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Dear John,

Spring has sprung and there=E2=80=99s a vibrant air of positivity around In=
vercargill and the rest of the province. This has been enhanced by strong r=
ural sector returns and growing local business confidence. Government initi=
atives have also supported economic growth, including lower interest rates,=
better policy-making and infrastructure support.

=E2=80=8A

Delivering on Disestablishing Te Pukenga

Last week also saw the Education and Training (Vocational Education and Tra=
ining System) Amendment Bill, pass its third reading in Parliament. This bi=
ll will disestablish Te P=C5=ABkenga and enable the re-establishment of ten=
regionally governed polytechnics on 1 January 2026, including SIT - with 4=
more to be considered later in the year.

It means industry is back where it belongs, in the drivers=E2=80=99 seat of=
industry training, with 8 new Industry Training Boards also set up for 1 J=
anuary 2026. It=E2=80=99s taken much time, consultation and commitment, but=
I=E2=80=99m pleased that we=E2=80=99re now rebuilding a vocational educati=
on and training system in NZ that=E2=80=99s locally and industry-led, regio=
nally responsive, and future focused. This reform will finally deliver a st=
able, practical, and future-focused vocational education and training syste=
m for Southland's SIT and the rest of the country.=C2=A0

=E2=80=8A

=E2=80=8A

Growing Southland=E2=80=99s economy

The Government is taking decisive steps to grow Southland=E2=80=99s economy=
, aiming to create jobs, lift wages, and help local people get ahead, inclu=
ding:

- Creating new, practical and fair methane targets for Southland farmers
- Delivering tax relief to hard working Southlanders
- Passing RMA changes to stop councils from starting work on costly plan ch=
anges before our final plans are cemented
- Slashing red tape, including fixing unworkable freshwater rules
- Cutting wasteful spending and inflation, and driving down mortgage rates
- Introducing Investment Boost enabling local businesses to claim an upfron=
t 20% tax deduction on new assets
- Giving rate rebates and inflation-proofing super payments for Seniors

It was great to recently attend the 2025 Southland Business Excellence Awar=
ds, at the Ascot Park Hotel, where more than 400 business leaders, sponsors=
and supporters gathered to celebrate the strength, resilience and innovati=
on of our region=E2=80=99s enterprises.

Bowel Screening Expansion

Great news - the starting age for free bowel screening has been lowered in =
Southland to 58. This means thousands more people will now have access to l=
ifesaving testing, giving them the best chance of having bowel cancer detec=
ted early. Our goal is to bring the age down even further, and building col=
onoscopy capacity is key to achieving that.

=E2=80=8A

It was momentous to be at the signing of the construction contract for the =
new Dunedin Hospital inpatient building last month, with Health Minister Si=
meon Brown. This is a key milestone in delivering a modern hospital for the=
Southern region and to see it progressing to the next stage is positive.

ED staffing boost in South

In a new Government investment, Southland Hospital=E2=80=99s emergency depa=
rtment will receive funding to increase frontline staffing. This is part of=
a $20 million boost across hospitals nationwide over the next nine months =
and is a positive boost for our province. It will deliver more staff to the=
frontline, relieve pressure and allow for faster patient care.

Digital health service delivering faster care in South

Southlanders are among those benefitting from the Government=E2=80=99s new =
24/7 digital health service. Since July, more than 21,000 consultations hav=
e been delivered nationwide, with 20 percent of those in the South Island. =
This service gives local people faster access to care when they can=E2=80=
=99t see their usual GP.

Public Meeting - Meet Hon Todd McClay

You're invited to a public meeting, on November 25, with our Spokesperson f=
or Agriculture Hon Todd McClay, at the Otautau Connect Centre, 134 Main Str=
eet, Otautau.
=C2=A0
Food & Refreshments from 6.30pm.
=C2=A0
See you there.=C2=A0
=C2=A0
Contact: =C2=A0
Otautau National Party Branch Chair Bill O'Sullivan on 027 206 1238 =C2=A0=
=C2=A0

=E2=80=8A

=E2=80=8A

I always enjoy getting out around the electorate for my constituent clinics=
and my visit to Tuatapere was no exception, when I joined this wonderful f=
arming family out at the Tui Base Camp enjoying a birthday lunch.

Southland gets rail infrastructure boost

The Government is making a significant investment in the Southland-Otago ra=
il network, including 21km of re-sleepering, 13km of re-railing and 10 turn=
out replacements, for the 2024/25 to 2026/27 period. =C2=A0Eight culverts a=
nd 11 bridges will be renewed and 24 level crossings will be resealed. This=
is very positive for Southland, which relies on good infrastructure, like =
rail, to get our goods to market.

Government invests in Flood Protection in Southland

Almost $15 million in Government flood resilience funding for Southland is =
a positive step in future-proofing this province and its people. The Inverc=
argill and =C5=8Creti Flood Resilience stopbank upgrades and Mataura River =
Flood protection improvements will help protect more than 10,000 people and=
over 7,500 hectares of land.

=E2=80=8A

=E2=80=8A

Southern rural schools get maintenance support

Ensuring children in rural areas have access to excellent facilities is a p=
riority for this Government. As a result, $413 million in school infrastruc=
ture investment across the country is being brought forward. In Southland t=
his means maintenance work at some schools will be able to be done earlier.

Earthquake-prone building changes

Changes to our earthquake-prone building system will have a big impact in t=
he South =E2=80=93 particularly in rural towns like Riverton and Wyndham. T=
he new earthquake-prone building system will now capture only buildings tha=
t pose a genuine risk to human life, in medium and high seismic zones. This=
will move the focus to strengthening buildings that pose real risk, reduci=
ng significant costs to owners while focusing on safety. =C2=A0

New Seasonal work visas support farmers

New seasonal work visas will be a boon for local farmers and businesses nee=
ding skilled staff in a hurry. This is not about taking jobs away from Sout=
hlanders =E2=80=93 we simply don=E2=80=99t have these skilled people curren=
tly available to do the work. These visas are about supporting business and=
boosting the local economy.

=E2=80=8A

My Diary
=C2=A0
29 October =E2=80=93 Kings Birthday Honours 2025 =E2=80=93 Investiture Cere=
monies in Dunedin
7 November =E2=80=93 Catherine Wedd visit =E2=80=93 SuperBlues
25 November - Agriculture Minister Todd McClay visit
=C2=A0

=C2=A0Once again thank you for the wonderful support. It is a real honour t=
o represent you and the Invercargill electorate

=C2=A0
Warmest regards,=C2=A0
Penny Simmonds |=C2=A0MP for Invercargill

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