Hi John, I hope you're well.

In this month's update: 

• A Taste of Horowhenua and Kāpiti
• Ō2NL Expressway and public transport funding
• Expressway Speed limit
• Visit to Timor Leste
• What am I doing locally?
• Coming events

A Taste of Horowhenua and Kāpiti

Click on the video above to see the highlights from this amazing event.

This was the first of its kind and had 45 businesses from across our region profiling the amazing food and beverages they grow, farm and create. More than 350 people crowded into the Beehive to enjoy the evening, and the feedback has been incredible. In particular, hearing stories of business who got their products picked up by supermarkets is amazing.

Food and beverage is part of the amazing character of our region, and we need to celebrate it more, raise the profile and leverage all we can out of this. My vision is that when National build the new expressway to Levin, the old road will become the ‘Taste Highway’ where you can drive or cycle along, stopping at the various outlets along the way and try the best of our region.

 Ō2NL Expressway and public transport funding

I hosted Transport Minister Simeon Brown here earlier this month. Among other things, we discussed our ongoing commitment to this road. Construction starts around this time next year. It should finish just after the new trains arrive to provide additional service to Levin and Ōtaki.

Don't worry about what you hear from Regional Council and Kāpiti council. They're moaning about us prioritising funding into new roads and new trains, but the constant feedback I hear is that you don't want more bus stops like the one in Paraparaumu that took years to build, cost way too much so they could put a garden on the roof, and is wasting your hard-earned taxpayer and ratepayer dollars.

The truth is, the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) delivers an additional $1.5 billion in public transport investment, which is the largest investment in public transport there has ever been. In the greater Wellington region, this has resulted in a record $3.3 billion investment in the transport network over the 2024-27 period. Far from being a cut, this includes the largest ever investment in Wellington’s public transport network.

Compared to the previous three-year period under Labour, investment in public transport services and operations has increased by 30 per cent in Wellington under our Government.

Our Government is committed to supporting public transport to provide more reliable travel choices for New Zealanders.

Expressway Speed Limit

I hope you've seen that from November we're increasing the expressway to 110km/hr. It was designed and built to be safe at that speed, and the public support to my petition was overwhelming. Delivering on another promise.

Visit to Timor Leste

Almost everything I do is focussed on our local area. But last week I was asked by the Foreign Minister to fill in for him in Timor Leste (East Timor), for the commemorations of the 25th Anniversary of the INTERFET peacekeeping deployment starting.

25 years later and the country is living up to the ideals for which they fought. They are a peaceful democratic society, with the freedom to vote, to live in peace, and to determine their own future.

It was very special to return 17 years after my time peacekeeping there, and to see just how well the country is doing.

What am I doing locally?

Over the last month I've been busy in our region. I've spent a lot of timing helping local constituents to get better access to healthcare and to support from MSD in particular. One cool local case was helping the team from Raukawa Whanau Ora. They used to be able to access some great resource to help young parents and growing families but they'd been taken away. I stepped in and have fought to get those resources back. I hosted their team in Parliament last week and they told me it had made such a difference having these resources returned.

This was a classic case where it didn't cost any money or any extra staff to help. It was just fighting to get some archived resources returned, and to help negotiate the bureaucracy of Government for them. This is exactly what I think a good local MP should be doing.

I also hosted Ministers Erica Stanford and Simeon Brown, and MPs Dana Kirkpatrick and Greg Fleming. I've visited Levin School, Waikanae Community Centre (for a lunch with seniors), Levin Cossie Club, Levin RSA, Levin Police Station, Coast Access Radio, Madison Rest Home, Kāpiti Deerstalkers, JBs Environmental 25th birthday, Annies Bakery, Youth Advisory Panels at Manawatu College, Horowhenua and Waiopehu Colleges, and Paraparaumu College, Horowhenua Hunting Club, Electra Business Breakfast, Waikanae Water Treatment Plant, Electra substation, Horowhenua District Council, I met with local school principals, I held pop-up meetings in Foxton, Waitarere, Levin, Ōtaki, Waikanae, and Paraparaumu, attended Mowbray Collectables 50th in Ōtaki, visited Southwards Car Museum, took part in the Levin and Kāpiti Malayali Association Onam Celebration, visited Foxton School, met with The Horowhenua Company to talk economic development, met with Ngati Raukawa, met with the Horowhenua-Kāpiti Cricket Association, attended the 'Annuals Week' basketball in Levin, met with the Kāpiti Drycleaners team (Zac had just got back from helping at the Paris Paralympics), did baking with The Custard Pie, visited Beach FM, Stanmore Farm, Te Awhi Rito, and attended Gold Star presentations at both Levin and Waikanae Fire Stations. Pretty standard month.

Kāpiti Floods

The rain has certainly arrived. When the flood waters rose I got out and helped a few people who had reached out needing help accessing sandbags and protecting their homes. I also called in to the Emergency Operations Centre to thank the team there when the event was over (pays to stay out of the way when it's busy). I know my job isn't to lead the response, but I can't help getting my hands dirty when people need a hand.

Coming events

I'm holding two morning teas for over 60s. RSVP is essential.

• Levin  Thursday Oct 31st, 10am, Levin Senior Citizens Hall, RSVP to [email protected]
• Waikanae Tuesday Oct 29th, 10am, Waikanae Community Centre, RSVP to [email protected]

And I'll have a stand at the Kāpiti Food Fair raising money for the foodbank.

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