Wedd's Weekly - 27 March | National Party

I know it's been a tough few weeks for Hawke's Bay as people come to terms with the news about McCain and are dealing with the impact the Middle East conflict is having on fuel prices.

Firstly, I want to say as a staunch advocate for horticulture across our Hawke’s Bay region I am feeling for the families, growers and businesses who are impacted by McCain shutting its vegetable processing plant.

This is difficult for our community, and my thoughts are with those affected, who are still coming to terms with this news.

I will be meeting with the team at McCain to understand more about the decision they have made and will continue to advocate for Hawke’s Bay's horticulture sector.

As a government we also acknowledge the conflict in the Middle East is adding pressure to hardworking New Zealanders.

We have released updates to the National Fuel Plan to respond to fuel supply uncertainty driven by the conflict in the Middle East.

See below for a breakdown.

Fuel Response Plan

The plan is designed to keep fuel flowing where it matters most, relying on market settings wherever possible, and only stepping in further if supply is genuinely at risk.

Phase 1 of the plan focuses on monitoring global developments, easing restrictions to increase optionality (such as changing fuel specifications), providing information to fuel consumers of measures to support voluntary reductions in fuel use, and working with fuel companies to keep fuel moving efficiently across the country.

Phase 2 would see more active coordination between government and industry to shore up fuel supply and support increased efforts in demand reduction.

At Phase 2 there would be a stronger push for voluntary uptake by households and businesses of measures that help to conserve fuel, and a reduction in the public sector’s use of fuel where appropriate.

If disruption increases, the plan allows for stronger interventions at Phases 3 and 4 including prioritising fuel for emergency services, freight and food supply chains, and key industries that underpin New Zealand’s economy.

OUT AND ABOUT

Garden to plate initiative

It was great to see inspiring work at Havelock North Intermediate with their garden to plate initiative!

They are going to grow vegetables for vulnerable families in our community and using the produce for their own food and technology classes. A big thanks to funding from Air New Zealand which enabled the students to bring their idea to life.

This is an initiative which teaches kids about the environment and service, while helping Nourished for Nil distribute fresh vegetables to those in need.

Well done to the students and teachers for your vision and hard work to make this happen - can’t wait to see the fruits of this amazing mahi.

Peak trailblazer

Events are in full swing in Hawke’s Bay! Well done to everyone who took part in this years Peak Trail Blazer.

And a big shout out to the Havelock North Primary School parents who put so much time into organising this awesome event, which raises money for Te Mata Park and the school.

Thank you to the men and women in blue

Our police do an amazing job. With more police on the beat we are seeing less crime and safer communities.

Recent results show 85% less ram raids, 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime and a 22% reduction in youth offending.

In Hawke’s Bay we have one of the highest gang memberships in the country, and our government's move to crack down on gangs and ban gang patches is working and making a positive difference.

Thanks to the police for all the amazing work you do to keep our communities safer.

Mitey fine to meet Sir John Kirwan

I had the privilege to meet Sir John Kirwan, founder of Mitey which is transforming mental health education in Aotearoa. I caught up with him at St Matthew's Primary School- a Mitey school in Tukituki!

Mitey is a unique, NZ-specific approach to mental health education designed for primary and intermediate schools. Mitey fosters an open and honest classroom environment teachers are learning alongside ākonga. As teachers share things about themselves it is reflected back, with ākonga (student) having less hesitation about sharing and participating in class.

Coaches are also key to embedding Mitey in a school's culture. As a mother of four school-going children I know how important mental wellbeing is to a young person.

What a great initiative!

Beca in Hawke's Bay

I caught up with Matt Sanders, branch manager of Beca's Hawke's Bay office and Sarah Lang. Beca is a longstanding partner in the region's infrastructure and community development.

The Hawke’s Bay team works across the region on projects which keep people, goods and services moving – from roads, bridges and flood protection through to ports, processing plants and coastal resilience.

That includes day-to-day engineering solutions for local clients as well as larger programmes that support recovery, protect communities and help primary industries and manufacturers keep operating.

Great to meet the duo and understand more about the projects they are working on.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

$50 a week for lower-income working families

The Government is moving quickly to provide extra support for low-to-middle-income working families as conflict in the Middle East drives up fuel prices and adds pressure to household budgets.

From 7 April, about 143,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. The boost will also expand eligibility to around 14,000 additional working families, who will receive the tax credit at an abated rate.

The increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks.

The cost will count against the Government’s operating allowance for the 2026 Budget so has already been factored into the Treasury’s fiscal forecast.

Charging ahead: 2,500+ EV chargers on the way

The number of electric vehicle (EV) public chargers around New Zealand will more than double thanks to $52.7 million in zero-interest loans from the Government and co-investment from ChargeNet and Meridian.

Kiwis are already making the shift to electric vehicles as a cost-of-living choice, and we have seen uptake grow. In February 2026, EV sales were up 10.5 per cent on the same month last year – and anecdotal evidence suggests even greater interest over the past couple of weeks as conflict in the Middle East has seen fuel prices increase.

At a time when global fuel markets are volatile, that matters.

A better charging network means more New Zealanders can take advantage of it, and that's good for household budgets and our emissions profile alike. EVs produce at least 60 percent fewer lifecycle emissions than petrol vehicles.

Landlords and tenants to be better off under more effective regulation

Landlords and tenants will be better off with effective regulation of residential property managers and organisations under a new Government-backed framework.

Under the proposed regime landlords and tenants will be able to check if a residential property manager and organisation is registered. There will be a clear pathway to raise complaints, so that property managers can be held accountable if something goes wrong.

The proposed regime will introduce a public register of residential property managers and organisations, alongside clear standards for financial management, conduct and training.

Work is underway to progress these proposals into legislation, with further detail to be released in due course.

Mental health workforce target exceeded

The frontline mental health and addiction workforce has grown, with the latest target data showing the Government’s workforce target has been exceeded, giving more New Zealanders faster access to support.

Here in Hawke’s Bay, this progress is being felt on the ground through faster access to care and better connections to the right support.

When we first introduced the Mental Health Targets, Hawkes Bay sat at 74.7% for accessing primary services within 1 week - now it’s at 78.3% for primary services.

For specialist Hawkes Bay is exceeding the target at 87.8% for specialist services.

For the shorter stays in ED target, it was 71.6%, now it is 73.0%

These results show that health outcomes have improved and continue to improve under this Government.

The latest mental health and addiction target factsheets for quarter two 2025/26 can be found here

Spread the word

Please take a moment and forward this email to friends and family who might like to stay in touch. We appreciate your help staying connected with the community and there's no time like right now!

If you received this newsletter from a friend or family member and would like to subscribe to future newsletters, please hit the subscribe here button below and fill out the "Get Updates" form on my Catherine Wedd webpage.