The Government is serious about Horowhenua: Tim Costley

Ōtaki MP Tim Costley playing football with his daughter at the Big Dutch Day Out in Foxton.

OPINION

It was a real privilege to host the Prime Minister in the Ōtaki electorate last week. He had just returned from his trip to Asia and I was able to convince him to come up the road and visit our town, before he headed to Auckland for Anzac Day.

I wanted to bring the PM to our region because I wanted to show off what an amazing place it is; district and the people. I was particularly proud to show him the amazing work that happens at a really local level. I believe in the value of towns like Ōtaki, Levin and Foxton, and that the decisions we make as a government should be based on our experiences, not only what happens in the big cities.

I also brought Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Chris Bishop to Levin. We talked about housing growth in particular, and again we heard our commitment that building the Ō2NL expressway is a “bottom line” for our Government. There was a very strong turnout at Greenhaven homes to hear Chris speak, and many told me they left with a real sense that our Government is serious about investing in growth in our region, and clearing away the red tape so we can build the region we need for the future.

With both the PM and the minister’s visits, we heard and saw National’s commitment to this region, from Ō2NL to tackling the cost of living, growing our economy and improving public services like health and education. There is lots of work to do here and I’m committed to working hard to get the very best for all of us.

As part of this, over the past month I’ve visited paramedics and a local health clinic this month, trying to find a way to deliver more support locally. I’ve visited local schools, and in particular I want to single out the team at Manakau School for a fantastic morning in the sunshine, playing football with the kids and talking to them about Parliament and the Air Force.

It was also special to join Anzac Day commemorations. The civic service in Levin was a special event, with a strong turnout form Army engineers from Linton, and significant contributions from both local high schools. I also attended the dawn service in Paraparaumu, the Levin War Vets retirement service, the Ōhau community service, and the Ōtaki sunset service. Thank you to everyone who organised, attended, and supported these events.

There is still one more week to sign my petition to speed up our expressway to 110km/h. See the link on my Facebook page, or go to www.national.org.nz/makekapitiexpressway110. This is a safe, world-class expressway designed to be safe at higher speeds. No one has died on this new section of road, and I believe this is the right time to align the speed limit with the speed it was designed for, just like the new roads in Waikato and Bay of Plenty already at 110km/h.

Finally, I’d love some support from our local youth. I’ve set up a local Youth Advisory Panel in Horowhenua. I want to hear what matters to our young people and I want to give them more of a voice. The first meetings are in our local schools the week of May 13-17. If you’re not involved and would like to be, please let me know.

Tim Costley is MP for Ōtaki