This newsletter comes at the end of an exciting year. 2025 has seen the National-led Government make great progress in our agenda to get New Zealand’s economy back on track. We’ve got interest rates down, inflation in the target band and tourism and export income up.
Health budget increases have added more diagnostic capacity, shortened ED wait times, enabled earlier cancer treatment and increased hospital beds.
Over the last year the Government has announced transformative education policy changes to improve our children's learning processes and increased funding for resources in schools and upgrades in school buildings.
We’ve announced our package of initiatives that will increase electricity supply and affordability, and we’ll be implementing fast track approvals for new supermarket operators with the aim of reducing grocery prices for New Zealand households. And there have been great results in law and order with crime statistics down.
RMA legislation has been introduced this week that will reduce the red tape developers and home owners have to navigate to build houses and minor dwellings; the new planning system will save the sector more than $13b by reducing consents by more than 40%. We’re also enforcing caps on Council rates so they can’t increase by more than 4% per year.
Planning changes will help the horticulture and farming sector by removing unnecessary rules and introducing national standards for clarity and consistency. We have removed Agriculture from the ETS as we focus on finding practical tools and technology for our farmers to reduce their emissions in a way that will not reduce production or exports.
The infrastructure pipeline is now worth a total of $275 billion and includes nearly 12,000 infrastructure projects. Fast Tracking means infrastructure, housing, and energy gets ticked off sooner, creating more jobs and lifting incomes.
A couple of local events pre-Christmas are coming up - one is the Downtown Tauranga Late Night Christmas Festival happening around the city this Thursday 18 December. Shops and cafes will be open till 8pm with exclusive deals, live music and street performers to create a local Christmas atmosphere. Bring the children to Santa's Grotto for sweets and photos at 41 Devonport Road (near the Library) from 4-8 pm this Thursday.
And next Tuesday 23 December there are two new exhibitions opening at the Historic Village: Art Mavericks in the Red Shed and The Space Between in Forresters Hall, both on Main Street. There will be an official opening with refreshments at 10 am and art, jewellery, sculpture, fabric creations, homewares and pottery to purchase. Don't forget to look in at the other galleries too with all pieces available for sale to take away on the day. Located on 17th Avenue, The Historic Village is a great destination with cafes, galleries and shops open all summer.
Below is a recap of the last five weeks, highlighting the awesome people and innovative businesses I encountered.
As Chair of the Health Select Committee I was pleased with the report released into the aged care sector’s current and future capacity to provide support services for people experiencing neurological cognitive disorders. The report contains 14 recommendations to improve access to aged care and pricing transparency, expand residential and dementia care capacity, enhance flexibility and sustainability in home support services, and strengthen workforce conditions and sustainability.
It was an honour to share my personal story in Parliament at the event held by the Skin Cancer College Australasia. I can’t stress enough the importance of taking extra precautionary steps when spending significant outside, particularly over the summer holidays. I encourage everyone to undergo regular skin checks and to monitor any anomalies or moles they might notice on their body. Early detection saves lives; late diagnosis is avoidable.
I had the opportunity to talk in the General Debate about the phenomenal performance of Zespri and our kiwifruit growers. They have just had their biggest year ever with global fruit sales of over $5 billion and $3 billion of that going straight back to growers. They sold a record 221 million trays of kiwi fruit to consumers and more than 50 markets. This will have a hugely positive impact on our economy, create jobs and opportunities, and help us to provide the public services that New Zealanders need.
Well done Horticulture NZ on twenty years! Thank you for all you do delivering value, jobs and livelihoods for growers and regional communities. Thank you to all the growers and workers in ancillary services. Let’s keep the growth going.
Movember: I’ve only ever been able to grow a wispy mo, but to raise money for this awesome cause to raise awareness of men's mental health, I committed to 100 push ups, 30 pull ups, 100 squats and 5 minutes in the plank position every day. Ryan Hamilton kept me on track in the Parliament Gym between duty blocks in the House.
I enjoyed connecting with our valued National Party members and volunteers in November, including at the CNI Christmas party in Cambridge where we hosted Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Tim van de Molen wore a suit that could be used to wrap presents in. I drove Todd McClay's ute in the Te Puke Christmas Parade while he was on trade business overseas and my children helped from the back seat. It was a pleasure to host Hon Chris Bishop as he addressed a group of key Bay of Plenty infrastructure stakeholders in Tauranga. I also spent some time on the National Party stand at the Sika Hunting and Fishing Show at Mystery Creek.
Getting out amongst the Tauranga business community is an essential part of my role as local MP, as it keeps me informed about challenges, concerns and successes. I'm hearing that things are still recovering after covid lockdowns, but that business confidence is starting to show in many sectors.
Motorbike and jetboat season is here and I saw some great looking gear during visits to Dr Moto in Greerton and Bayride in Tauriko. Chatting with the owners and their teams, it's clear that there's a strong market for powerful rides and they also sell a range of safety gear including jackets and helmets. The message I heard from Sam at Dr Moto and Damian and Catherine at Bayride is: Shop local. If you want great service, excellent quality and solid after-purchase care, visit them onsite rather than buying online offshore.
I visited Cablerite and AVS in Tauranga. Cablerite do electrical and solar work and AVS install air conditioning. These are hard working local companies that deliver high quality products. If you or someone you know needs such services, encourage them to support local!
Argos Gymnastics in Tauranga helps kids develop crucial skills like balance, get stronger and is an awesome sport in and of itself. I really enjoyed my visit, great to meet the team and even took a chance on some of the equipment. Not sure I’m up for the rings or a running somersault just yet though!
Eddie invited me to visit his Greerton business Auto Super Shoppe. It's great to find a full service mechanic who does pick up and drop off when they service your car, or a courtesy car to use while it's in their care. A great place to go if your car is showing a weird light as they've got diagnostics on site as well as wofs, tyres, services and repairs.
I visited Creative Kitchens & Interiors in Greerton. They are delivering high-quality kitchens and cabinets to people around New Zealand. They are one of the most trusted kitchen builders in the country. High-quality products and high paying jobs - we want to see more companies like this one.
TCL Apparelmaster are a long-term Tauranga success story, with an impressive commercial laundry and uniform, linen and medical gear rental business catering to hospital, hotel and trade entities. I enjoyed my visit with Terry and Karen and I was interested in their use of technology to contain costs while tracking stock.
HouseMe in Tauriko have a range of portable homes on display, already decorated and ready for back yards. Now that the Government has reduced the need for resource consents for minor dwellings under 70 square metres, it will be easy to accommodate extended family, onsite staff and guests.
MenoDoctor Linda Dear came in for a chat about how to make menopause care accessible to women and to discuss the impact menopause issues can have on women. I'll be watching Linda's work with interest as she shares her research and recommendations for menopause challenges experienced by New Zealand women.
I attended the opening of the Toi Tauranga Art Gallery, the first major milestone in the rejuvenation of our Civic Precinct. It will help inject artistic life, creativity and opportunity into Tauranga.
Tauranga is such a great electorate to represent and I’m especially proud of the incredible volunteers in our city who do so much for so many, helping those less fortunate. The magical connections between volunteers and those in need provide food relief and social support in many other ways too. I visited the Tauranga Community Foodbank and Good Neighbour last month, both inspirational organisations who have been helping local families for many years, with Good Neighbour starting in 2011 and the Foodbank currently running their 14th Christmas Appeal. Due to the generosity of businesses and individuals, and the time given by volunteers, Tauranga families who thought they couldn’t afford to celebrate Christmas this year will have the opportunity to share in the festive season.
It was wonderful to connect with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) on their life giving ship in Tauranga. Thank you to everyone who gives so generously, especially Trinity Lands and TECT. YWAM deliver thousands of eye checks, dental clinics and healthcare treatments each year around the Pacific and NZ, getting healthcare to hard to reach communities. Absolute legends!
Lots of cute animals are on site at the SPCA in Greerton. I enjoyed meeting the team of volunteers who have asked me to share this message: summer is peak kitten season and fosterers are being urgently sought to care for animals until they can be homed permanently. All food is provided and you just have to give time and affection. Keep pets hydrated in the hot weather with icy treats and avoid walking dogs on hot pavements or leaving them in parked cars during the day. Pets are not just for Christmas, so if you’re thinking of giving a pet as a gift, please remember it will be a long-term member of your family for up to 20 years.
I attended the very colourful blessing of the Historic Village’s new road art which coincided with the opening of multiple exhibitions including the Incubator’s Artist Window, People’s Gallery and The Pot House. There will be lots to see and buy over summer so if you’re hosting guests, dining out, doing Christmas shopping or looking out for new art, the Historic Village has everything you need and it’s open 10-3 every day except for some stat days. There are two new art exhibitions opening at the Historic Village on Tuesday 23 December so be there at 10am for the first look at new art, jewellery and more.
Weetbix Kids TRYathlon was on recently. It was awesome to see our young athletes and competitors out there from ages 6-15 giving this their best. I’m pretty sure there’s another world champion here somewhere!
I attended the roadshow Kill Bills (household energy bills, that is) with Rewiring Aotearoa in Tauranga. Lots of good advice here on how you can produce and capture your own energy from solar, drastically reduce your power bill and sell excess back to the grid as a revenue stream. Hit them up for more info!
A special thank you to my valued National Party Members, with whom I meet regularly at events throughout the electorate. I am grateful for the support my members provide and I couldn't do this job without them. If you'd like to join us, become a member to receive your invitation here or reply to this email for details. I like to support Tauranga hospitality businesses while sharing news and hearing members' perspectives and feedback.
I also hold regular networking functions with the Tauranga business community and if you'd like to come along to connect with me, my team and other business owners and staff, reply here or email me to register so we can send you an invitation: taurangamp@parliament.govt.nz.
My team and I are taking a few weeks off to spend time with loved ones over the summer break. My Grey St office will close at 2pm on Friday 19 December and we'll re-open at 10am on Monday 12 January.
I want to give special thanks not only to our incredible National Party members, but my National Party colleagues, my superb staff, and above all, my wife Julia, our three children and our wider families. It’s going to be lovely to spend a few weeks with them over summer. I hope you get to spend some precious time with your loved ones too.
Wishing you and your loved ones a brilliant festive season and if you’re working through the holidays, thank you for keeping things ticking over so visitors to Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty enjoy the best holiday possible. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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