Green MP impressed by Whanganui community groups stepping up

The Green Party's Ricardo Menéndez March (second from left) said he was impressed by Whanganui community groups ability to support people. Photo / Bevan Conley

A Green Party MP has praised the efforts of Whanganui's people to support each other through community.

Ricardo Menendez March visited the city on Friday on a trip that he said had been focused on the provision of social services in the community.

"In Whanganui I'm getting the sense that there's a really active community trying to fill the gaps where successive governments had failed to support people," he said.

This was highlighted to him after meeting and marching with local New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members, and talking to people on visits to both the Kai Hub and Whanganui People's Advocacy Centre.

While at the Kai Hub he said he spoke to members of the community who were living in their cars who felt like the Ministry of Social Development wasn't stepping up to support them.

He said he got a lot of feedback on the need for more transitional and state housing for low-income and homeless people in Whanganui.

"(That was) because of the growing number of people here who have those housing needs and the proportionately low number of social housing that is being built to meet that need."

March said from his conversations, issues expressed by people were both local and reflective of larger national issues.

"They are expressed here in a very local way, so firstly the really huge shortfall in secure social housing I think seems to be very prescient here."

March praised the Kai Hub for its high trust model of allowing community members to take what they needed from their shared fridge.

"It's kind of nice to have a community fridge where people can just take what they need and that need is honoured and not judged or questioned," he said.

March also visited the Quaker Settlement and the local Green Party's Annual General Meeting, where he spoke about recent legislation the party had contributed to around inclusivity for disabled people, immigrant workers' rights and the call for a full review into the Recognised Seasonal Employers scheme.