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Righting Local Wrongs

Peter and Rae visited my Bay of Plenty office with a distressing issue. In April, they returned home to find their power disconnected. They were shocked to discover their energy provider had cancelled their account and transferred it to another company without their knowledge. The new provider then cut off their power due to nonpayment, even though Peter and Rae had never signed up with them.

The most alarming part? There was no warning from either company before the disconnection. Peter and Rae were left in the dark, both literally and figuratively. Their original provider apologised and reconnected their service, but the new provider ignored their pleas for help.

Determined to right this wrong, I contacted the new provider on their behalf. Last week, I received a response: they had apologised to Peter and Rae, reconnected their power, and provided compensation.

I'm pleased to help resolved this issue for Peter and Rae, and I'm always happy to help my community.

Local Democracy On its Way!

The first ‘Meet the Candidates’ event was held on Monday night for the candidates standing in the Arataki Ward for the Tauranga City Council elections.

There are 10 candidates standing in the ward, and it was great to hear them all speak and to see a strong turnout from the community.

The Papamoa Residents and Ratepayers Association is hosting their next ‘Meet the Candidates’ event on Monday, June 24, for all the candidates standing in the Pāpāmoa Ward.

Let's Talk About Men’s Health

Men’s Health Week runs from the 10^th-16^th of June. It aims to encourage men to think more about their health and address issues earlier.

Kiwi men can be hesitant in coming forward to talk about physical or mental health but are 20% more likely to die of a heart attack, almost 30% more likely to develop diabetes and three times more likely to die by suicide.

 Reminder of what we are doing in mental health

• We are funding Gumboot Friday. Gumboot Friday will receive $6 million a year to increase access to free mental health counselling for young people. This will enable at least 15,000 young New Zealanders to access free mental health counselling services every year.
• Mental Health Innovation fund. $9.7 million has been allocated to establish a National Mental Health and Addiction Community Sector Innovation Fund.
• Targeted support for young people. Through the Mental Wellbeing Support for Vulnerable Young People Fund, the Ministry of Youth Development has allocated $788,000 to youth sector providers over two years. This will enable at least 1000 vulnerable young people (aged 12 to 24 years) to receive early support to prevent the escalation of mental health and wellbeing issues.

Hosting Nicola

It was superb to host the Minister of Finance, Hon Nicola Willis, in the Bay of Plenty this week alongside Sam Uffindell.

Nicola recently announced our 2024 budget that’ll deliver tax relief, so it was good to get feedback on that along with our many other announcements - achieving savings and funding the frontline

Unlocking Local Potential

Recently, we celebrated the completion of the 2024 Outward Bound Tangaroa Schools Course with students from the Bay of Plenty, including students from Pāpāmoa College, who just finished a 21-day journey.

Outward Bound, a non-profit in Anakiwa, Marlborough Sounds, uses outdoor challenges to unlock human potential and build better communities. Congratulations to everyone and thanks for having me along for this special night.

Behind the Scenes at Mainfreight in Papamoa

Mainfreight opened the doors of their brand-new freight terminal in September 2020 located at Mangatawa Papamoa Blocks on Truman Lane. Since then, the business continued to grow, and they are always looking for ways to better serve their customers.

I was lucky enough to be invited for a behind the scenes look at the local operation. An impressive and incredible New Zealand success story. Very lucky to have a fantastic local team helping keep the BOP running.

Looking Back and Looking Forward

It was great to catch up this week with two former MPs for the Bay of Plenty, Todd Muller and Tony Ryall. These two served the Bay of Plenty so well and I hope to follow in their footsteps and beyond.

Serving The Community

Thank you to the Papamoa Rotary for inviting me along this week to be their guest speaker. I enjoyed talking about my upbringing, my journey into politics and why I’m so passionate for the Bay of Plenty. Thank you for having me!

Establishing a Rural Policy Group

Ensuring that Ministers are aware of the happenings and needs within our rural communities is a significant concern for many people.

To address this, there is a proposal to establish a Rural Policy Group in the Bay of Plenty. This group will meet to identify and discuss rural issues, develop policy proposals, enabling us to effectively communicate these proposals to the relevant Ministers and to National Party Conferences.

Proposed plan as follows:

1. Register Your Interest: If you wish to join the group, please email [email protected]
2. Initial Online Meeting: They'll be holding an online meeting in mid-July to organise and set up the group.
3. Launch Meeting: On 30 August, they'll officially launch their group at a meeting in the Oropi Hall, where Minister Todd McClay is addressing the meeting.

Fundraising Charity Art Sale in Papamoa

I've been asked along to a local initiative/fundraiser - Charity Art Sale which is supporting emerging artists and writers in the wider Bay of Plenty region.

Here is an example of one of the pieces from The Bushman's Son's art on offer.

More details to come, but for now, save the date of Wednesday 3 July, 5.30pm, at The Island (formally Papamoa Beach Tavern).

Where’s Tom?

I’m coming to you in more spaces around the Bay of Plenty Electorate with new look advertising.

I’m making sure you see me and know I’m out there in our electorate physically and virtually. Look out for my messaging on local billboards – Radio and Digital platforms!

This week at a glance:

More help for homeowners impacted by severe weather.

People who were displaced by severe weather events in 2022 and 2023 will be supported by the extension of Temporary Accommodation Assistance through to 30 June 2025.

Government to reverse oil and gas exploration ban.

Removing the ban on petroleum exploration beyond onshore Taranaki is part of a suite of proposed amendments to the Crown Minerals Act to deal with the energy security challenges posed by rapidly declining natural gas reserves.

Paid Parental Leave increase to help families.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden says paid parental leave increase from 1 July will put more money in the pockets of Kiwi parents and give them extra support as they take precious time off to bond with their newborns.

Govt consulting on cutting red tape for exporters.

A new export exemption proposal for food businesses demonstrates the coalition Government’s commitment to reducing regulatory barriers for industry and increasing the value of New Zealand exports, which gets safe New Zealand food to more markets.

Government to reverse blanket speed limit reductions.

The Coalition Government will reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions by 1 July 2025 through a new Land Transport Rule released for public consultation.

Ministry for Regulation targets red tape to keep farmers and growers competitive.  

Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have announced a regulatory sector review on the approval process for new agricultural and horticultural products.

Latest data shows size of public service decreasing

Spending on contractors and consultants continues to fall and the size of the Public Service workforce has started to decrease after years of growth, according to the latest data released by the Public Service Commission.

Government delivers landmark specialist schools' investment.

The coalition Government is delivering record levels of targeted investment in specialist schools so children with additional needs can thrive.

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Hope you have a great weekend and if there is anything I can do to help - please give my office a call on 07 542 0505 or email me at [email protected]

I’m a Local, Just Like You!

Thanks,
Tom

Tom Rutherford
MP for Bay of Plenty

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