The House has now risen for 2025 and wow has it been a big year! This week I took a Taste of Hawke's Bay to Parliament to celebrate our amazing growers and all the hard-working Hawke's Bay families who grow amazing produce.
Our Hawke's Bay Fruit Bowl was very well received and I'm always so proud to share the produce from our incredible region.
As we wrap up the year, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I am looking forward to a big 2026 representing our amazing region and thank you all for your support.
OUT AND ABOUT
Bringing a Taste of the Fruit Bowl to Parliament
Our Hawke’s Bay horticulture exports are forecast to hit an incredible record high, and I wanted to celebrate this in Parliament, so I brought our amazing Fruit Bowl to Wellington.
The latest Situation and Outlook for Primary Industries (SOPI) report forecasts horticulture export revenue will rise 5% to $9.2 billion in the year to 30 June 2026.
I spent time on the ground in Hawke’s Bay, visiting some of the region’s leading growers and exporters and their hardworking teams.
After meeting with our fantastic growers across Hawke’s Bay, I brought an abundance of Hawke’s Bay’s finest fruit and berries to share with parliamentary colleagues and staff.
Visits included iconic growers such as Berry Farms NZ, Riverside Cherries, Tatsumi NZ, Bounce, Gourmet Blueberries, and Bayview Apricots, each showcasing the tasty fruit that have made Hawke’s Bay famous as New Zealand’s fruit bowl.
It was fantastic to get out and about across Hawke’s Bay, meeting with growers and their teams and hearing about the amazing season our growers are experiencing.
From juicy stone fruit to plump berries, the spread was a true showcase of the region’s reputation as New Zealand’s fruit bowl.
Hawke’s Bay is leading the way in producing world-class fruit, and it’s something we’re all proud of.
Bringing a taste of home to Parliament is a reminder of why supporting regional economies matters.
Christmas on the Village Green
It was wonderful to celebrate Christmas with our Havelock North community and see some fantastic performances, including the Havelock North Primary School Choir.
Thank you to the St Columba’s Presbyterian Church and Reverend Wayne Toleafoa and “Miss Claus” for organising this amazing event on the Village Green every year.
New Housing Developments and Equestrian Centre
Exciting news for Hastings and Flaxmere with plans to build hundreds of new homes and keep our Hawke’s Bay racing and equestrian sector alive with a state-of-the-art racecourse and equestrian centre.
This will be an amazing boost to our local economy, providing hundreds of jobs and opportunity and we can build the necessary houses we need!
This is a project that I have been championing with our Government Ministers, local council, Hawke’s Bay Racing and local developers and I am so excited to see this action and progress for Hastings!
To read the article about it, click the link below:
Delivering Policy Under Urgency
We recently wrapped up a massive week of urgency, sitting in Parliament until midnight every night, and passing so many laws to get the economy moving. This included:
- RMA reform to roll over consents
- Fast track to build supermarkets faster and get a better deal for kiwi shoppers
- And the bill to reduce the methane target to back our agriculture sector!
We are focused on strengthening our economy and creating jobs and opportunity for New Zealand.
We are a hardworking team, and we look forward to accomplishing even more in 2026.
New Planning System Replacing RMA
This week we had the first reading of the bills which will see the largest RMA Reform in 30 Years with submissions now open!
I was excited to be part of the first reading of the bills to replace the RMA this week.
As Chair of the Environment Committee I have the privilege, along with my National colleagues Grant McCallum, Ryan Hamilton MP for Hamilton East and David Macleod of navigating these bills into law!
It will be a big process and a busy 6 months!
I encourage submissions on this important reform, which strikes the right balance between getting things built and protecting our environment.
It’s taking too long and costing too much to get anything built in this country, which is holding back opportunity to grow and create jobs.
It’s time to have a culture of yes!
Fixing the basics and building the future.
Fernhill Bridge Strengthening
Our Government has announced funding for strengthening the Fernhill Bridge.
This upgrade is a big win for Hawke's Bay and enabling everyone to get around faster and more efficiently. It is also good for local freight operators and growers who rely on safe, efficient transport routes.
Truckies have called the news “fantastic,” and it’s another example of investment that supports our region’s economy and keeps goods moving.
To read the article about it, click the link below:
Merry Christmas, Hawke's Bay!
As we wrap up the year, I want to thank you for your support and for everything we’ve achieved together.
From infrastructure upgrades to better healthcare and family-focused policies, we’re building a stronger future for Hawke’s Bay.
Have a safe, happy Christmas with your loved ones — and here’s to an even better 2026!
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Economy On the Up
Stats NZ has reported that the economy grew 1.1 per cent in the third quarter of the year.
This growth was broad-based, occurring in 14 of the 16 sectors measured by Stats NZ.
Treasury and the Reserve Bank are forecasting growth to accelerate next year and unemployment to fall.
The following sectors have had growth:
- 2.2% growth in the manufacturing sector.
- 1.7% growth in construction.
- 1.6% growth in business services.
Together with growth in exports of 3.3 per cent, and increased investment in residential buildings, plant and machinery, and transport equipment, this is setting New Zealanders up for future job prospects as well as higher incomes.
The Government’s plan to fix the basics and build the future is working.
Record Horticulture Export Projections
MPI’s latest report shows record-breaking growth ahead, with export earnings tipped to hit $9.2 billion next year.
This growth is being driven by a series of standout results: kiwifruit continues to benefit from robust yields and strong global pricing, apples enjoyed an early harvest with excellent size and quality, cherries are set for a bumper crop with revenues up about 5 percent to NZ$130 million, while other sectors like wine, avocado, and vegetables contribute further momentum.
For Hawke’s Bay, that means more jobs, more investment, and a huge vote of confidence in our growers.
The future looks delicious!
HYEFU 2025 Outcomes
Despite the challenges of global events, the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) is forecasting an accelerating economic recovery, underlining the importance of the Government’s focus on economic growth.
The economy is forecast to grow 3 per cent next year and inflation to remain low throughout the forecast period. New Zealanders can expect wages to grow faster than inflation every year and about 270,000 jobs to be created over the five-year forecast period.
The Government’s approach to fiscal repair puts New Zealand in good stead internationally.
We are on target to return the books to surplus faster than Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and many other advanced economies, while maintaining a prudent debt position.
I look forward to seeing you out in our Tukituki community soon.
Regards, Catherine