Todd McClay: Great time to be in Rotorua

CAN DO: The Salvation Army festive spirit is high. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER

By now most people will be getting ready for their Christmas break, winding down from a year of working hard and probably thinking of some last-minute shopping.

If you're working right through, I hope you are able to take some time out to relax with your friends and family.

Working or not, it is a great time to be in Rotorua. Just before the big day, the city is positively buzzing.

These past few weeks, the festive spirit has been high. In particular the Rotorua Daily Post's Salvation Army Christmas Appeal has brought out the generosity of the entire community.

It was hugely disappointing when food collected for the Salvation Army's food bank was stolen but following this there was an abundance of new donations to fill the shelves back up. This fantastic initiative will help put food on the table for many in their time of need.

Following this I was saddened to read of local woman Abigail Hargreaves whose family home was broken into while she was at Starship Hospital in Auckland last week as her nearly six-month-old daughter, Rosalie, was being treated for Wilms tumour (cancer of the kidney).

Thieves broke into their home and stole Christmas presents and food. After a story featured in the Rotorua Daily Post, they received gifts, clothes, money and groceries from some more generous locals. It is always disappointing to read of these stories but the generosity of Rotorua people never fails to impress me. To Abigail and her family - I hope you have a very special Christmas.

The Post does a great job of supporting people in the community in these situations. In fact 2013 has been a great year for them.

In March they launched their new-look paper followed by being named Newspaper of the Year in its category at the Panpa international newspaper awards in Sydney in August.

I am continually impressed by the great work they do in our community and am grateful for the opportunities I have to work alongside them.

To editor Kim Gillespie and his team of reporters and, of course, the advertising and admin teams - thank you for your support.

This is my last column for the Post this year but I'll be back in 2014 to keep you updated on the things that matter to you in our community.

It will be another busy year as we focus on the issues that matter to our community, and for all Kiwis - a stronger economy and more jobs, better frontline healthcare and education services and a safer New Zealand.

I'll continue to work hard for Rotorua businesses and households to ensure we get access to the resources we need to boost the local economy, support families and create jobs.

It's important to me to remain available to you as members of the Rotorua electorate. I very much appreciate being able to spend time meeting and speaking with people on the ground to get a feel for what's happening in our communities.

From my wife, Nadene, and I and our family Joshua, Samuel, Caelen and Ana-Kiera - have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you all again in 2014. As always, please be safe on our roads this festive season.

My Rotorua office will re-open for normal hours on January 12, 2014. Should you wish to contact us during the holiday period please call (07) 348 5871 and leave a message. We will be checking our answerphone on a regular basis.

Merry Christmas, Rotorua.