Tom Rutherford

Tom Rutherford - The week that was - 23 August

23 Aug 2024

The Week That Was - 23 August 2024

Lending a Hand

A local constituent came to my coffee catch up last weekend. They mentioned they couldn’t get their sky box to work, so I popped round afterwards and helped set it up for them.

At 100 years young - she could have danced all night!

Big celebrations for local resident Coreen Gray QSM's 100th birthday, treating us to her own rendition of “I could have danced all night”, playing the piano and singing beautifully. Such a special moment for all in the room.

I also lodged a Notice of Motion to acknowledge Coreen’s special day. Notices of Motion are a way of acknowledging outstanding deeds in Parliament. Happy Birthday Coreen!

Oropi Branch Event - Friday 30 August

Combined Bay of Plenty and Rotorua event - come along.

RSVP to attend here: Oropi Branch Event with Todd McClay

New World @ The Sands - Nearing Completion

Improving our education system

Upcoming Coffee Catch Ups

Monday 2 September - Te Puna

Lunch with the Prime Minister!

Join me for lunch with Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Leader of the National Party, on Sunday 8 September.

Rt Hon Christopher Luxon will make a presentation at this luncheon and then be available for a conversation and to take your questions. Lunch is included with the tickets, and there will be a cash bar.

RSVP: Lunch with Leader of the National Party, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon.

Residents Clinics kick off

Looking forward to catching up with residents of Pacific Coast Village and Ocean Shores Avida soon. See below for dates/details.

If you'd like me to come along to your village, please reach out to my office. I'd love to come.

Delivering more competitive banking for Kiwis

Our banking sector is due for a shake-up, and the Government is ready to deliver.

The Commerce Commission’s final report into bank competition has laid bare the challenges we face – a highly profitable, yet uncompetitive market that’s not delivering the best for everyday Kiwis.

In response, we’re taking decisive action on all 14 of the Commission’s recommendations. We’re committed to making Kiwibank a true competitor, pushing forward with open banking to enhance innovation and choice, and ensuring that the Reserve Bank plays its part in fostering competition.

We’ve already made strides by scrapping overly prescriptive loan regulations, making it easier for Kiwis to access credit.

But this is just the beginning. We’re revising policies across the board to ensure that all banking providers, big or small, operate on a level playing field.

Our goal is simple: a more competitive banking sector that works harder for you. With these changes, we’re better services, delivering more options, and ultimately, a better deal for all New Zealanders.

Save the Date – September 4^th

NZ Post will be back, this time in Paper Plus – Papamoa Plaza. I’ll keep you POSTED!

A Local Radiology Clinic for Tauranga

Bay of Plenty cancer patients will no longer need to travel to Auckland or Hamilton for specialist scans as a new radiology clinic has opened in Tauranga.

I-MED Radiology’s newest clinic in Fraser Cove opened to the public on July 2.

Tauranga MP Sam Uffindell, Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford, stakeholders, and staff gathered at an event on August 15 to formally open the clinic.

In a first for the region, the clinic offers PET-CT and SPECT scans - important diagnostic tools used to help diagnose cancer and assess cancer treatment, an I-MED Radiology statement says.

It also offers general radiology services, including MRI, X-ray, and ultrasound, providing the local community with access to shorter scan times, it says.

I-MED Radiology has opened a new radiology clinic in Tauranga. Pictured (from left) I-MED New Zealand general manager Angus Brown, Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford, and I-MED Tauranga regional manager Roger Lysaght. - Photo: NZME.

Full article : SunLive - New radiology clinic opens in Tauranga - The Bay's News First

Refocusing our Councils

Mortgage relief is on the way .

Our plan to lower inflation is working, with the first OCR cut in more than four years!

This Day in our History – 23^rd August 1920

This week at a glance:

Drunk and drugged drivers targeted by new road policing programme

Drunk drivers and drugged drivers will be heavily targeted to improve safety on our roads by the new $1.3 billon Road Policing Investment Programme RPIP (2024-2027) which has been released by Transport Minister Simeon Brown.

20 Government actions free up the rural economy

Hard working men and women of rural NZ are doing their bit to help rebuild our economy, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced

Updated settings to restore ETS market confidence

Settings for the New Zealand Emission Trading Scheme have been updated to ensure New Zealand has a more credible market, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.

Delivering more competitive banking for Kiwis

The Government will act on all 14 recommendations made by the Commerce Commission’s final report into bank competition Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister, Andrew Bayly say.

Further support to Councils to speed up recovery

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has allocated $16.8 million of Budget 24 funding to support councils in accelerating recovery efforts following the severe weather events of 2023.

Approach set out for Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review

The Ministry for Regulation has published an Economic Analysis Issues paper as part of the ongoing agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The analysis supports the feedback process for the regulatory review’s mission to identify unnecessary red tape and make things easier for growers and producers around New Zealand.

Back to basics for local government

The Government has announced measures to ensure councils are getting back to basics to reduce the cost of living, deliver core services and infrastructure, and improve the efficiency of decision making, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.

Giving our children a greater voice

The Government has finalised a framework that will strengthen the oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system by ensuring the independence of the children’s monitor and creating a stand-alone Children’s Commissioner.

Govt funding boosts immunisation in high needs communities

Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti has welcomed preliminary data on a major immunisation initiative, saying it reinforces a commitment to get resources and funding out of a Wellington-based bureaucratic tangle and directly to frontline providers.

RMA Reform Phase Two priorities and plan

The Government will progress a second Resource Management Act Amendment Bill and a suite of changes to national direction to drive economic growth and productivity, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop says.

Technology to enable more court remote participation

Enabling more remote participation in our courts using Audio Visual (AV) technology is an important part of the Coalition Government’s commitment to improving court performance and access to justice, Minister for Courts Nicole McKee says.

New Zealand heads to Tonga to talk Pacific issues

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Tonga next week to meet with Pacific leaders on priority regional issues, including climate change, security and development.

Share the news!

Please feel free to forward this email to friends and family who might like to stay in touch. We all need to stay connected with the community and there's no time like the present!

If a friend or family member has sent you this newsletter and you would like to subscribe to future correspondence, please hit the “subscribe here” button below and fill out the "Get Updates" form at the bottom of my webpage.

Subscribe to receive my updates here.

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