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"Saying goodbye to what has been my life for so many years"

Hon Jo Goodhew

Last week I made my valedictory statement to Parliament. After 12 years as an MP, firstly for Aoraki and then Rangitata, it is an odd feeling saying goodbye to what has been my life for so many years.

This week I have spent my last days in the House which rises for the general election campaign this week. I have been able to enjoy the valedictory addresses of a number of other departing MPs, from National and other parties and farewell the many people who keep parliament operating and support MPs in their work.

I remain however MP for Rangitata until Election Day on 23 September and am determined to continue serving the people of the electorate well until then.

If you wanted to watch my valedictory statement online you can access it at www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand

100-plus rivers and lakes to be improved

The Government’s ambitious plan to improve water quality in our rivers and lakes involves stronger direction to councils, tighter regulation, and funding to support projects.

That’s why we’ve announced a further $44 million for 33 projects which, with contributions from councils and others, will see $142 million invested in more than 100 lakes and rivers. This is on top of the $360 million this Government has already committed over the past nine years.

This new investment will fund the fencing of waterways from farm animals, planting along streams, development of wetlands, sewage reticulation and water storage to increase minimum flows. There are also initiatives in the package to eradicate water weeds, remove pest fish and to retire marginal land adjacent to waterways.

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This Government is committed to improving the ecological health of New Zealand’s waters. This can be seen through our investment in freshwater quality, now totalling more than $400 million.

$240 million contract for Christchurch Convention Centre

The Government has awarded a $240 million contract to complete the design and construction of a world-class Christchurch Convention Centre.

The convention centre will be a cornerstone of the revitalised central city, bringing in an estimated $320 million over the first eight years, and opening up tourism and business opportunities in Christchurch.

The centre will host international and community events, with auditorium and banquet hall facilities, meeting rooms, pre-function spaces, and a multi-use exhibition hall. Work on the project will begin shortly.

Supporting the ongoing regeneration of Christchurch remains a priority for this Government, and we are committed to making the city an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Construction peak to be higher, last for longer

Residential, commercial, and infrastructure building activity is forecast to continue to boom for the next three years to a record $42 billion in 2020, according to the National Construction Pipeline Report for 2017.

The report projects 196,500 homes will be built over the next six years, the largest-ever in New Zealand history, with 100,000 to be built over the next three years.

The peak has increased from 30,000 a year to 34,500 a year, and 12,000 more homes being consented over the next three years. It shows a far wider spread of new home construction to the regions, rather than Auckland and Christchurch.

The National Construction Pipeline Report provides six-year national and regional forecasts of residential, non-residential, and infrastructure activity.

Kiwis benefiting from faster, more reliable internet

Almost 1.2 million New Zealand households and businesses now have access to Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB).

The latest quarterly report shows deployment for phase one of the UFB programme is close to 80 per cent complete.

The UFB programme is making fantastic progress. We’re fast approaching our target of 1.5 million households and businesses being able to connect to UFB by 2019, and for 85 per cent of New Zealanders to be able to connect by 2024.

UFB provides speeds of close to 1000 Megabits per second, allowing households and businesses to have near-instant access to information, entertainment and online tools that allow them to do more.

The Government has allocated about $2 billion to deliver better connectivity to New Zealanders through the UFB programme and the Rural Broadband Initiative.

Upcoming events

17 August – Parliament rises for general election campaigning
19 August – Lunch Club (Timaru) – speaker Andrew Falloon
25 & 28 August – constituency work, Ashburton

Kind regards,

Jo Goodhew


ENDS


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