From the Dean's Office
From the Dean's Office is aimed at Waitaki residents and covers local issues as well as national politics. I welcome your feedback on the content and any issues you'd like covered.
August E-letter
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Busy times
Hello everybody. And we thought winter was just about over! It’s been a busy two weeks with a number of legislature matters emerging including some of concern to the Waitaki. There has also been the ongoing but very important Southern neurosurgery issue. On top of this, last Monday I also managed to visit the northern half of our electorate. On that trip I was briefly reminded as an MP of the need to double –check everything!
At Geraldine I parked at a school bus-stop in my “truck.” I was sure I parked in the times permitted but when I emerged from a meeting I saw two school buses on the stop blocking my highly identifiable vehicle. For a brief moment all I could I see ahead was the next day’s newspaper front page pictures highlighting the moment. Fortunately, my agony ended when a gentlemanly driver emerged to tell me he would ‘move his bus in two sec’s’ and to apologise for blocking my car. Hiding any hint of my concern I thanked him and told him to take his time.... in a voice a couple of notes higher than usual!
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Fighting to keep our neurosurgery service
As most people will know I am fully behind the retention of neurosurgical services here in the South. In support of this what I have discovered are the recent heavy workloads of the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust. Last month the rescue trust experienced what was the busiest day in its 11-year history, when its’ helicopter conducted six rescue trips, over 1934km, including four to Wanaka, one to Dunstan Hospital and one to Ranfurly.
While none of the emergencies related to head injury the call-outs highlight show how essential it is for there to be access to health services to meet the ever-increasing needs of Otago and particularly, the Central Otago communities. When we have an emergency helicopter service making six rescue missions in one day, it sends a pretty clear message ours is a region that needs access to health services as close at hand as possible.
We have people living in these areas which at times can be quite isolated. We need to have health services in place to meet their demands and to do it in a time frame in which lives are saved – not lost.The majority of the rescue trust’s missions relate to accidents – that is the nature of the Central Otago region, with its adventure tourism, ski fields and challenging roads. In my opinion, this reinforces the need for neurosurgery services to remain in a centrally located position at Dunedin. A shift in neurosurgery services to Christchurch will likely jeopardise lives and disadvantage the people of this region.
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High Country leases
Last week I also sought reassurances from Agricultural Minister David Carter over the Government’s new system for setting rents for high country crown pastoral land leases. I did so as I wanted to know the new system would provide a fairer approach to high country pastoral leases. Mr Carter told me the new approach was not only fairer, but simpler to administer and would allow farmers to get on with the job of farming rather than fighting bureaucracy.
It would also mean farmers were not going to be charged extra just because their sheep had a view, which was indeed the cornerstone of the formula implemented by the last Labour Government.
The minister told me the new system will see rents based on the earning capacity of each farm, something that up until now has been ignored.
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Easter Shopping Bill
My Bill to liberalise Easter trading laws in the Waitaki electorate is to simply allow communities the freedom already enjoyed in both Queenstown and Taupo to open at Easter. Earlier this week my bill was drawn from the ballot at Parliament and already, and I must say, not unexpectedly, the retail workers’ union claim staff would be forced to work. Nothing could be further from the truth. Staff will be given the choice to work.
Rather than being forced to do businesses, as the retail workers’ union suggests, retailers are looking forward to when they can legally allow shoppers to visit their premises and shop over Easter. I have the support of retailers from around the region who tell me that in this current economic environment the freedom to open at Easter is exactly what is needed. My bill is all about choice and meeting the needs of communities in my electorate.
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Getting involved in your community
It’s local government election time and I urge all Waitaki residents to have their say by voting this October. I also support those standing to represent their communities but be quick as it’s only just over a week until registration closes. And for those still undecided I say why not give it a go.
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Welcome visitor
Simon Bridges, MP for Tauranga will be in Oamaru on Friday, August 27 as guest speaker at a National Party Breakfast function, Kingsgate Brydone from 7.15 to 8.30am. The cost to attend including the hotel’s famous big ‘brekkie’ is $22 per person. Later at 10.00, Simon will address my Friday Forum in the Ink Box (a room), at the Oamaru Opera House. If you would like to attend one, or both of these events please RSVP by August 25 to 03434-7325. Simon is deputy chair of the Justice and Electoral Committee, the Maori Affairs select committee and the Auckland Governance select committee. I’d love to see you there.
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Congratulations and Well Done to:
The Lake Tekapo Starlight Reserve team for their bid to get World Heritage recognition for the reserve. UNESCO is to now launch a study into the creation of the area as the world’s first night time starlight reserve.
Peg Borlase on achieving Emeritus status from the Oamaru Altrusa Club and District Fifteen NZ.
The team behind the Maniototo Curling international’s rink - five years old and still growing.
Diary:
Aug 13: Waimate/Timaru clinic
Aug 14: Lake Tekapo Footbridge fundraiser
Aug 17: Parliament
Aug 18: Parliament
Aug 19: Parliament
Aug 20: Southern Regional Conference, Dunedin
ends
Recent editions of From the Dean’s Office:
2010
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