Dear John 

It’s been another busy month both in Selwyn, and in parliament – with a number of local events happening that have been great to attend.

I have a regular schedule of MPs visiting the district and always try to hold a public meeting, where possible, so that residents can come along and hear about the Government’s policy programme. It’s also a great opportunity to have your say and feedback to us what is working, and what isn’t.

I have a regular schedule of Ministers visiting between now and the end of the year so please do keep an eye on my Facebook page for dates and details – we’d love to see you!

Hon Chris Penk Public Meeting

Construction is a major economic driver in the Selwyn district, but the industry has faced significant challenges in recent years.

I recently had the pleasure of hosting Building and Construction Minister Hon Chris Penk in Rolleston. He met with builders and developers to discuss the Government's plans to improve regulations and support growth in the sector.

Given that Selwyn is New Zealand's fastest-growing district, with thousands of new buildings coming online, it was invaluable for the Minister to hear directly about the challenges and suggestions that could shape future government policy. Thanks to everyone for your input!



Hon Dr Shane Reti Visits Selwyn

Health continues to be one of the biggest areas of concern for New Zealanders so it was great to have Hon Dr. Shane Reti, the Minister for Health, visit us in Selwyn.

Dr. Reti met with medical practitioners from around the district to discuss our area's needs and explore ways the Government can offer better support.

These conversations are crucial for making real improvements and enhancing our community’s health services.



Christchurch Kerala Association

I was thrilled to attend the Christchurch Kerala Association’s Onam Celebration recently.

It was my fourth time enjoying this fantastic event at the Lincoln Events Centre. Every year, Onam bursts with vibrant colours, rich traditions, and that warm, community feel of Kerala.

It was great to be part of the celebration and connect with such an incredible bunch of people. Here’s to a wonderful Onam for everyone involved!



Prebbleton School’s cultural narrative

A huge thank you to Prebbleton School for having me at the unveiling of their cultural narrative mural.

The students did an amazing job working with a local artist to capture the history of our area in such vibrant pictures. This mural is going to tell that story for years to come.



Proposed Changes to Speed Limits to Rolleston

The proposed increase in the speed limit to 110km/h on State Highway 1/76 Christchurch Southern Motorway to Rolleston aims to reduce travel times for people traveling to and from Christchurch from the south. This initiative supports the Government's plan to boost the economy by cutting travel times and improving efficiency on this important South Island freight route.

Consultation on the proposal to raise the speed limit - from east of Curletts Road interchange, Addington, to west of Weedons Road interchange, Rolleston – will commence on 3 September and conclude on 1 October.



Back to Basics for Local Government

Council rates are set to rise by about 15% this year, which is more than four times the rate of inflation. This isn’t acceptable. Councils need to do more to ease the financial pressure on ratepayers by focusing on essential services like rubbish collection, water infrastructure, and road repairs.

Our aim is for local councils to prioritise essential services and deliver them efficiently. We’ll also look into performance measures for councils and consider options to cap spending on non-essential projects. These measures will be published regularly to keep ratepayers informed about their council’s financial management.

We’re also reviewing transparency and accountability rules to ensure elected council members have the information they need to represent their communities effectively.

We will consider options for improving the local government system and will announce final policy decisions later this year.

We are taking steps to help councils focus on the basics and reduce the cost of living. The four key measures:

- Refocus Local Government Act: Clarify the main goals for councils.
- Performance Benchmarks: Look into setting performance standards for councils.
- Control Spending: Explore ways to limit council spending on non-essential projects.
- Transparency Review: Assess and improve rules for transparency and accountability.

Coffee Catchups

It was fantastic to visit Kirwee and Darfield recently for coffee catch-ups.

Selwyn is a large electorate, so it’s crucial for me to take my office on the road and connect with the community. Hearing directly from you about the issues that matter most is incredibly valuable.

Thanks for the warm welcome and the great conversations!

I will be hosting two more this month, here are the details: 

Friday 13th September 2024

Robert Harris, 3 Vemon Drive, Lincoln

12:15pm - 1:15pm

 The Store @ Tai Tapu, 687 Christchurch Akaroa Road, Tai Tapu

1:30pm - 2:30pm



Special video-message for Emily

Emily Taylor from West Rolleston Primary and her dad recently visited my office to deliver an important letter to Christopher Luxon.

Thank you, Emily, for taking the time to write to the Prime Minister. I hope his answers to your questions are helpful, and good luck with your studies!

Here is a link to the video

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Selwyn Local Council Representative Review

On 24 July 2024, Selwyn District Council approved an initial proposal for our representation arrangements to change to eight councillors, elected from four wards and no community boards. There will be other ward boundary changes, and the wards are to be renamed. I am very concerned that rural communities will no longer be adequately represented, should these proposals go ahead.

The following excerpt is an important message from Councillors Lydia Gliddon and Elizabeth Mundt – I encourage anyone living in our district who might be concerned about council representation to read and consider it:

“Ward boundaries are supposed to be determined by communities of interest; however, some have been split to meet the population rule. Elected members should represent roughly the same number of people (+/- 10%).  Since 2021, our population has grown 13%, and there is now an uneven number of people that each councillor represents. By continually changing the ward boundaries are we losing where our communities consider where they belong? For example, Aylesbury currently belongs in the Ellesmere ward, this area does not associate with Ellesmere and have always been affiliated with Malvern, being in the Kirwee school zone, surely Malvern is their community of interest?

The main reason given by Council for less councillors is ‘effective’ decision making and increased remuneration – can one councillor be equitable in making ‘effective’ decisions for 14 communities in one ward? The LGC does not use earnings as a deciding factor. This factor should be excluded from reasoning, this role is an act of public service.

Based on the LGC’s Guidelines for undertaking representation reviews you must take into consideration - communities of interest, effective representation, and fair representation for electors.

Councillors are the conduit between residents and the working of council, their main role is making decisions and voting at the council table, which forms the direction of the district, having a significant impact on ratepayers and residents. The two Malvern ward councillors travelled on average 20,000kms in 12 months. Is this fair and equitable?

If we consider the rural wards growth predictions, and the unique geography of alpine, rural, and semi urban within the district, how do we mitigate the concerns raised?

The option given reduces Ellesmere and Malvern from 2 to 1 Councillor in each ward and will disestablish the Malvern Community Board. The concern here is that both Rolleston and Springs are predicted to grow at an exponential rate. What does this mean at the next representation review? The 2021 representation review resulted in dropping 1 Councillor from the Selwyn Central ward (Rolleston) from 4 to 3, and reduced the boundary size, giving part of this to Ellesmere and Malvern. Will we end up with further reduced representation for Malvern and Ellesmere as they may not be able to meet the +/- 10% population requirement? 65% of respondents from the preliminary consultation preferred the 4-ward system as fair and effective, particularly our rural wards.”

Consultation closes 5pm Thursday 12th September- visit Representation Review 2024 | Your Say Selwyn <[link removed]>

In the news



I recently spoke at the HortNZ conference about Horticulture exports heading towards $8B 

Click here to read <[link removed]>

There are massive market opportunities for the horticulture industry in Southeast Asia

Click here to read <[link removed]>

The Horticulture sector is going through a very ambitious growth phase and the Government wants to see it grow.

Click here to read <[link removed]>



I discuss the Opportunities and Challenges for the red meat sector with plans to invest in science and education, pursue new Free Trade Agreements and more.

Click here to read <[link removed]>



I address my work-life balance, the challenges of managing parliamentary duties, the impact of drought, and New Zealand's trade ambitions.

Click here to listen <[link removed]>

Here to help

As always, my team and I are here and available to help.

You can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]?subject=Nicola%20Grigg%20Office%20Enquiry>, phone 03 344 2800, or pop into the office in Rolleston Square between Monday and Fridays, 10:00am - 4:00pm.

Kind regards,



Hon Nicola Grigg
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