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My thanks to all who attended last Thursday's meeting to discuss services at Masterton Hospital.
Health is one of the few issues that affects us all and people are quite rightly concerned when there is talk of services being cut and hospitals closing.
I can assure you that Masterton Hospital is not under threat and is in fact safer than it has been for some time.
Wairarapa DHB is looking at ways to keep the services we already have and actually improving what is offered, such as othmalmology and renal dialysis which are needed in our area.
I have stated if Masterton Hospital was to close or services be cut, that if the people of Wairarapa demanded it of me I would resign. I was involved in the Hands Around the Hospital in 1989 and I certainly couldn't continue in this role if the hospital closed.
It is crucial all Wairarapa MPs work together on this and other issues of general concern to the people of Wairarapa and I'm sure that NZ First list MP Edwin Perry agrees with me.
Education Minister Trevor Mallard has made his interim decision on the future of Masterton schools and, apart from a couple of concerns, I believe the outlook is bright.
Most of the suggested mergers make sense, as do the schools that are being left to stand alone, but I would encourage anyone who wants to have more input into the Minister's final decision to do so.
Much has been made over the past week of the so-called "flatulence tax".
The Government is seeking feedback from farmers on how to fund research into cutting agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, as the agriculture sector is responsible for over half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions.
In recognition of the importance of agriculture and the lack of cost-effective emission reduction measures at present, the Government's climate change policy exempts agriculture from emissions charges on these greenhouse gases.
In exchange it requires the sector to be the principal funder of research to develop ways to cut these emissions.
Although the Government originally thought this might need an extra investment of up to $20 million a year, an independent scientific assessment has found that an extra $8.4 million a year could be enough.
An Agriculture Emissions Research body would receive levy funds, manage the research investment and oversee the development and implementation of new emission reduction practices and technologies.
Agricultural sector organisations will be invited to form a technical working group to look at implementation issues. Responses to the discussion document are wanted by July 31 and there will be public meetings in Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin early next month.
The consultation document is available here.
Hard copies will be available soon from Sustainable Resource Use Policy, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, PO Box 2526, Wellington. Email: Helen.Avery@maf.govt.nz
Good news for young New Zealanders wanting to take advantage of the United Kingdom's working holiday scheme.
The British Government is freeing up work restrictions and raising the cut-off age from 27 to 30 for New Zealanders heading to Britain for their OE.
Under the changes New Zealanders will now be able to work in any field and remain in the same position for the full two-year period of their scheme entitlement.
About 7000 young New Zealanders travel to the UK each year under the Commonwealth Working Holidaymaker Scheme and in return New Zealand accepts 9000 young British citizens each year for a working holiday.
Parliament has passed legislation giving trainees a fair day's pay.
Regulations made under the Minimum Wage Amendment Act have already come in to force and will ensure trainees are paid at least $6.80 an hour, the same as the minimum youth rate. Previously, trainees undertaking 60 credits a year or more of an industry training programme and their employers could agree to any pay rate. Some trainees have been paid very little, with industry surveys showing hairdressing, panel beating and some horticulture trainees to be particularly vulnerable.
For more information phone the ERS Infoline on 0800 800 863.
The Government has placed eight finance and property companies under statutory management because of "buy back schemes" and these are not the only companies involved.
Other companies are implicated in schemes where consumers have intended to refinance their mortgage to combine all their debts in one loan, and have instead signed over the title to their home without being informed of the consequences of doing so.
Although I haven't heard of any in Wairarapa, people need to come forward to help determine the extent of problems with these schemes. A toll-free phone line has been set up for people to register their concerns with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
Many people have entered into these schemes without realising what they have signed up for. They can be given dubious advice, often by the same people acting for the companies, that the schemes are the only option to settle debts but often, this is not the case at all.
No one should sign over their home to raise money to pay debt. If consumers do understand the scheme - and I doubt that many would, given the complexity of some we have seen - it is highly unlikely they will ever be able to buy their home back, because the schemes appear to be designed to ensure that they can't.
People who have entered into one of these schemes, or are thinking about it, should urgently seek independent legal advice - don't rely on the advice you may have received from a lawyer acting for these companies.
The Freephone number is 0508 468 732 (0508 HOUSEBUYBACK).
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