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Dear John, In this issue:
In the HouseIn the lead up to the holiday season, it’s been an action-packed December in the House. Parliament has been under urgency and our Government has been hard at work delivering a raft of changes for Kiwis before Christmas. Select committees also completed their annual review hearings, which examined the recent performance and operations of departments. Looking back on 2024, I’m proud to be part of a National-led Government that has worked relentlessly to get New Zealand back on track and deliver better outcomes for Kiwis. As we head into 2025, I look forward to continuing our work to rebuild the economy, restore law and order and deliver better public services. The House will adjourn for the year on Wednesday 18 December. We will resume on Tuesday 28 January 2025. Minister's NewsTwelve Days of Giving campaign In the spirit of the giving season, this month I launched the Twelve Days of Giving social media campaign alongside Philanthropy New Zealand in my capacity as Community and Voluntary Sector Minister. This campaign was an opportunity to showcase the incredible ways Kiwis are making a difference through philanthropy and to raise awareness of the different avenues of giving so we can grow philanthropic giving in New Zealand. International Day of Persons with Disabilities Tuesday 3 December marked International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I was honoured to celebrate the day with the Pacific disability community in Porirua. It was an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the strength, resilience and achievements of people with disabilities in New Zealand. More support to help jobseekers into work I was proud to announce that we expanded MSD’s phone-based case management service to support 10,000 jobseekers. This increased the total number of people on benefits who are being supported by an MSD employment case manager at any given time to 70,000. And all 70,000 are now eligible to receive a new, more comprehensive needs assessment of the challenges that might be holding them back from finding work, and a personalised job plan to overcome them. These new supports add to the ever-growing suite of welfare initiatives we have introduced in our first year in government and demonstrate our commitment to delivering better public services and supporting more people to move off benefit into work. Electorate NewsVinFast IRONMAN 70.3 World ChampionshipWhat a fantastic event with around 6200 triathletes from 119 countries competing in Taupō over the weekend! Congratulations to New Zealanders Hayden Wilde (2nd) and Kyle Smith (4th) who were placed in the top 10 of the men's race, and Hannah Berry who was the first New Zealand woman home with a perfectly respectable 14th place.  I’d like to acknowledge the IRONMAN group for bringing this huge international event to Taupō. It has been a massive undertaking for organisers with some huge logistical challenges – like organising a banquet for about 4200 people! Events like this are great for showcasing our region to travellers. Taupō has just been named in Condé Nast Traveler’s list of The Best Places to Go in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in 2025. Word is getting out! Youth Member of Parliament Applications OpenI am looking for applicants from my electorate for three opportunities:
Youth Parliament offers an opportunity to young people to experience the political process and learn about how government works. Youth MPs talk to young people in their schools and communities and bring their perspectives directly to Parliament to advocate for them and debate the issues they are passionate about. Applicants must be able to commit to the full programme (late April to August), including two days in Parliament (1 and 2 July). Up to 20 young people across New Zealand will also be selected as Youth Press Gallery members. They report on the Youth MPs' activities and learn about the important role the Press Gallery plays. Applications will open on Monday 3 February 2025 and close at 12 noon on Friday 28 February 2025. Young people aged 16 to 18 years on the application closing date are eligible to become a Youth MP, while Youth Press Gallery members can be aged between 16 and 24 years. Each year I invite young people to attend a Youth Advisory Board. Next year they will be held on 4 April and 6 June. This forum includes an introduction to Parliament, but its main function is to allow students from across the electorate to meet and discuss issues which are important to them and their peers. It enables me to gauge the views, opinions and ideas of the participants and their communities and allows me to represent them in Parliament. For details about how to apply, please email [email protected] Week of Speed – Cambridge Grassroots Trust VelodromeAs part of the Week of Speed, the Cambridge Grassroots Trust Velodrome hosted the APL New Zealand Grand Prix, UCI Class 2 Event. Some of the best international riders including New Zealand Olympians and Paralympians were racing. It was a pleasure to catch up with our Track Cycling Olympians and hear about the challenges and highlights they face. Despite their successes, they remain very humble and grounded!  RoadworksJust a reminder that roading work continues 24/7 on State Highway 1, with detours in place for extended periods. All road works nationwide will pause on 20 December until the end of the Christmas period on 6 January 2025. Traffic has been moved onto the permanent State Highway 1 (from Tīrau) and State Highway 29 approaches to the Piarere roundabout. This change will see traffic from all 3 directions using the roundabout. The approach from Cambridge will be completed early next year. State Highway 1 between Karāpiro Road and the intersection of SH1 and SH29 at Piarere will be closed midnight Sunday 19 January to midnight Thursday 23 January 2025. Detours include:
All property owners, their visitors and service providers within the closure area and sideroads leading to it will have access, but delays are to be expected. Vehicles will queue and be piloted through the site.
 SH1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru (including Desert Road) will then be closed from 13 January until late February 2025. The climate in this area only allows a small window of opportunity to complete significant road maintenance. While this might be difficult, it is better than the alternative which is 4 years of stop/go controls. A section of Horahora Road between Lancewood Lane and Pokaiwhenua Bridge will have a trial 80km/hr speed limit in place for six months. Road works are weather dependent and subject to change, so I encourage you to visit the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Journey Planner or the Summer Holidays Journey Planner webpage to see when and where detours are in place and how much extra time you need to add to your journey. Let’s hope we can repeat Labour Weekend’s zero road toll for the Christmas holidays! Blue Spring Te Waihou WalkwayIt’s great to see the popular Blue Spring Te Waihou Walkway has re-opened from the Leslie Road end to just past the viewing platform. Work is continuing on the Whites Road end, and it should open early next year. ‘Check Clean Dry’ to Prevent Invasive PestsPeople are starting to take to the water in boats and to swim. Two Controlled Area Notices are in force – one for the Waikato River and another for the Te Arawa lakes (Rotorua area) with additional protections for Lake Ōkataina. Please Check Clean Dry any boats or equipment that you have had in the Waikato River or the lakes along it to prevent the spread of the invasive pest Asian or Gold Clam. That includes washing your togs and towels in hot water and drying them thoroughly (for 48 hours on the clothesline) before using them in a different waterway. A second clam species was found at the Lake Taupō Aqua Park in a small man-made lagoon earlier this year forcing its closure, so please be vigilant to protect our waterways. The Ministry for Primary Industries has a great video and information about how you should do this here.  Photo credit: NIWA Water SafetyNew Zealand’s 15,000 km coastline and its many lakes and rivers are a favourite summer playground. When having fun in the water this summer, please follow the advice of Water Safety New Zealand, particularly: If in Doubt, Stay Out. We have already lost 64 people to drowning this year – some in recent days. Drowning Prevention Aotearoa will be posting videos aimed at various ethnic communities which are disproportionately represented in New Zealand’s drowning statistics. Please share them with people you know. I’d like to give a shout out to our many volunteers, including Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s 4,500+ volunteer Surf Lifeguards who patrol more than 80 beaches each summer. Sun SafetyNew Zealand has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world. When you’re outside enjoying the summer weather, remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap – slip on clothing and/or slip into the shade, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap some close-fitting sunglasses around your sensitive eyes to protect yourself from New Zealand’s harsh sunlight. Some great advice is to be found on the SunSmart website. Merry Christmas!As this is the last publication for 2024, I’d like to wish you all a great Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2025. Government will be doing everything we can to help make that a reality. This has been a challenging year for many – not just in New Zealand, but around the world – and it will be good to take some time to unwind and reset. I hope you get to spend some relaxing time with family and friends, and perhaps a fishing rod or a great book. That's what I am planning to do - along with completing a few overdue jobs at home. Please see the opportunities for meeting with me in the New Year below. If you need urgent assistance over the holiday period, please contact my office. Christmas hours are listed below. Email and phone messages will be cleared regularly. Christmas VolunteersI’d like to acknowledge the volunteers who organise Christmas presents for children in need, or Christmas dinners for people who might be alone or hungry on the day, for example. CorrectionNovember’s newsletter said an estimated 25,500 people will live in the Taupo district by 2060, requiring another 12,400 homes and associated infrastructure. It should have said an estimated 25,500 extra people will live in the Taupō district by 2060. Taupō District Council is planning for this growth and is seeking feedback on its draft Future Development Strategy and draft District Plan Changes before 4p.m. on 20 December. Upcoming Engagement OpportunitiesFacebook LiveJoin me online to discuss the issues that currently concern you on the second Tuesday of each month. My next live chat will be: Tuesday 11 February 2025, 8 p.m. You can see last month’s Facebook Live here. Clinics and Friendly ForumsTaupō ClinicFriday, 14 February 2025, 2:00–3:30p.m. Please call 07 8865554 or email [email protected] for an appointment. South Waikato Friendly ForumFriday 28 February, 10:00–11:30a.m. The Plaza Theatre, 50 Kensington Street, Putāruru RSVP to 07 8865554 or [email protected] Cambridge ClinicFriday, 28 February 2025, 2:00–3:30p.m. Please call 07 827 5572 or email [email protected] for an appointment. Cambridge Friendly ForumFriday 7 March, 10:00–11:30a.m. Cambridge Bowling Club, 37 Thornton Road, Cambridge Please RSVP by calling 07 827 5572 or emailing [email protected] Taupō Friendly ForumFriday 21 March, 10:00–11:30a.m. Lake Taupō Rotary Club, 12 Story Place, Taupō Please RSVP by calling 07 3765563 or emailing [email protected] South Waikato ClinicFriday, 21 March 2025, 2:00–3:30p.m. Please call 07 8865554 or email [email protected] for an appointment. Electorate AssistanceCambridge Office Christmas Hours: The office will be closed from 1:00p.m. 23 December 2024 until 9:30a.m. on Wednesday 8 January 2025. Email and phone messages will be cleared for urgent assistance. Phone 07 8275572 or email [email protected] South Waikato Christmas Hours: Email and phone messages will be cleared for urgent assistance. Phone 07 8865554 or email [email protected] Taupō Office Christmas Hours: The office will be closed from 3:30p.m. 23 December 2024 until 8:30a.m. on Monday 20 January 2025. Email and phone messages will be cleared for urgent assistance. Phone 07 3765563 or email [email protected] Please share the news!Please forward this email to friends and family who might like to stay in touch and connected with the community. If you received this from a friend or family member and you would like to subscribe to future newsletters, please click here and fill out the ‘Get Updates’ form at the bottom of my webpage. Kind regards Louise Upston Funded by Parliamentary Service We believe that email is one of the best ways to stay in touch with our community, but you can click here if you would like to unsubscribe from these messages.
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