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Dear John A stitch in time saves nine. This is true for treating health conditions quickly. It's true for fixing potholes quickly. And it's true for educating our children. National will get New Zealand back on track. In this issue:
Christopher Luxon Visits Cambridge Next Week – Come and Meet Him
Cambridge residents will have an opportunity to meet Leader of the National Party and Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon on Monday. He will be at the Cambridge Town Hall at 5:00 p.m. on 31 July. Come along and hear how National will get New Zealand back on track. National's Policy AnnouncementsTraining More Doctors – Waikato Medical School
Our sick and injured are waiting hours for emergency care, weeks to visit a GP and months for surgery. Our population is growing, and ageing, and we need more doctors. Around 64 per cent of GPs plan to retire by 2032. I have been fighting for a third medical school located in Waikato to help meet this demand since 2014. National has announced it will establish and fund $280m of the estimated $380m cost of a graduate medical school at the University of Waikato if it is elected in October. The university is keen to establish a school and has significant stakeholder support. The medical school will be established in partnership with other universities. We anticipate it would be opened by 2027 with 120 students. The Graduate Medical School will follow the model of other countries like the USA, Canada and Australia. Graduates from other disciplines will train for a year on the university campus, then spend three years at placements in regional hospitals and primary-care facilities. Graduates from provincial and rural communities who are likely to return to, and stay in, those areas, and those interested in becoming GPs will be preferred. National will also increase the number of places in Auckland and Otago medical schools by a total of 50 by 2025, equating to an additional 220 doctors graduating each year by 2030. We also need more nurses and midwives. You can see our policy here. The University of Waikato nursing school, established in 2021 with 40 students, has grown to train 210 students this year which will help to relieve staff shortages in the region. A third medical school will do the same. Pothole Repair Fund
Last year, over 54,000 potholes needed repairing on our State Highways, the highest number in a decade. National will establish a $500m fund (over three years) for NZTA and local authorities to repair roads, direct NZTA to renew roads at double the current rate, and halve the standard response time for pothole repairs to 24 hours. Waikato is the worst area for potholes in New Zealand. Of the more than 54,000 potholes that needed repairing on New Zealand’s State Highways in 2022 – the highest level in a decade – 10,878 of these were in the Waikato which is 4339 more than Northland, the next highest region. Happy 40th Birthday Cambridge Riding for the Disabled!
Forty years – that's a huge milestone, particularly considering the Cambridge RDA is run mostly by volunteers! Congratulations also to Katrina Roberts who was recently recognised as 2022 Coach of the Year and Addy Marsh who was named 2022 Rider of the Year by NZRDA. Kākāpō release on Sanctuary Mountain MaungatautariWelcome to the four juvenile male kākāpō – Māhutonga, Ōtepoti, Motupōhue and Bunker – released last week on Maungatautari. I hope they settle in well so some breeding pairs can be established in future to increase the biodiversity.
Photo by Stuart Attwood Photography Out and AboutFriendly Forums Come along to have your say at my last round of Friendly Forums (details below) before the final adjournment of the House in August. The Dissolution of the 53rd Parliament will happen on 8 September. Big Winter Festival Taupō Once again, the One Taupō Trust volunteers did a fantastic job of organising this year's Malcolm Flowers Insurances Taupō Winter Festival. The trust does a great job raising funds to promote healthy lifestyles and assist with transport to other areas for health care. Mangakino Lake Hop It was great catching up with some of you at the Hop and seeing the vehicles, bikes and boats on display. Eat, Meet, Repeat The Bridges Church celebrated two years of Community Meals last week and I was pleased to join their team. Takapoto Estate Winter Showjumping Competition I had a fabulous visit to Takapoto Estate recently where I watched the showjumping at this world-class equestrian facility on the shores of Lake Karapiro. Upcoming engagement opportunitiesChristopher Luxon Public Meeting:31 July 2023 – Cambridge Town Hall, 5.00 p.m. Rotorua MP and National Party Agriculture Spokesperson Todd McClay Visit: Rural Meetings are planned with National's Agriculture Spokesperson on 14 and 28 August. Keep an eye out for details. Friendly Forums:4 August – Cambridge 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Taylor Made Community Space, 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge.
11 August – South Waikato 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m., South Waikato Sport and Events Centre, 25 Mossop Road, Tokoroa.
18 August – Taupō 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m., Lake Taupō Rotary Club, 12 Story Place, Taupō.
Facebook LiveJoin me online to discuss the issues that currently concern you. My next live chat will be: Tuesday 8 August 8 p.m. Past posts are available online too. Electorate AssistanceIf you need help from my team, please get in touch. Phone 07 8275572 or email [email protected] Phone 07 8865554 or email [email protected] Phone 07 3765563 or email [email protected] Kind regards, Hon Louise Upston |
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