Wedd's Weekly - 7 March

It's been a busy few weeks in the electorate. I loved celebrating the diversity of our region at International Cultures Day, our youth at the Young Enterprise Scheme and the Gala Day at Lindisfarne College and meeting our farmers and rural communities.

Our region has so much to offer, and I love representing the best region in New Zealand.

I loved being one of the speed coaches for the Young Enterprise Scheme! A room full of talented students from across Hawke’s Bay - all keen to pitch their Entrepreneurial ideas and get feedback from working professionals.

So many young entrepreneurs with some amazing ideas and such a great concept.

Well done Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce for organising such a fabulous event for all our schools and businesses across Hawke's Bay.

Plant Hawke's Bay Ltd was almost wiped out in Cyclone Gabrielle. But Marie, Rob and their team have worked incredibly hard to get their native tree nursery back up and running!

Their incredible resilience and passion for native planting has kept this team charging!

Their commitment to our environment is clear to see. I absolutely loved my tour of the nursery learning all about native planting.

It was a privilege to Chair the Conservation session at our Bluegreens Conference in Methven!

The Bluegreens was founded in 1998 and is our National Party advisory group on environmental issues.

I have grown up as a bluegreen and know that economic growth can be achieved while also improving and protecting our environment for future generations.

It was a great turnout to discuss and understand our environmental issues.

Cutting edge science is what will unleash Hawke’s Bay’s economic potential.

I spent time with Plant and Food Research to understand the amazing work they’re doing to develop new fruit varieties which can grow faster, yield better, are more pest resistant and need less nitrate.

I was particularly interested in the work they’re doing to protect New Zealand against the brown marmorated stink bug which is the biggest biosecurity threat to our horticulture sector. The robot and canopy is the first trial of its kind in NZ - to ensure we are always prepared!

It was so awesome to bump into the Hawke’s Bay Boys Rowing Teams who won silver at the Rowing Nationals in Twizel.

Congratulations team - making Hawke’s Bay Proud!

Hawke's Bay is a multicultural region, and we celebrate our diversity. It was wonderful to be part of the International Cultures Day in the heart of Hastings. I thoroughly enjoyed all the performances and the incredible food.

Well, done to our Multicultural Association Hawkes Bay Inc - Te Kahui Konarau for organising such a successful event.

Our government is focused on providing better cancer treatment, with more access to medicines.

We recently announced a LINAC cancer treatment machine at HB Hospital, which will mean patients don’t have to travel outside Hawke’s Bay for treatment. This has been a long time coming and will make a significant difference for HB families.

It was also great to meet the nurses and oncologists at the recently opened Canopy Cancer Care to learn more about cancer treatment in HB.

We were shown around Canopy Cancer Care's facility and the new PET scanner, making cancer treatment more accessible.

Thanks to the incredible team who do an amazing job.

This week I presented my private members bill to the Health Select Committee.

This bill provides mothers with 3 days of post-natal care, providing more support and protection for Mums and families across New Zealand after having a baby.

It was a privilege to present my bill, which will create positive change for post-natal care in New Zealand. Over 100 submissions were received, and the majority of the submissions are in support of my bill.

Our government is committed to Hawke’s Bay and the regions and investing in better health outcomes.

The government has announced $94.8M for Hawke's Bay Hospital. This includes a radiology department upgrade, and new LINAC cancer treatment machine and a 28-bed inpatient unit.

The extra beds will enable the hospital to meet current capacity demands while planning for longer-term development and also help to reduce ED wait times.

Boosting our nursing workforce will deliver immediate benefits to people seeking care.

The Government will invest $34.2 million over five years to fund 120 nurse practitioner training places in primary care each year from 2026.

An additional $21.6 million over four years will accelerate advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses annually, bringing healthcare closer to home.

Registered nurses who obtain advanced qualifications can become registered nurse prescribers and may choose to continue their training to become nurse practitioners.

We’re training more GPs in our communities so Kiwis can see a doctor faster and get better care.

A $23.3 million investment will place new doctors in primary care, bringing more medical support to communities and ensuring timely, quality healthcare close to home.

From 2026, funding will support up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors annually to train in primary care settings.

To tackle doctor shortages, we’re increasing medical school training placements by 25 each year from 2026.

More GPs mean fewer people relying on emergency departments for routine issues, easing pressure on hospitals.

Investing in more medical school placements now ensures New Zealanders can receive timely, quality healthcare for years to come.

The Health Minister announced 100 clinical placements for overseas-trained doctors to work in primary care.

Incentives for primary care to recruit up to 400 graduate registered nurses per year for three years.

A new 24/7 digital service for all New Zealanders to be able to access online medical appointments.

Health New Zealand providing a $285 million uplift for general practice over three years.

Both new schools and state schools wanting to convert to charter school status will now be able to submit their expressions of interest to the Charter School Agency (CSA).

Charter schools will be given greater freedom to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways, but they will be held to a much higher standard than state schools and subject to a high level of monitoring and accountability.

For more information, including how to apply, please visit: https://www.charterschools.govt.nz/applying-to-open-a-new-charter-school/

From 26 March, eligible primary school teachers will be fast tracked to the Straight to Residence pathway.

The process enables eligible teachers to apply for residence from offshore without having to work for two years.

Roles include primary and intermediate teachers as well as Māori-medium equivalents.

Making New Zealand a competitive destination for overseas talent will ensure kiwi kids access the teachers they need to thrive in the classroom.

This Government is focused on ensuring schools across the country can employ the staff needed to set up our children for success.

Our Government is working hard to restore law and order, and we are making strong progress in cracking down on gangs and reducing crime.

It’s now been three months since we passed our Gangs Act – designed to ban the display of gang insignia in public and give Police more tools to crack down on gangs and the misery they cause in communities.

In the three months since this legislation passed, Police have seized 76 patches, 67 firearms, and laid 337 charges for insignia breaches.

We have also seen a 52 per cent increase in firearms seizures compared to the same period last year.

We passed these laws to improve public safety, and they are doing exactly that.

We make no apologies for getting tough on gangs. This legislation is meant to be uncomfortable. If you don’t like it, don’t break the law, it’s that simple.

Please take a moment and forward this email to friends and family who might like to stay in touch. We appreciate your help staying connected with the community and there's no time like right now!

If you received this newsletter from a friend or family member and would like to subscribe to future newsletters, please hit the subscribe here button below and fill out the "Get Updates" form on my Catherine Wedd webpage.

Follow me on Facebook for updates - Catherine Wedd MP for Tukituki | Facebook

I look forward to seeing you out in our Tukituki community soon.

Regards, Catherine