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A point needs to be clarified about the amount of money the Government is putting towards the replacement bridge over the Waiohine River.
The existing bridge needs to be replaced to secure the future of the route through the region and Transit has been working closely with the South Wairarapa District Council and the Wellington Regional Council to replace the existing narrow bridge.
But the current bridge is not only seen as a route security risk, but also can cause flooding by restricting river flow.
The proposed new bridge will be designed to prevent the risk of flood, in line with the Wairarapa Floodplain Management Strategy, a local council initiative, and the local councils have been asked to contribute 12.5 percent of the cost of the $2.4 million new bridge.
This is only a small price to pay. The majority of the project will be government funded. It is only fair that the local bodies affected provide some contribution towards a project that is going to vastly improve the region, and save it from potential floods that would otherwise cause millions of dollars in damage to the region.
I would like to reiterate that, according to information from the Minister of Education, I was the only MP to lobby on behalf of Wairarapa schools, contrary to what has been said in another publication.
As we reflect on the origins of Labour Day - or simply enjoy a hard-earned day off, it's a good time to give some thought to work in the modern context.
Resolving work life balance issues is crucial for the future and is about striking the right mix between paid work and life outside of work.
The way we organise our lives has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Technology has had a big impact, with cell phones, laptops and email allowing work to spill into our private lives.
Earlier this year, Labour Minister Margaret Wilson announced a programme to look at work life balance issues. We are now about to talk to employers, workers, communities and individuals throughout New Zealand.
We want to accurately reflect the different realities that people face and to get feedback on what helps people achieve some measure of work life balance. We want people to identify examples of good practice that could be of use to others and tell us about it.
The two biggest work life balance problems are about those who don't have enough work and the opposite, those caught in the "all work - no life" trap. In this second group, there's the low paid people who need to work long hours to earn sufficient income and the highly paid, who may feel coerced by workplace culture into working more hours than they want to.
There are nearly two million New Zealanders in the workforce. Our population is ageing and as the number of those of working age shrinks, it will become increasingly important to find ways to allow more people to actively participate in the workforce.
New Zealand has to reduce the barriers to work that face many people, especially those with caring responsibilities.
Knowing how New Zealanders, employers or employees, are managing work and life balance issues now and into the future is a critical ingredient to ensuring New Zealand continues to be a great place to live and work. Now is the time to take stock of how we are shaping out lives and our potential.
Anyone wanting more information on the work life balance programme can view the website at: www.dol.govt.nz/worklife.
Children's Day on Sunday allowed us to celebrate our nation's children. Our government is working hard to make sure that the New Zealand in which today's children grow up offers them hope, opportunity and security for the future.
We appreciate the help all organisations are giving to support children, and recognise the importance of continuing to work in partnership together.
Whatever our backgrounds, most of us know that the ingredients of a good life in a family come down to some pretty simple things, like adequate incomes with balanced time for family and work, a good education, good health and health care, having a decent home, and living in a safe, secure environment.
Working families need the certainty of knowing that their children are well cared for, so we have extended the subsidy for out-of-school care. We have a number of departments looking at developing family-friendly policies that promote a better work-life balance.
Education is the key to a good future for all children. That's why we have put more money in to early childhood education and why we are putting an extra 774 teachers into schools from next year. The world that our children are familiar with is very different to the world teachers experienced when they were children, so we are helping teachers to develop technology-related and other new skills.
Children have the right to be brought up in an environment free from physical abuse. From next year, we will put in place a public education campaign on the alternatives to smacking and consider law changes to take away the defence of reasonable force for assault on a child.
Also proposed changes to the way the Family Court operates will make it easier for families to resolve disputes and avoid going to court by using qualified mediators.
Finally I will be in Sydney for a health conference by the time this column goes to press but rest assured that in my absence any concerns will be dealt with by Jo in my Masterton office.
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