Opinion: Christmas under the mountain - a year on

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Whanganui MP Carl Bates pictured during a visit to Carac Group in Eltham last Friday.

Carl Bates, Member of Parliament for Whanganui

OPINION

A year ago, I submitted my first Christmas column to the Stratford Press entitled Christmas Under the Mountain.

A year on, and whilst much has changed, some things remain the same.

Two weeks ago, I spent most of the weekend at the Stratford A&P Show, a real barometer as to the way the community is feeling.

Last year there was a sense of optimism with a new Government elected, and although 2024 has been a difficult year for many, there have been real results that are creating a sense of positivity.

Our Stratford and South Taranaki dairy farmers are pleased with Fonterra’s forecast payout reaching the magic $10/kg number. There is optimism in town as well.

Inflation is back within the Reserve Bank’s target range, interest rates have fallen by 1.25 percentage points in the last three months and farmer confidence is at its highest level since 2017.

For a rural town like Stratford, that is great news: when the farmers are happy, the town is happy as well.

For me there were three standouts in and around Stratford this year.

Firstly, the new Manganui Gorge suspension bridge on Mount Taranaki is a fantastic asset for the local community and will have a significant positive effect on tourism. Getting the opportunity to take the family up to the lodge and be welcomed by the Stratford Mountain Club was a very special, albeit gusty, day.

Secondly, there were some murmurings about Education Minister Erica Stanford’s decision to ban the use of cellphones at school but they quickly disappeared when schools started to report how effective the policy had been.

Stratford High School principal Cam Stone said, “It’s a huge cultural shift, not just in the classroom but at break time. We’re seeing games of touch rugby again, kids having fun, it’s great. They’re talking. There’s a lot of noise out there.”

Thirdly, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti was in town just two weeks ago to open the upgraded Stratford Health Centre which now takes walk-up patients and has acute care beds.

Former Stratford mayor Brian Jeffares was one of the driving forces in this redevelopment. He told me that the walk-up clinic is seeing up to 40 patients a day, reducing the pressure on services at New Plymouth and Hāwera.

One thing that has not changed is the people, who as I said last year, make Stratford special. It remains an absolute privilege to be your representative in Parliament.

I cannot close this column without a mention of the Stratford Press. Ilona and her team provide an outstanding service to the people of the Stratford District, for which I extend my sincere thanks.

Consumers of news in other parts of New Zealand may have a preference for digital content, but in a community like Stratford a weekly community newspaper is a great source of local news and events.

Whilst this is the final issue of Stratford Press under its current ownership, it may not be the final Stratford Press, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for what comes next.

As you navigate the final days before Christmas, Candice, Angus, Logan, and I send you our best wishes for a blessed Christmas and a fantastic 2025.

Have a wonderful summer under the mountain!