OPINION
The many of you involved in the process of submissions for the consultation on the tolling for Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway has shown what a passionate population we have in Tararua District. I thank you for all your comments, meetings and involvement. I’ve done what I said I’d do, that is advocate on your behalf to the Minister of Transport and share with him what you have told me.
We all balance budgets and last week, like everyone else, I was pleased to see the Official Cash Rate (OCR) drop to 4.75% and this week the news just gets better with a drop in the CPI down to 2.2%. For the first time since 2021, annual inflation is within the Reserve Bank’s target band of 1% to 3%.
Over the past few years, households across New Zealand, and no less here in Tararua District have been grappling with rising interest rates, the high cost of living, and economic uncertainty. Last week’s announcement signals that things are turning around, and there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel. For families, this drop in the OCR means lower mortgage payments, and more money to spend on what really matters — whether that’s keeping up with the weekly grocery bill, covering school expenses, or finally setting aside some savings for the future. This is the kind of financial relief that many families have been waiting for, particularly after facing years of rising living costs and stretched household budgets.
We have seen how local businesses have been under the pump and working hard to stay afloat. We also know there are significant impacts on employees, families and the wider community when things can’t work out and businesses struggle to keep the door open. We cannot forget in our region that farms are also businesses. This was reiterated by Associate Minister of Agriculture Nicola Grigg who I hosted in our region at the start of the month. Nicola spoke to Rural Women in Dannevirke about our focus on creating an environment of business confidence and that this focus includes the agriculture sector.
