to be on the ground at Fieldays last month, meeting with rural families, sector leaders, innovators and producers. The mood was upbeat, and there are many reasons for this. Our rural sector is seeing good results, with export revenue expected to reach nearly $60 billion this year, up 12% from 2024.
Food and fibre make up more than 82% of our export income, and over 360,000 Kiwis work across the industry, supported by 70,000 associated businesses. With inflation down to 2.5% and interest rates falling, the outlook for rural New Zealand is increasingly positive. Whether it’s red meat, dairy, kiwifruit, seafood or wool, our producers are delivering for New Zealand and the world, and this Government is backing them every step of the way.
We’re also making real progress on the issues that matter most to farmers. We’ve scrapped Labour’s unpopular Ute Tax, and the Farm-to-Forest Ban has just passed its first reading in Parliament, a major milestone in protecting productive farmland from wholesale pine conversions. We’re investing heavily in rural healthcare, science, and resilience, while reforming the RMA and freshwater rules to reduce bureaucracy and restore common sense. From record export values to practical support, this Government is proud to be delivering for rural New Zealand.

Photo: With MPs Cameron Brewer and Suze Redmayne at Fieldays
Locally, it’s great to see the Government investing over $56 million into vital water infrastructure across rural Canterbury, including a significant $20.8 million boost to upgrade the Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme. Waitaki MP Miles Anderson and I have been working with Opuha’s leadership to help find solutions to their infrastructure needs. This investment will strengthen water security, extend the life of the dam, and address flood and seismic risks, benefiting farmers, processors, and our river environments. Alongside projects in Waimakariri and Amuri, this funding signals a strong commitment to the future of the rural South Island and the industries that underpin it.
Recent Key Announcements
Water resilience boost for rural Canterbury: The Government is investing more than $56 million into water resilience projects in rural Canterbury to help protect against changing weather patterns and increase productivity through higher value land use (Beehive PR)
GPs to receive record funding boost: General practices are set to benefit from the largest funding boost in New Zealand’s history (Beehive PR)
National Infrastructure Plan: The Government is launching a 30-year National Infrastructure Plan to improve how we plan, fund, maintain and build our infrastructure. (Beehive PR)
Farm-to-forest Ban passes first reading: The Government has taken a major step towards protecting food production by ending the large-scale conversion of productive farmland into pine plantations (Beehive PR)
Strong interest in new programme for overseas-trained doctors: A total of 180 overseas-trained doctors have expressed interest in a new Government-funded training programme aimed at boosting New Zealand’s primary care workforce (Beehive PR)
Targets continue to get health back on track: The latest quarterly results show clear progress in putting patients first and delivering access to timely, quality healthcare for all New Zealanders (Beehive PR)
Government set to surpass both law and order targets: New quarterly data shows the Government is on track to deliver on both law and order targets ahead of schedule (Beehive PR)
Sheep and Beef farmers deliver record red meat returns: New Zealand’s sheep and beef farmers are delivering record-breaking red meat export sales and driving strong farmgate returns to the rural economy (Beehive PR)
Elective Boost to get more Kiwis out of pain: Thousands more New Zealanders will get the procedures they need faster (Beehive PR)
Herds of Special Interest one step closer: Legislation to clarify how Herds of Special Interest (HOSI) operate in National Parks has passed its first reading in Parliament (Beehive PR)
Lifesaving funding boosts for Kiwis' outdoor safety: $76.7 million for New Zealand Search and Rescue over three years, to ensure lifesaving operations (Beehive PR)
Supermarkets warned about unfair practices: Major supermarkets issued letter from government to restate they must comply with the Fair-Trading Act and ensure Kiwi shoppers are not subjected to misleading price claims (Beehive PR)
Changes for prescribing ADHD medications: Prescribing changes will enable GPs and nurse practitioners to diagnose and treat adults with ADHD (Beehive PR)
If you are interested here is a link to read the PR Releases relating to my Ministerial portfolios.
Upcoming events
4-14 Jul European Union Visitors’ Programme
18 Jul Pakuranga Super Blues & Business Club
21 Jul Whanganui Super Blues
25 Jul Lunch Club in Timaru with Minister for Health Hon Simeon Brown
2-3 Aug National Conference, Christchurch
Visit the following sites for more information on events happening in our region:
Highlights
I was delighted to oversee Youth Parliament 2025 in my position of Youth Minister. This saw 143 of New Zealand’s best and brightest young people gathered in Wellington for the two-day event. Youth MPs representing their communities got to experience various real-life aspects of Parliament, including giving speeches during a general debate and asking Ministers oral questions. The 20 Youth Press Gallery members reported on the action, honing their journalistic talents throughout the programme.
Youth Parliament provides a unique opportunity for young Kiwis to learn how government works, develop leadership skills, and have their voices heard. I have no doubt many participants will go on to be part of our next generation of political leaders and journalists. I was particularly proud of my Youth MP, Maevi Fleming, who delivered a strong and inspiring speech to her peers, MPs and Ministers, and other officials at the Orientation Day dinner. I also had the opportunity to watch Maevi in action again while she gave her general debate speech in the House, where she did the Rangitata electorate proud. Also attending and getting to develop his reporting skills was Seb Booth, a year 13 student from Mt Hutt College, who was just one of only 20 Youth Press Gallery members selected to attend.
I want to thank all MPs across the House for their support of this non-partisan programme, and the Parliamentary Press Gallery for helping to make the Youth Press Gallery members’ experience one they’re unlikely to forget. Hearing about what these young people have been involved with during their tenure has me feeling very positive about the future of New Zealand.

Photo: With Prime Minister Chris Luxon, and Rangitata Youth MP Maevi Fleming
I recently announced a major investment of $76.7 million over the next three years to support New Zealand’s critical search and rescue organisations. As Associate Transport Minister, it was a privilege to deliver this funding boost for groups like Land Search and Rescue, Coastguard, the Mountain Safety Council, and Surf Lifesaving, organisations that are there when things go wrong in the outdoors. Many of these services rely heavily on volunteers, and this funding ensures they can continue their lifesaving work with the resources they need. Last year alone, our search and rescue services saved 152 lives, assisted more than 900 people, and carried out nearly 800 rescues. Behind every one of those numbers is a person with a family, a future, and a story. This announcement also included $624,000 to enhance recreational aviation safety, vital for rural communities like ours where recreational flying is common.

Photo: With Search & Rescue, NZ Police, and Coastguard representatives
Exciting news for our community, Timaru is about to become home to a pair of very special native birds. The NZ Raptor Trust has been granted a falcon captive breeding permit, making it just the third facility of its kind in New Zealand. Even better, it means Stella, a beautiful kārearea (New Zealand falcon) originally from Cannington will soon return home with her mate Jet. Stella is recovering from injuries that means she can’t return to the wild and will now be used as a breeding pair to revitalise the falcon population. The team is now raising funds to finish the dedicated breeding and rehabilitation facility, which will sit alongside the existing Hawk and Owl enclosures. A big congratulations to the NZ Raptor Trust, I’ve supported and assisted the work of the Trust since before becoming an MP and this is a fantastic step forward for native bird conservation, and for our region.

Photo: Chatting with Willow, a hawk at The NZ Raptor Trust in Timaru
Finally, it was a pleasure to welcome Cameron Brewer, MP for Upper Harbour, to the electorate as guest speaker at the Mid Canterbury Lunch Club. As Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee, Cameron had the opportunity to visit local businesses and hear firsthand how the Government’s new Investment Boost is supporting growth and confidence. Investment Boost allows businesses to deduct 20% off new asset depreciation costs from their taxable income (on top of normal deprecation) and is a key part of Budget 2025. He also took part in an agri-business financial services roundtable, where the discussion focused on what the latest Budget announcements mean for Mid Canterbury’s economy and primary sector.
Recent interviews
Contact the team
Any issues or feedback to do with my portfolio areas, contact my ministerial team at j.meager@ministers.govt.nz
If you need help with a local electorate issue (Mid Canterbury or South Canterbury) contact my electorate offices at james.meagerMP@parliament.govt.nz
Call: South Canterbury 03 683 2009 or Mid Canterbury 03 307 1729.
Drop in: Monday to Friday 10am - 4pm.