Nikki Kaye MP

CBD public meetings

Changes to Auckland's water and wastewater charges

Every home and business in Auckland will pay less for mains-connected water from 1 July 2011 under a new tariff announced by Watercare Services Ltd.  The lower price is thanks to efficiencies generated by Watercare since it took over responsibility for service delivery from Auckland's former councils and council subsidiaries.

Residents living in the former Auckland City Council area will also benefit from the removal of a fixed water service charge of $41.42 per year.  On 1 July 2011, wastewater prices will increase by 4.5%, however this increase is lower than the increases previously forecast in the long-term plans by the region's former councils for 2011/12.

Prompt payment and electronic payment discounts previously applicable in some areas will no longer be made available from 1 July 2011 when the lower water tariff applies.

Great Barrier Island cell tower

Great Barrier Island has received a real economic boost with the recent announcement by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology that the Rural Broadband Initiative includes an investment by Vodafone and Telecom in broadband and cellphone tower infrastructure on Great Barrier Island.

Great Barrier Island has approximately 40,000 visitors each year and is starting to become a real tourist destination.

The opening of the Community Heritage and Arts Village in 2009 and the new airport terminal late last year has helped provide a better visitor experience. 

The Department of Conservation has also made a significant investment in the overnight walkway and the Mt Heale Hut. 

The one piece of infrastructure that the Local Board, Ngati Rehua-Ngati Wai ki Aotea, schools and businesses all identified as crucial to economic and social development is better broadband and cellphone coverage.

While the package will not cover the whole island, it is hard to convey the extent of the huge positive change that this could bring to the island. This investment enables tourists to have cellphone and internet communication from landing at the airport to the end of their stay. Great Barrier Island children will now have the capacity to develop digital literacy skills that would have previously been impossible.

Anzac Day service and parade

This year represented the third year that I have laid a wreath and spoken at Grey Lynn Returned Services Club's Anzac Day service and parade.

Make the Politician Work

Launch of HOP - integrated ticketing for Auckland public transport

Auckland public transport users are a step closer to being able to access all public transport services with just one smartcard with the launch of HOP recently.

Integrated ticketing for Auckland public transport is an issue that I campaigned on in 2008 and I am delighted to have been involved in seeing this delivered for Aucklanders.  Integrated ticketing is an important part of establishing a more efficient, effective and user-friendly public transport system.

Deployment of equipment on NZ Bus services is just the first step, with the expansion of integrated ticketing on rail and ferry services next on the agenda. Work is on track for delivering the first phase of Auckland's integrated ticketing on rail in the middle of this year.

Victoria Park Tunnel

Auckland drivers will be able to use the Victoria Park Tunnel from November, two months earlier than planned. The entire $340m project to ease motorway congestion in the central city is now on track to be finished by February next year, a year and three months earlier than expected.

The first two northbound lanes will be opened in November, which will move the traffic around so the rest of the project can be finished. It will greatly ease congestion for the 160,000 plus vehicles that use this route each day. The project has been prioritised to reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth in New Zealand.

$54.5 million funding boost for maternity care

Budget 2011 will give an extra $54.5 million over four years to improve maternity and WellChild services.

This funding will establish regular local reviews of maternity services by all maternity health professionals. That includes midwives, nurses, and doctors, discussing all births to make changes that help protect the safety of mothers and babies. It will also mean better teamwork, and provide extra help to mothers and babies who need it.

We also expect to deliver 54,000 more WellChild visits to about 18,000 mothers who need this extra help, focusing on first time mums. They will receive, on average, three more WellChild visits up to the first two months of a baby's life.

New $55.2 million youth employment package

Budget 2011 will introduce a new $55.2 million youth employment package with three components. These programmes will give about 13,000 young people the experience, skills, and confidence to find their feet in the job market.

Skills For Growth provides a $5000 subsidy for businesses to employ and train young people in high demand industries. It is targeted at 16- to 24-year-olds who have been on a benefit for more than three months.

Job Ops with Training is a refocused version of National's successful Job Ops programme and includes a training component. Employers receive a $5000 subsidy for wages and training for young, low-skilled employees.

The Limited Service Volunteers scheme provides a six-week residential programme run by the Defence Force. It aims to build skills and confidence for young people who have been on a benefit for more than six months.

New law will make our roads safer

It's clear we need to address road safety in New Zealand.  Despite progress over the last 30 years, New Zealand still lags behind many other countries in road safety.

This week we've seen great progress in National's efforts to improve road safety and bring down the road toll. The Land Transport (Road Safety and other Matters) Amendment Bill passed unanimously this week.

The bill has a strong focus on the first actions from National's 10-year Safer Journeys road safety strategy. Aimed at reducing road deaths, measures include improving the safety of young drivers and cracking down on drunk drivers.

Changes include raising the minimum driving age from 15 to 16, lowering the drink-drive limit to zero for drivers under 20, and increasing penalties for dangerous driving causing death.

National is committed to addressing road safety in New Zealand and this bill goes a long way to seeing that happen.

P report shows progress

Tackling P is an important part of National's work to build a safer New Zealand. The third Tackling Methamphetamine progress report, released this week, shows we're making great progress. The abuse, manufacture, and supply of P in New Zealand are showing signs of significant change.

The price of P is still high, and rising. All 60 dedicated meth treatment beds around the country are being used, and have taken 276 admissions so far. This is in addition to beds available at DHBs. In the first four months of this year, agencies seized 19kg of P, about 10kg less than the total seized last year.

Local alliance to rebuild infrastructure

An alliance of parties will rebuild Christchurch's badly damaged ground level and below ground infrastructure, including roads, water, wastewater and stormwater.

The interim Christchurch alliance, signed this week, includes the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, the Christchurch City Council, Fulton Hogan, Downer Construction, Fletcher Construction, MacDow New Zealand and City Care.

This will deliver complex large-scale projects where clients, consultants, and contractors work together to meet quality, cost, and time targets. It offers the fastest way of completing the job.

Over the next four months alliance members will draw upon each other's expertise to plan the best way to complete the rebuilding projects, before signing a formal alliance agreement.

Click here for more information.

Ponsonby News

Have you read Ponsonby News online?  If not, you'll be pleased to know they publish each issue on their website - the day Ponsonby News hits Ponsonby Road!  Check out the current issue here.

Have your say

For all other news, photos and updates on my work around the electorate, keep an eye on my website www.nikkikaye.co.nz which is updated regularly.

Best wishes,