Around the electorate
Matariki
I’m really proud that we’ve delivered on Labour’s election commitment to establish a public holiday to celebrate Matariki. For the first time this year, people here in the Ōtaki electorate and across the country had the chance to enjoy a mid-winter holiday that is uniquely our own.
Matariki heralds the start of the Māori New Year and has increasingly become a time of celebration not just for Māori, but for many people across New Zealand. By making Matariki a public holiday, we’re ensuring that everyone can spend this special time with friends and family.
This Matariki, my whanau and I were able to attend a range of events across the electorate to celebrate and it was pleasing to see many in our community come together to mark the start of the Māori New Year. I hope you and your loved ones got a chance to come together and enjoy New Zealand’s first Matariki public holiday. Mānawatia a Matariki!
More funding for schools
We’re working hard to build an education system that gives every student in Ōtaki the best chance to succeed. Through our School Upgrade Programme, we’ve supported schools in our community, such as Foxton Beach School, Levin Intermediate, Manakau School, Ōtaki College, and Paraparaumu Beach School to bring forward property improvements so our kids have fit-for-purpose classrooms and vibrant spaces to play in.
We’re ensuring schools have the teachers and equipment they need with a boost in operating funding, and around the country, we’re building hundreds of new classrooms. We’re also scrapping the outdated decile system, to make school funding fairer.
Health Minister visit
In March we welcomed Health Minister Andrew Little to the electorate for a full day focusing on the health and wellbeing needs in the community. Following on from that visit, in April we were stoked that Minister Little chose Levin to announce Horowhenua as one of the 9 new locality networks to improve how healthcare is delivered in local communities. There is a big emphasis on rural, Maori & Pacific populations for whom services at present struggle to deliver on an equitable basis, and they’re the place to start. Locality planning offers the opportunity for better coordination between services currently on offer, as well as tailors the services to that community. Budget 2022 gives doctors, nurses and other health professionals working in our public health system the resources they need to get on with the job of looking after patients.
More support for local businesses
We’re making it easier for local businesses to access finance so they can grow and create jobs, with a new Business Growth Fund. We’re also helping businesses access the skilled workforces they need by extending support for our successful trades training programmes, and rebalancing our immigration settings.