Dr The Rt Hon Lockwood Smith - Newsletter

Working for Rodney - July 2010

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Lockwood & Friends Concert - July 2010

A few weeks ago I hosted my annual concert at the Whangaparaoa College auditorium, entertaining nearly 400 of Rodney's Senior Citizens.

The forty-member KingsWay School Choir accompanied me, performing a few of their own favourite items as well. As always, it was a privilege to sing with their talented Head of Music, Jo Clayton.

It was also an honour to welcome my special guests, Joan Kennaway and Opera North, who impressed the audience with songs from the popular musical, Les Miserables.

To celebrate our first wedding anniversary, we performed some of the special songs from our wedding, my wife, Alexandra joining me on stage.

As always, my special thanks go to Catherine Smith from Age Concern Rodney for helping to coordinate the event.

Official opening of the Mahurangi College Auditorium

I joined the Prime Minister at the official opening of the Mahurangi College Auditorium last month.

After guests were welcomed by Kaumatua Rev John Marsden, Principal David Macleod thanked the local community for their fundraising efforts and financial support for this project. The Prime Minister unveiled the plaque to declare the school Auditorium open.

The long-awaited Auditorium is a great example of how a community can work together to achieve a dream. It will be a great
asset to the college and the whole community.

Puhoi/Mahurangi West Connection
Recently I met with a group representing the Puhoi/Mahurangi West community regarding access onto the Northern Motorway at Puhoi.

I have taken up this matter on behalf of the people to try and ensure commonsense prevails and a motorway connection is provided at Puhoi.

Warkworth Grey Power

Last month I had the pleasure to be invited to speak at the Annual General Meeting of the Warkworth & District Grey Power Association.

The group asked questions on local issues, including topics around the Supercity and recent Budget, in addition to my experiences as Speaker of the House.

I was able to reassure the group that the new Supercity structure will include Full Service Centres to deliver all Auckland Council services and some Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO) services. A Local Service Centre will be located in Orewa, with a Neighbourhood Service Centre based in Warkworth.

Official opening of the Weiti Wing at Bupa's Northhaven opening

I was invited to open the new Weiti Wing at BUPA's Northhaven Hospital in Whangaparaoa in June.

The new Wing is an important addition to Northhaven Hospital, which has served the area's older citizen's for over 25 years.

Top facilities are vitally important to ensure continued quality of life for our older folk. So it's great news for the community when private enterprise chooses to invest in local health-care facilities. At a cost of $3.2m, and taking over 9 months to construct, the Weiti Wing offers a well-equipped environment in comfortable surroundings, in addition to a whole range of specialised care options.

Youth Parliament - July 2010

On the 6-7 July, Parliament welcomed 122 young New Zealanders representing each sitting MP.

Youth Parliament focussed on a mock ‘age of majority' bill and Youth MPs had a lively debate on the single lawful age for driving, voting and drinking. They sat on select committees, attended caucus meetings, asked Cabinet Ministers oral questions and debated the bill in the Chamber.

Ben Porteous from Orewa College represented Rodney and had the opportunity to preside over a session of the Youth Parliament as Speaker.

Youth MPs are aged between 16-18 years old. Youth Parliament is held once every Parliamentary term and is a joint initiative of the Minister of Youth Affairs and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

National Notes

Health: Voluntary bonding keeps doctors and nurses in New Zealand

National's voluntary bonding scheme has accepted 501 new healthcare workers in its second year. There are now almost 1400 graduate doctors, nurses, and midwives in the scheme.

The scheme encourages doctors, nurses and midwives to establish careers in hard-to-staff communities and medical specialties, and aims to keep our home grown health graduates living and working in New Zealand. People who sign up to the scheme are offered student loan write offs, or cash incentives for those without student loans, if they work in these areas for three to five years.

This year South Canterbury and Taranaki District Health Boards were added to the list of hard to staff regions, and surgical nursing was added to the list of hard to staff specialties which qualify for the scheme.

More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/1400+signed+voluntary+bonding+scheme

Law & Order: Putting victims first

Victims of crime have been neglected for too long. National is committed to placing victims at the heart of the justice system.

We are enhancing services to victims of violent crimes with a range of initiatives that address the financial and emotional costs that fall on them. Convicted offenders will now pay a $50 offender levy towards these services.

Late last year, we began rolling out initiatives funded by this levy. From 1 July 2010 further measures will come into effect including enhanced homicide support services, a court service for victims of sexual violence, and new information sources for victims and their families.

Police will also be able to issue on-the-spot safety orders, giving immediate protection from dangerous situations for victims of domestic violence

Creating job opportunities

National is working hard to lift the long-term performance of the economy and create more jobs.

Our employment law package will reduce compliance costs, give businesses more confidence to take on new staff, and provide more choices for employees and employers.

We're extending the voluntary 90-day trial period to all employers so that every business and new employees can benefit from it. Changes to the personal grievance process will see employment problems resolved more quickly, costs reduced, and improved confidence in the system.

We're also looking at changing the law around sick days to enable employers, at their expense, to require a medical certificate from employees who take one sick day. Changes to the Holidays Act include giving employees the ability to trade one of their four weeks' annual leave for cash.

Our employment law package is one more step on the road to a growing economy and more jobs.

Boosting our Aquaculture Industry

National is backing our aquaculture sector to become a billion dollar industry by 2025. Achieving
this goal will require a three-fold boost in sales.

This week we announced the latest steps to support aquaculture in New Zealand. Decisions we're
making now about our new regime will help free up a bottleneck of outstanding aquaculture
applications. More flexible rules will encourage investment in the aquaculture sector.

Our changes will see minimal disruption to the industry, allow current aquaculture applications to be
completed, and new applications made. We're making use of our valuable natural resources in a
sustainable way to build the economy and create more jobs - especially in the region.

Working for Rodney: April/May 2010

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ANZAC Day at Matakohe War Memorial Museum

I attended the ANZAC Day commemorations at the Matakohe War Memorial Museum, organised by The Kauri Museum and the Paparoa Returned Servicemen's Association.

Each year a chosen soldier from the Otamatea district is honoured, and this year we remembered New Zealand's first NZ born Prime Minister, Rt Hon J G Coates. Gordon Coates was a favourite son of Matakohe who became a Major in World War I and New Zealand's Minister of Defence during World War II. He led the 15th North Auckland Company of the Auckland Infantry Regiment in the assault in the Messines Ridge in June 1917 and won the Military Cross for bravery. He later led his Company in the bloody battles at Passiondale and was awarded a Bar to his Military Cross for outstanding leadership. Sadly, his brother William Coates was killed in action over Geluveld in 1917.

Hibiscus Hospice Shop Opening

Last month I had the great pleasure to officially open the new Hibiscus Coast Hospice Shop in Orewa, which has recently relocated to bigger and brighter premises.

The revenue from the four Hibiscus Hospice shops, which currently accounts for approximately 50% of the local fundraising, has become all the more important since the opening of the In Patient Unit, in Whangaparaoa, last year.

Hibiscus Hospice is a member of Hospice New Zealand and one of 37 nationwide Hospices that provide compassionate palliative care for people affected by life limiting illness and support for their families.

Winsome Stretch, General Manager, Hibiscus Coast Hospice & Lockwood

Fonterra Science Roadshow 2010

In April, Orewa College hosted a Fonterra Science Roadshow, attended by students from various schools in the area.

The Fonterra Science Roadshow 2010 is travelling around New Zealand throughout the year. This innovative Roadshow is an exciting and entertaining learning programme of live demonstrations and hands-on exhibits that aim to broaden students' knowledge of science and technology and the world around them.

I also enjoyed meeting with a group of Orewa College Year 13 science students. The students shared with me their plans and aspirations for the future, which covered various areas in the vast field of science and technology. I was impressed to see so much talent and ambition from Rodney's young people.

Youth Parliament - July 2010

Youth Parliament is held once every Parliamentary term and provides young New Zealanders with the opportunity to learn about our democracy and influence public decision-making.

I invited students in my electorate to participate in an essay competition to decide who would represent Rodney in the Youth Parliament 2010. Essays were received from students representing schools throughout the area, and I interviewed three finalists. I am pleased to announce that the successful applicant is Ben Porteous from Orewa College who will travel to Wellington in July to represent Rodney at Youth Parliament 2010.

Massey University Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards

I was honoured to be presented with one of Massey University's Inaugural Distinguished Alumni Awards in March. These awards recognise the contributions of Massey graduates to the community, business, professional or academic life.

National Notes

Budget 2010: Helping New Zealand families get aheadThe Budget next month will help New Zealanders and their families get ahead by focusing on four main goals: lifting the long term performance of the economy, reforming the tax system, better delivery of public services, and maintaining firm control of the Government's finances.

The National-led Government will continue to improve public services, funding them from cuts to low-quality spending and from the new operating allowance. We will live within the $1.1 billion operating allowance for new spending and will restrict annual increases from this figure to 2 per cent per year from next year.

Even with this restraint, core Crown debt is forecast to triple to about $65 billion by 2014, as we borrow to fund the deficits. To turn this round, the Budget will redirect another $1.8 billion of lower quality spending between now and 2014 into high-priority areas, such as health care, education, and law and order.
More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech+wellington+regional+chamber+commerce+3

Health: Incentives to quit smoking
This week the Government increased the excise tax on cigarettes and tobacco. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in New Zealand. It is directly linked to almost 5000 deaths each year. University of Otago research shows that when cigarette prices rose steeply between 1995 and 2000, smoking fell.

We are working to reduce smoking, discourage young people from starting to smoke, and improve the health of New Zealanders.

One of the six current health targets is to provide better help for smokers to quit. We fund the Quitline free telephone support service, subsidise nicotine replacement therapy, Aukati kai paipa face-to-face quit support services, and information campaigns to help people quit. Increasing the cost of cigarettes, subsidising treatment and support, and providing good information all contribute to reducing smoking.

More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/tobacco+excise+increase+immediately

Commerce: Rebuilding trust in our financial marketsNational is working to restore the confidence of mum and dad investors, while developing capital markets to help businesses grow. On too many occasions in finance company collapses we heard of investors' money falling to the floor through the cracks between regulators.

A new "super regulator" for our financial markets will be up and running early next year.

The Financial Markets Authority will enforce securities, financial reporting, and company law applying to financial services and securities markets. It will also regulate and oversee trustees, auditors, financial advisers, and financial service providers including people who offer investments.

The Financial Markets Authority will focus on visible, proactive, and timely enforcement.

More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government+announces+%e2%80%98superregulator039+financial+markets

Working for Rodney: March/April

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Evelyn Page Retirement Village

Lockwood & Dame Malvina

It was a pleasure to officially open the new Evelyn Page Retirement Village in Orewa this month. This brand new facility is an important addition to retirement living and aged care for Rodney's older citizens.

It's great that this exciting new facility has been developed in Rodney. The total package includes resort style independent living, assisted living, as well as home hospital and dementia care. The Evelyn Page Retirement Village offers a major quality of life option for our senior folk.

Dame Malvina entertained the audience with a magical performance. It was an honour to accompany Dame Malvina to sing one of our favourite songs, Amazing Grace.

Hibiscus Coast Community House opening

I was invited to open the new Hibiscus Coast Community House in Orewa earlier this month. It is fantastic to see a meeting place provided for the community where people can get together and share ideas. The Hibiscus Coast Community House also accommodates a great range of community services, including a childcare centre, out-of-school care, school holiday programmes, in addition to a counselling service and Opportunity Shop.

Annual Rodney Police Pay Parade

Lockwood and Police Commissioner Howard Broad inspecting Rodney Police

The ceremonial grandeur of police on parade was a major attraction for the community of Whangaparaoa on 19th March. Senior police management and front line officers marched to the town square, accompanied by the New Zealand Police Auckland Pipe Band. I was honoured to be asked by Police Commissioner Howard Broad to assist with him the inspection of the Rodney police officers.

Pay Parades date back to the 19th century where police used to march in full uniform from their barracks to the local magistrate's office for inspection and to receive their fortnightly pay. The idea has been revived as a day of commemoration and now includes both Award and Medal presentations. Commendations for excellence in police service, and acknowledgement of both police and citizen bravery are other achievements attributed on this occasion.

Hibiscus Coast Widows and Widowers Group

Also this month I enjoyed a pleasant couple of hours with members of the Hibiscus Coast Widows and Widowers Group. Not surprisingly for this day and age, where women tend to live longer than men, my audience was a sprightly bunch of ladies. I spoke about my role as Speaker and gave these delightful ladies some insight into how Parliament is run.

Kumeu Show - 13th-14th March

John Key, Lockwood & Woodleigh Louis

The 88th Kumeu Shown enjoyed perfect weather and was attended by tens of thousands of people.

It was great to introduce the Prime Minister to Woodleigh Louis, my 2-year-old Belgian Blue bull that won the Supreme Champion Beef Animal title.

The Hibiscus Coast Soap Box Derby 2010

I thoroughly enjoy watching this exciting annual event, organised by the Rotary Club of Whangaparaoa. This year's competition, on 27th March, resulted in a nail-biting elimination final, with only fractions of a second time difference in some races and record top speeds of more than 60kpm. The overall winners were Stella Maris School taking first place, Red Beach School at second and third places, and Gulf Harbour School taking the fourth national finals spot.

The enthusiasm and commitment to excellence from the local participating schools is truly magnificent. School teams are keenly supported by their own cheerleaders and a host of generous local sponsors.

Auckland Mayor, John Banks, gave me a hand to present the trophies and prizes to the winning teams and drivers.

National Notes

Economy keeps growing

Economic activity grew 0.8 per cent in the December quarter, boosted by manufacturing activity, up a healthy 4.5 per cent. This is the first growth in the sector for almost two years. Retail, accommodation, and restaurants grew by 1.7 per cent.

The 0.8 per cent rise followed an increase of 0.3 per cent in the September 2009 quarter, and is the third consecutive quarter of growth in the economy.

The Budget in May will set out National's next steps to lift economic growth by tilting the playing field towards productive investment, exports and new jobs.

We want to lift business confidence, increase incomes, and help New Zealand families get ahead.

More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/recovery+strengthens+challenges+remain

Future Focus: Rebalancing obligation and support

For most people, a benefit should only provide temporary support until they can return to work. The Future Focus welfare package delivers on National's pre-election commitments, and rebalances the expectations and obligations of our welfare system.

The changes aim to support those in genuine need, while also being fair to taxpayers.

Around 345,000 New Zealanders receive a benefit, and this year, will cost taxpayers more than $7.6 billion - that's $20.8 million a day. We want to ensure this money is spent effectively. Research shows that children are always better off when parents are in work. Long-term welfare dependency imprisons families to a life of low income with limited choices and outcomes.

The changes will be introduced from October 2010.

More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/future+focus+better+work+approach

Getting the balance right

National is committed to ensuring that the interests of all New Zealanders in the foreshore and seabed are recognised and protected.

We believe the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 should only be repealed if a satisfactory replacement can be found.

The Government's proposal is that no one owns, or can own, the foreshore and seabed. The name would be changed from ‘foreshore and seabed' to ‘public domain', or takiwa iwi whanui.

Our proposal would provide public access for all, and restore the right of Maori to go to court to establish customary title. It would assure respect for rights and interests, and existing use rights would be protected until the end of their term. Parts of the foreshore and seabed already in private ownership would not be affected.

Our bottom line has always been public access to the foreshore and seabed. But we also want to put in place a way for iwi to have their interests recognised.

More information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt+seeks+public+views+foreshore+and+seabed+solutions

Strong teacher interest in National Standards policy

Schools have rushed to sign up for professional development workshops to support the implementation of National Standards - the new assessment system for students that has caught the attention of the OECD.

So far 81 per cent of schools have registered for the first round of workshops. A total of 4695 principals and teachers, representing 1759 schools, will attend the first round of training, allowing them to lead the implementation in their own schools.

The implementation of National Standards is unique to New Zealand and has gained interest from many other countries.

An OECD review later this year will allow us to examine how our policies can be even more effective in raising student achievement, and how National Standards can contribute to that.

For more information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/excellent+response+national+standards+training

Working for Rodney: March 2010

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Stoney Homestead

Recently I met with a group of Yr 7/8 students from Silverdale Primary School at the Stoney Homestead in Silverdale.

The Homestead is around 150 years old and listed under the Council's District Plan as a protected building due to its heritage value. The developers have applied to demolish the Homestead, as the cost to restore is in excess of $1m.
Submissions closed on 17th February and a decision is expected soon.

This meeting was arranged as a result of several letters to me from to me from Silverdale Primary School students raising their concerns on the proposal to demolish the Homestead. I enjoyed listening to the students' concerns, and thought their ideas for the Homestead were innovative and workable. A popular idea was to restore the Homestead and turn this Rodney historic icon into a café incorporating an Art Gallery or Museum.

South Rodney and Hibiscus Coast Primary Schools Wrestling Tournament

I was invited to open the South Rodney and Hibiscus Coast Primary Schools Wrestling Tournament in Orewa Community Centre, Hilary Square.

It was great to see so many of our local schools participating in this event, which was supported by the New Zealand Olympic Wrestling Union. Members from the Silverbacks Olympic Wrestling Club volunteered many hours of their time to organise this Tournament.

The students were participating in the Wrestling Tournament to extend their personal boundaries with both a physical and mental experience and competing in a sport that offers many challenges.

Helensville A&P Show

I met up with the Prime Minister at the Helensville Show, where I was wearing my other hat as Farmer, showing my Belgian Blue cattle.

The Helensville A&P Show is the biggest event on Helensville's annual calendar and well attended by the local and wider community.

Te Hana Community Development Trust

Lockwood & Thomas de Thierry

Last week I visited the Te Hana Community Development Charitable Trust.

The Trust offers training courses for over 120 students, in conjunction with tertiary education providers North Tec and Te Wananga o Aotearoa. This innovative initiative is a unique example of a community trust facilitating community education in the Rodney District.

I was fascinated by the new Te Hana Marae, and the cultural arts and crafts projects on display. It was particularly interesting to see the construction of Te Hana Te Ao Marama, a replica 17th century traditional Maori Village. Guided tours of the village will be available later this year.

National Notes:

Government investing $6 billion a year on infrastructure

I'm really pleased that just today, the New Zealand Transport Agency awarded a contract for the formal route investigation on the Puhoi to Wellsford Road of National Significance.

This important corridor is 38km long and follows on from the Northern Gateway Toll Road and will include a bypass of both Warkworth and Wellsford townships. The Puhoi to Warkworth section is expected to be substantially completed within 10 years.

Consultation with the community will take place in the next few months.

The time it takes for design, consultation and consenting processes is more of an issue for this project than funding, but with the Government's current timetable, our local highway could be completed faster than any other major highway project has ever been completed in New Zealand.

We will reap many benefits from this highway, and we can expect better connections between our towns in the north Rodney area.

The National Infrastructure Plan, released last week, shows the major investment this Government is making in New Zealand's critical infrastructure such as roads, broadband, and schools.

You can find more information here:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/infrastructure+plan+outlines+large+programme

Making our roads safer

National is giving priority to measures aimed at young drivers and issues around alcohol limits and drugs.

The 10-year strategy - Safer Journeys - was released last week and is designed to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads over the next decade.

It claims a system-wide approach by looking at the safety of roads, road users, vehicles, and speed.

Over the next two months Cabinet will consider actions including lifting the driving age to 16, zero blood-alcohol limits for young drivers and repeat drink drivers, and introducing alcohol interlock technology.

Other strategies indentified as priorities by the Government include motor cycle safety and making changes to our give way rules.

You can find more information:

http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/safer+journeys+making+our+roads+safer+0

http://www.transport.govt.nz/saferjourneys/Pages/default.aspx

Tertiary Education

The Government wants New Zealanders from all educational backgrounds to have the right opportunities to gain world-class skills and knowledge.

As a country we spend about $4 billion a year on tertiary education.

There are some tertiary programmes where only 30 per cent of students complete the course.

In addition, our tertiary education sector offers more than 6000 different qualifications.

The Minister of Tertiary Education announced this week that tertiary institutions will soon receive some of their current funding based on how well they perform academically.

The Government will also be looking at how we can cut out duplication in our qualification system, and improve the quality of our qualification framework.

National is committed to the interest free student loan scheme, but it can't be a blank cheque.

As a previous Minister of Education, I know the challenges this sector can provide. We want to improve the quality of expenditure in tertiary education, and strengthen our focus on results rather than inputs.

You can find more information here:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/tertiary+tuition+funding+be+linked+performance

November-December

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The Annual Summer Show, Whangaparaoa Horticultural Society

I always enjoy opening this Annual Summer Show for the Whangaparaoa Horticultural Society. It is great to meet such talented & dedicated people from this thriving friendly garden club and view their impressive displays of floral arrangements and plants. The Annual Summer Show is the major fund raising event for club, which has nearly 200 members.

Manaakitanga Awards

The 2009 Manaakitanga Awards were held on 1st November at the Orewa Arts and Event Centre. This event is a great opportunity for Rodney to showcase the exceptional talent, vision and creative flair in its hospitality and tourism industry. Local businesses and individuals were recognised for excellence and sustainability within the hospitality and tourism industry, and it was great to see individuals and businesses receive the recognition that they very much deserve.

My personal congratulations to Darryl Soljan, Ascension Wine Estate, who collected three well-deserved awards; Most Sustainable Hospitality Business, Outstanding Winery Experience and the Hospitality Personality Award. The event is organized by Rodney District Council and supported by Tourism Auckland.

South Kaipara Schools Group Day

I was invited to judge the calves section at the annual South Kaipara Schools Group Day, held at the Helensville Showgrounds. This is a popular annual event where students from local schools enter their prize-winning lamb, calf or goat. I am very impressed with the consistently high standard of well groomed & reared animals that our local children care for and feed.

It is great to see so many schools participate, and the huge number of families that attend this event.

Omaha Beach Community Inc (OBC) annual Planning

I attended the Omaha Beach Community Inc Annual Planning Forum. Omaha Beach is a unique community within the Rodney District, offering a special place to live and an ideal retreat for weekend and holiday visitors. I was interested to listen to the achievements, challenges and views of the residents of this beautiful beach resort.

Carols by Candlelight

I always enjoy rehearsing Christmas Carols with the Warkworth Primary School students prior to the annual Carols by Candlelight, which is held on the banks of the Mahurangi River every December.

Santa Parade
Thousands of spectators watched the Orewa New World Christmas parade where hundreds of floats, dancers and local community and sports groups participated. This fantastic event was organized by Destination Orewa Beach, who provided the classic Mercedes car so I could join in the fun.

National Notes

Focusing on our health

New Zealanders should have timely, high-quality access to healthcare services when they need it. For many, confidence in the health system over recent years has been damaged by excessive delays.

We inherited a system bloated with targets, priorities, objectives, indicators, and measures. By slimming down to six targets, we can focus on two critical areas: hospitals and preventative services.

The targets aim to reduce waiting times in emergency departments, for elective surgery, and for radiotherapy. We're also expecting improvements in immunisation rates, smoking cessation rates and cardio-vascular and diabetes services.

For the first time, DHBs have had their performance published in newspapers. This promotes transparency and accountability, which in turn motivates performance. We have already received great feedback from people involved in our health system.

By focusing on the health of New Zealanders, and not on talking about it, we're certain we can deliver better, sooner, more convenient healthcare for everyone.

A workable and affordable emissions trading scheme

We believe that combating climate change shouldn't come at a cost to New Zealand jobs. That's why we've amended the emissions trading scheme (ETS).

Our changes will make the scheme workable for businesses. They will encourage reductions in emissions and the planting of sustainable forests. We've also revised the scheme's start up to take into account the recession. We've halved power and petrol price increases for households and businesses during the transitional phase.

Our revised ETS delivers on our election promises. It aligns our scheme more closely with Australia, provides incentives for industry to reduce emissions and encourages businesses to stay here rather than move offshore, protecting Kiwi jobs. Households, farms and businesses will not be funding multi-billion dollar windfall gains to the Government.

We've struck a balance between our economic opportunities and our environmental responsibilities.

Faster, cheaper building consents on the way

Thousands of buildings every year are constructed by volume builders, such as suppliers of kitset homes or standardised buildings and garages. From 1 February 2010, these builders will benefit from the National Multiple-Use Approval service, which is designed to fast-track the building consent process, and to reduce delays and costs.

Having designs pre-approved for Building Code compliance will provide builders with a streamlined consenting process, and will give them a marketing edge in these challenging economic times.

The introduction of the new service fulfils National's promise to cut red tape and to reduce compliance costs in the building sector, and I'm sure that Rodney will see the benefits of this as we continue to grow.

Working for Rodney - October 2009

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The Annual Concert

Recently, I hosted my annual concert, entertaining the senior citizens of Rodney to a full house at Centrestage, Orewa.

My wife, Alexandra, joined me to sing our special song, The Prayer, followed by a segment of songs from our wedding. It was a pleasure to introduce my special guest Jonathan Abernethy, who performed Pie Jesu.

The Kings Way school choir and orchestra, led by talented Head of Music, Jo Clayton, performed some items from their recent school production of My Fair Lady.

This annual event coincides with the International Day of the Older Persons on the 1st October.

Rodney Surgical Centre

After three years of planning and a further fourteen months of construction, the Rodney Surgical Centre (RSC) had its first patients on the 1st October.

The official opening ceremony was held on the 3rd October. I was invited, along with Mayor Penny Webster to officially open the centre. The opening ceremony was followed by an open day providing full access to the facility with RSC staff on hand to answer questions.

The centre will provide local surgical and medical facilities to the rapidly growing regions of Rodney and Kaipara districts, offering access to high quality and cost effective healthcare.

Warkworth Birth Centre

I visited the Warkworth Birthing Centre and met with members of the Warkworth Birthing Centre Community Trust and Rodney Coast Midwives to discuss the planned extension of the Centre.

Back in February 2000 I had the pleasure of opening the Centre, and have had a long association with it ever since. This excellent facility offers a maternity service second to none. However, as it is operating at capacity, this proposed extension plan is a timely and much needed addition to maternity service delivery in the Rodney District.

Dairy Flat Agriculture Day

Last weekend I was invited to judge the calf section at the Dairy Flat Agriculture Day.

The Ag Day has been the annual signature event for the Dairy Flat School community since 1938, and the event brings the local community together to celebrate its rural roots.

I was interested to hear that some judges have been supporting this event since their children attended this school more than 50 years ago.

The Agriculture Day is the school's major fundraiser to support and expand the learning and teaching programmes at the school.

National Notes

For far too long residents in our district have had to put up with excessive noise, danger, and intimidation from boy racers.

High-powered cars and younger drivers have created a lethal combination on our roads.
A culture of dangerous driving has evolved, putting lives at risk.

It is a culture that has pushed some communities to the very edge of their tolerance limit.

National has moved quickly to show that this dangerous, disruptive, antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act allows councils to make by-laws to stop cars cruising the city and suburbs. This legislation significantly increases demerit points for illegal street-racing offences and closes loopholes which have allowed boy racers to get away with ignoring fines.

The Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure legislation introduces a suite of changes including the ultimate sanction of giving the courts the power to send cars driven by repeat offenders to the crusher.

Everyone has the right to feel safe in their homes, their streets, and their communities.
The boy racer laws are part of National's package of law and order reforms to make our communities safer and to promote the security of law-abiding families.

National is determined to preserve and protect our 24/7, no-fault accident insurance programme.

ACC is facing some real challenges. We inherited an organisation that was left in bad shape by the Labour Government. Its liabilities have ballooned to almost $24 billion - $13 billion more than its assets. This is unsustainable and ACC has recommended significant increases in levies to meet this shortfall.

National believes that the levy increases proposed by ACC under the current law are too much for you to pay. They would impose significant costs for Kiwi families who are already struggling in the economic downturn.

ACC are undergoing their normal round of consultation on levy changes. We want to hear from you on the best way to find a careful balance between the interests of claimants and those paying levies.

To have your say the proposals go to www.acc.co.nz/consultation

On a final note I welcome the news that superannuitants and veteran's pensioners will find it easier to live and travel overseas. A new payment rate means a superannuitant or veteran's pensioner will be able to receive up to the full rate of their entitlement when they travel overseas.

We recognise that older Kiwis are more active than ever before. After a lifetime of paying taxes, they deserve the right to head off on an OE in their golden years and take their entitlement with them.

Working for Rodney - September 2009

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:24:00 +1300

September 2009

Snells Beach School - Official Opening
In August I was invited to the official opening of Snells Beach School. The celebrations included fantastic performances from the children of the school, speeches from the Principal, Establishment Board Chair and Board of Trustees Chair, followed by an unveiling of the plaque by the Hon Anne Tolley, Minister of Education.

Snells Beach School opened in February 2009, catering for the educational needs of the children of Snells Beach from Year 1 - 6. The establishment of a school in this area was a long-awaited and exciting event for this small beach community.

Left: Jill Corkin - Principal, Hon Anne Tolley - Minister of Education and Lockwood.

Warkworth Medical Centre - Official Opening

A few weeks ago Associate Minister of Health and I attended the opening of the Warkworth Medical Centre.

This recently completed purpose built facility provides all General Medical and Accident & Emergency Services to the Warkworth area, which is up to an hour away from the nearest hospitals. The Warkworth Medical Centre also offers the community extended services from visiting specialists and nurse led clinics.

In New Zealand Primary health care is a partnership between private business and publicly funded services. It is extremely encouraging to see a perfect example of how this partnership can be so successful.

Above: Lockwood with Dr Kate Baddock - Partner - Kawau Bay Health Partnership and Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman.

The opening was attended by the Partners of Kawau Bay Health, Mayor Penny Webster, and representatives from Ngati Manuhiri and Ngati Whatua. Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman officially opened the event, which was followed by a tour of this state of the art facility.

Public Meeting to discuss Rodney Split

On Saturday 12^th September, several hundred people braved the rain to attend a Public Meeting at Ascension Wine Estate to discuss the select committee's recommendations to split Rodney at Waiwera-Makarau. I listened to the views of a large number of locals. The majority view was made very clear to me - don't split Rodney.

The following week Cabinet made decisions on the boundaries for the new Auckland Council, following consideration of the recommendations in the report of the Auckland Governance Legislation Committee. It was agreed to change the northern boundary to include the whole of Rodney District in the new Auckland Council, as a reflection of the views of the majority of Rodney residents.

All Blacks at Parliament
The Prime Minister and I greeted the All Blacks and Wallabies at Parliament a few weeks back

The team made New Zealand proud at the Bledisloe Cup Test Rugby with a stunning performance resulting in a 33-6 win.

Left: All Blacks Captain Ritchie McCaw, Prime Minister John Key, Lockwood and Wallabies Captain (for the Bledisloe Cup match) George Smith.

National Issues

RURAL BROADBAND

We want New Zealanders to have access to broadband at home, work, or school. National is delivering on its election promise to ensure ultra-fast broadband is available to 75 per cent of New Zealanders over the next 10 years. We are partnering with the private sector for this $1.5 billion initiative.

Rodney will benefit from improved access to broadband and an increase in the speed and quality especially for rural areas.

SMACKING REVIEW

National doesn't want to see good parents criminalised for a light smack. The recent referendum reinforces that most New Zealanders don't want that either. That's why we're looking at the policies and procedures used by New Zealand Police and Child, Youth and Family when it comes to smacking.

The review will include the referral process between Police and CYF to help identify any changes that will ensure good parents are treated as Parliament intended. The Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development, Peter Hughes, Police Commissioner Howard Broad and well known clinical psychologist Nigel Latta are conducting the review.

RMA CHANGES

National is delivering on our promise to make the Resource Management Act a law that better balances environmental protection with economic growth. On Thursday 10 September we passed into law the Resource Management (Simplifying & Streamlining) Amendment Bill.

This first phase of our reforms will go a long way to reducing costs, uncertainties and delays that have frustrated New Zealand homeowners, small businesses and farmers for years.

Key changes to the Act include:

Removing frivolous, vexatious and anti-competitive objections that can add tens of thousands of dollars in costs to consent applicants
Streamlining processes for projects of national significance
Creating an Environmental Protection Authority
Improved resource consent processes and streamlined decision making

The Government is now onto the second phase of reforms. They will address aquaculture, the structure of the Environmental Protection Authority, fresh water management, urban design and infrastructure issues.

Phone 09 426 6215
39a Florence Ave
(PO Box 289)
OREWA
mp.rodney@parliament.govt.nz
www.lockwoodsmith.co.nz

Working for Rodney - September Issue

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:28:17 +1200

Greetings and welcome to my newsletter for September 2008.

With the election little more than six weeks away things have become busy down in Wellington as a tired and stale Labour Government tries to get a number of pieces of legalisation passed under urgency, as well as dealing with the collective mess that is Winston Peters.

Perhaps most concerning is the reckless and irresponsible manner in which Labour is trying to rush through the far-reaching Emissions Trading legislation. The ETS Bill will have a significant impact in raising the costs faced by businesses as well as the prices paid by all households, not just for electricity, but everything they buy.

The issue of climate change must be met with a robust, well-considered, and widely consulted policy approach. National will take such an approach and will ensure that we get the critical details right. In contrast, Labour has introduced more than 700 amendments to their complex legalisation just days before it becomes law, and appears to be putting its own political needs ahead of New Zealand's best interests.

At a local level after a long, wet and cold winter, it seems that spring is finally here. Lambing and calving is well under way throughout the district, but the tough winter has made it hard for our farmers. Local businesses are also reporting challenging times.

On the brighter side, it was fantastic to see a number of Rodney athletes performing amazingly well at the Beijing Olympics last month, from Corney Swanepool in the pool to Barbara Kendall and Jo Aleh in sailing, to David Kosoof in hockey. All up, eight Olympic athletes currently call Rodney home. My warmest congratulations go out to them all for their outstanding efforts and achievements.

It was also special to attend the turning of the first sod at Rodney's new Surgical Centre earlier this month. When complete the centre will provide Rodney with much needed surgical capability, so residents won't have to travel out of the region for treatment. This is great news and something I have been advocating for many years.

Immigration policy - bring more Kiwis home
New Zealand has lost more than 80,000 people heading overseas permanently in the past 12 months. That's more than 1,500 per week, and it's serious. National's immigration policy aims to stem the exodus of Kiwis and bring more home, as well as creating a climate that encourages skilled immigrants to our shores.

Creating the right conditions to encourage Kiwis to come home is paramount. National will ensure that tax, regulatory and infrastructure policies make returning home an attractive prospect for highly skilled ex-pat Kiwis. We will also require Immigration New Zealand to initiate a one-stop-shop approach to servicing the needs of returning New Zealanders.

We also need to better match the skills of immigrants with the employment needs of our economy. So, among other initiatives, we will streamline employer accreditation policies to recruit overseas and we will introduce a Silver Fern Visa to enable people with recognised tertiary qualifications to be in New Zealand for short periods of time to seek permanent employment in highly skilled areas. We will also set realistic investment capital and English language requirements for business migrants.

Third, National will establish a world-class immigration service and restore its integrity. Immigration decisions based on 'who you know' are not acceptable to National. This process will begin with a full review of Immigration New Zealand to ensure there are clear lines of accountability, fairness and transparency, and may result in a stand alone Department of Immigration &Citizenship developed from existing resources.

Infrastructure - Vital to NZ's Growth The frustration of sitting in gridlocked traffic, dealing with a painfully slow Internet connection, and the almost annual requirement to cut power consumption are common to us all here in Rodney.

These types of infrastructure shortcomings are collectively costing our country and region big dollars. That is why National will take comprehensive and bold steps to build the infrastructure that New Zealand needs for sustained economic growth and prosperity.
National's steps will include:

• Appointing a Minister of Infrastructure to reshape, co-ordinate, and then oversee the government's infrastructure objectives.
• Developing a 20-year National Infrastructure Plan to set a clear direction for vital national infrastructure investment, including top priority projects.
• Introducing a new category of state highway, called Roads of National Significance, which will be singled out for priority treatment.
• Introducing priority consenting, which will streamline consents for major national infrastructure using a call-in process so that such decisions are determined nationally.
• Increasing Crown capital investment by up to an extra $500 million a year above levels projected by Labour.
• Pass laws to introduce a new range of financing techniques for national infrastructure projects

National's plan to step up investment in critical and necessary infrastructure will be done at the same time as remaining within conservative debt levels

National isn't prepared to stand by and watch New Zealand held back by utterly inadequate transport networks, inadequate electricity supply, and inadequate telecommunications.

It's time to take the handbrake off. It's time to turn the growth engine on.

Thanks for taking for time to read this newsletter. Please feel free to email me your thoughts at mailto:lockwood.smith@national.org.nz%20?subject=Working for Rodney

Regards,

Hon Dr Lockwood Smith MP

www.lockwoodsmith.co.nz
www.national.org.nz

Working for Rodney

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:20:28 +1200

Lockwood Smith's E-letter
Greetings and welcome to my newsletter for June 2008.

The last few months have been hectic to say the least, with plenty going on both down in Wellington and at home in Rodney. With the general election now only a matter of months away, the National team is hard at work finalising policy and preparing for the election campaign. National is in great shape and we offer a real and credible alternative to the tired and stale Labour Government.

At a local level, things continue to tick along reasonably well. Nonetheless, in talking to local business owners and families it is clear that that slowing economic conditions, skyrocketing costs and high interest rates are beginning to take a real toll. The Labour Government however appears oblivious to these concerns and has failed to offer any real solutions for helping out hardworking Kiwis.

It is not surprising that Kiwis are leaving in their tens of thousands for Australia.

I recently chaired a community forum in Warkworth which discussed local transport and roading. This is one of the most pressing issues facing our community and there is significant local concern about it. It was great to see strong support for the meeting and I can assure you that I have taken onboard many of the points raised especially, on the Hill St intersection and Warkworth Bypass.

Budget 08
Kiwis have waited nine long years for Michael Cullen to admit he's wrong and deliver tax cuts. Now after nine years in the cold, Dr Cullen is giving the average wage earner just $16 a week - or the equivalent of a family size block of cheese.

Strangely, after more than 3,000 days in power, Labour can only manage to deliver these tax cuts a couple of weeks out from the election. Then, once the election is gone, the average wage earner will get just $6 more a couple of years later. It will be a very long time between toasted sandwiches.
By comparison, across the Tasman, hardworking Australians earning the same wage are already enjoying tax cuts closer to $100 a week.

No finance minister in New Zealand history has had the opportunity to cut taxes like Michael Cullen. Yet he has squandered the golden economic weather and failed to future-proof the economy. He has never believed in tax cuts, and still doesn't.

Tax cuts are a top priority for National.

We will have an ongoing plan of meaningful tax cuts as an essential part of our five-point economic plan that will make New Zealand a wealthier, more successful country.

Emissions Trading Scheme

National wants to get the emissions trading scheme (ETS) right and is not prepared to cut corners when Kiwis' financial security is at risk.

Labour is desperately trying to ram the ETS through before the looming 2008 election. National is not prepared to support this reckless haste - not when getting this wrong means exporting jobs, ratcheting up inflation, and viciously squeezing household budgets.

The simple fact is that the ETS in its current form is badly designed, poorly thought out and will fail to achieve many of its stated objectives. It attempts to lead the world by including all sectors and all gases, as well as being the only ETS to cover agriculture.

A well-designed, carefully balanced ETS is the best tool available for dealing with our Kyoto obligations.
However, National believes the ETS must meet six key principles in order for it to achieve this and to ensure our support. These include:

• The ETS must strike a balance between New Zealand's environmental and economic interests.
• It should be fiscally neutral rather than providing billions of dollars in windfall gains to the government accounts at the expense of businesses and consumers.
• It should be as closely aligned as possible with the planned Australian ETS, with common compliance regimes and tradability.

Meeting these principles will not be easy and will most likely mean carrying the legislation into the next Parliament, but this is a small price to pay for ensuring New Zealand gets the best ETS possible.

Broadband

I get lots of complaints from people throughout Rodney about how slow their Internet connections are. Many people say that, even though they live close to a telephone exchange, they just can't get decent broadband speeds. New Zealand has fallen way behind its global competitors when it comes to broadband. We've delayed the big decisions and put investment off for too long.

That's why a National Government will invest up to $1.5 billion to drive the roll-out of a "fibre to the home" ultra-fast broadband network in New Zealand.

This investment will help deliver the economic step change that New Zealand needs to significantly lift average incomes over time. Fibre to the home will deliver huge economic benefits for our country, in terms of enhanced productivity, improved global connectivity, and enhanced capacity for innovation

Our initial goal is to ensure the accelerated roll out of fibre right to the home of 75% of New Zealanders. In the first six years, priority will be given to business premises, schools, health facilities, and the first tranche of homes.

We also want to significantly enhance broadband access and speeds for rural areas where fibre to the home is not immediately feasible. We will accelerate high-speed broadband roll-out to rural and remote areas, with the first step being to double the Broadband Challenge Fund to $48m and refocus it on rural and remote areas

Thanks for taking for time to read this newsletter. Please feel free to email me your thoughts at lockwood.smith@national.org.nz

Regards,

Hon Dr Lockwood Smith MP

www.lockwoodsmith.co.nz
www.national.org.nz

NEWSLETTER: Working for Rodney

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:46:00 +1300

Lockwood Smith's E-letter - 13 December 2007

Greetings and welcome to my final newsletter for 2007.

With Christmas fast approaching, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe, and prosperous New Year.

The holiday season is a special time of year. It's a great chance to get together with family and friends, and it's an opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and the challenges that lie ahead.

And what a year it has been. The National team is in great shape and going into an election year really taking it to Labour in a number of key policy areas. The Government is looking increasingly tired and arrogant as it tries to ram through shoddy pieces of legalisation such as the Electoral Finance Bill.

While the Government looks increasingly tired and arrogant, National is looking forward to building on its vision for a reinvigorated New Zealand. We want a country that is attractive to our children and our grandchildren, and a society that can meet their aspirations. We want a better future for all New Zealanders.

At a local level, it has also been a busy year for our electorate of Rodney. The area continues to be one of New Zealand's fastest growing regions and this presents a whole host of challenges around areas such as infrastructure, roads and urban development.

I look forward to working closely with our newly elected mayor Penny Webster to ensure that the very best solutions to these issues are delivered to Rodney.

Health blunders

Despite Labour throwing billions of dollars at our failing health system new horror stories are emerging on a daily basis.

In the last two weeks alone details have emerged of systemic health care failures at Wellington Hospital, patients in Rotorua being forced to clean their own toilets and $100 bribes being offered to new mums to leave hospital early.

While all this goes on Labour's army of health bureaucrats continues to grow and now numbers more than 10,000.

The Minister, David Cunliffe, has promised us that he's 'running the show' when it comes to health. It's time for Mr Cunliffe to drop the talk and start delivering the health system Kiwis deserve.

Electoral law rort

As Labour continues with its desperate campaign to bring the Electoral Finance Bill into law, its fatally flawed nature is becoming clear for the public to see

Justice Minister Annette King has been forced to admit she 'could be wrong' and 'might be wrong' on key definitions within the bill.

Labour is now frantically trying to patch up the ever-growing holes in this bill as it desperately tries to screw the scrum in its favour and squash New Zealanders' democratic rights in election year

The bill is a self-serving dog's breakfast, and National will repeal it if we become government.

Exodus hits record levels

Latest figures show that Kiwis continue to desert New Zealand in record numbers for brighter opportunities offshore. Migration statistics for the year ended October 2007 show long-term departures were the highest for a decade.

More than 75,000 hard-working Kiwis left New Zealand to enjoy the lower taxes, higher wages and less Government interference on offer in countries like Australia. This equates to over 200 people leaving a day, or more than one every seven minutes.

More and more New Zealanders are voting with their feet as they realise New Zealand's current direction is fast leaving us in the wake of the rest of the world.
Labour's tax confusion

Labour's confusion over whether New Zealanders deserve tax cuts or not has continued. Finance Minister Michael Cullen sowed further doubt on Labour's promised tax cuts by declaring there is zero chance of closing the income gap with Australia, so he's not going to try.

Despite protestations otherwise it is becomingly increasingly obvious that the Finance Minister does not believe in tax cuts. A leopard does not change its spots.

Labour's schizophrenic attitude towards tax cuts makes it clear that the cancellation of the 'chewing gum' tax cuts could happen again. Labour cannot be trusted on tax.

Thanks for taking for time to read this newsletter. Please feel free to email me your thoughts at lockwood.smith@national.org.nz

Regards,

Hon Dr Lockwood Smith MP