Botany; quality growth
We had the pleasure of having Prime Minister Hon John Key in our Botany patch for two days in a row recently - opening the new Ormiston Hospital and Summerset Retirement Village.
The opening of these two fantastic facilities is surely a sign of quality development happening in Botany as our wonderful patch grows from strength to strength.
I had the pleasure of attending the two openings and couldn't help but be impressed by the quality of the facilities.
The Summerset Retirement Village opening was a real community affair as the neighbours, residents and other well-wishers gathered to celebrate the opening alongside the Prime Minister.
Summerset is less like a retirement home and more like a resort, with a great café and spacious units - including family units.
As a nation of people, we are living longer and it is important that we have certainty in our retirement.
The National-led Government is committed to ensuring that all New Zealanders are able to retire comfortably and that is why the Prime Minister has stood up in Parliament and promised to resign if cuts are made to superannuation.
The Ormiston Hospital opening was also a community affair, showing real confidence in our patch.
The hospital is a new private facility, which has 63 individual shareholders - showing that there are a lot of people who are dedicated to ensuring that Botany has a quality hospital.
The hospital is significant because it is the first private one between Greenlane and Manukau. The founders and team Ormiston Hospital showed their passion and dedication to their patients in the design and staffing of the hospital,
These two facilities generate employment and demand for services and products - which is great for our local economy.
The opening of these two great new facilities is a real sign of growth in our patch.
Everybody needs good neighbours
As your MP, I am passionate about our great Botany electorate and that is why I have fulfilled my election promise and am now the proud owner of a home in our patch.
This not only means that I can vote for myself in the 2011 General Election, but it also means that I can now also fully experience all the great things Botany offers.
I am looking forward to joining our vibrant community and spending lots of time in the neighbourhood, door knocking and meeting more of you to discuss your ideas and issues.
Back to school
One of my favourite activities as an MP is visiting schools and I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting with staff and students at a number of schools over the past two weeks.
These school visits have been rewarding because they have been coupled with feedback from consultation on the National Standards in literacy and numeracy (reading, writing and mathmatics).
The aim of the National Standards is to lift the academic achievements of our students by being clear about what they should achieve and by when.
It is important that schools in Botany are involved in the consultation process on the National Standards because they are the ones who have to implement them to the benefit of our children.
It has been a real pleasure to be involved in this process and I would like to say a big hello to the staff and students at Rongomai School, Dawson School, Point View School, Cockle Bay School, Clover Park School, Tupuranga School, Our Lady Star Of The Sea School and Elim Christian College.
Thank you for the valuable ideas and frank feedback and I look forward to seeing you all again and meeting with other schools in the future.
Recruiting police for our patch
I recently joined Police Minister Hon Judith Collins in her launch of the Police Recruitment Kiosk at Westfield Mall in Manukau.
It is a very smart idea to have the kiosk situated in the mall where there is a high volume of foot traffic and it is easily accessible for potential recruits.
Some may remember that it was in the car park of the same mall that south Auckland mother Joanne Wang was fatally run over by a car after having her bag snatched.
After her violent death and the brutal killings of Navtej Singh and Madam Yang, Hon John Key met with community representatives and promised the delivery of 600 additional police officers - 300 of which would be assigned to Manukau.
This police recruitment kiosk is part of this process, with Budget 2009 allocating funding for the additional officers. It was a real contrast to watch as the mall, which was once the scene of horror, was filled with the blue hats of police officers.
The police are currently in the midst of a nation-wide recruiting programme to fill the 600 new positions and I understand there are many potential candidates visiting the police recruitment kiosk.
Already 12 new officers have joined the south Auckland forces, with three of them being assigned to Howick.
These additional officers will not only make our patch a better, safer place to live - they will also enable our community to forge stronger links with the police and build effective community-based crime prevention programmes.
Good News
It seems that buses have stopped making unscheduled turns in certain residential streets. Neighbours who had complained about the noises and dangers of this have written to me to say that it has come to an end.
It is great to see a problem like this being solved with the cooperation of neighbours, and the company concerned. It is a great result and really shows that we can resolve issues by working together.
There has also been positive progress on the saga of skateboarding in our neighbourhoods, with City Council, Police and various other parties working together to find a solution.
So far, the Manukau City Council has put aside $600,000 to build the skate park in Barry Curtis Park. We are hoping to see this completed by the middle of next year. In the meantime, hopefully a temporary skate venue can be found ... Watch this space.
