Welcome boost for tourism
Just like that, we’re already in the middle of April! We hope you and your wha¯ nau had a safe and restful Easter break.
Terisa and I are excited that we’re now able to welcome back Australian tourists to Ka¯ piti, and our Wellington region, just in time for these long weekends! This will provide a muchneeded boost for our tourism and hospitality businesses.
Closing the border was one of the first actions our government took as Covid-19 began to spread around the world. This step saved thousands of lives and kept the pressure off our health system, but we know it hasn’t been easy, particularly for our tourism industry.
As we look to the future, it’s also important we take moments to reflect on the past. Anzac Day is just around the corner, providing us all with an opportunity to commemorate Kiwis who served and died in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping.
There are so many people with incredible stories and knowledge of history in our community and spending time at Club Vista in Paraparaumu Beach is always a great informal way to meet people. Barbara’s last visit there, executive member Peter Elliott told her the story of his father Keith Elliott VC who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the first Battle of El Alamein and then served as a chaplain for the Anglican Church. This Anzac Day, the club is being supported by The Shed Project Ka¯ piti to sell poppies made out of old vinyls. Check out The Shed’s Facebook page for how you can buy one or head to Club Vista for details. Another wonderful local partnership built from historical connections.
Talking of connections, public transport is critically important for our region. The war in Ukraine has caused prices at the pump to spike, on top of global inflation. While the current cost pressures aren’t forecast to last forever, we know these shocks are causing real pain for families right now. As part of a package to ease financial pressure, the cost of public transport fares have been halved from April to the end of June.
The impact and far-reaching support the half-priced subsidies for public transport, as well as general subsidies have had (for example the Gold Card), cannot be underestimated. It was unfortunate to see last week that the leader of the National Party, Christopher Luxon, saying he doesn’t support subsidies for public transport. Our electorate of Mana ranks first in New Zealand for the proportion of people (15.2 per cent) who travel to work by train, over seven times the New Zealand average. Public transport for many in our community is a need, especially for those on low income and it is good for our environment.
So, we encourage you to take a trip on our trains and buses. Head out and support local, connect with friends and wha¯ nau and enjoy this beautiful place we get to call home.