NICKY WAGNER MP for Christchurch Central - Blog Entry

HIVE well worth a visit!

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:39:47 +1200

I had a really interesting day last Sunday at HIVE – no it’s not a centre for bees – it’s the Home Innovation Village at the Canterbury Agricultural Showgrounds in Curletts Road.

It’s well worth a visit if you are thinking of building a new home or just want to have a look at what’s available. There are nine different pre-fabricated houses on site, across a range of prices. All are cost effective for what they deliver on, because they are wholly or partly fabricated off-site and so have economy of scale and also can be built much quicker. … Very important if people have to live elsewhere while their new home is being built.

They are fabulous houses and I could have lived in any of them – but I was particularly interested in the sustainability and energy efficiency features – because they can be added cost effectively at the beginning of the building process and will make the homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and cheaper to run in the future.

Do pop along, it’s an interesting visit and an easy way to learn about innovative technologies and exciting new ways to build better for the future. And that is exactly what the Christchurch rebuild is all about.

www.homeinnovation.co.nz

Pamela Bell and Andre Hodgskin talking with me at HIVE

CANTERBURY IS GOING DIGITAL ON 28 APRIL 2013 – Only a few days to go!!

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:07:12 +1300

After 28 April everyone who wants to watch TV will need Freeview, SKY, Igloo or TelstraClear cable TV. Also every TV you want to continue watching will need a set-top box whether it is in the living room, bedroom, kitchen, or even the shed.

You don’t need a new TV to go digital but you will need the right set-top box and a UHF aerial, satellite dish or cable connection depending on where you live. Details of the options available for your household can be found at www.goingdigital.co.nz/myhouse.

Over 80% of people have made the changeover but there are still some who need to take action – is it you?

There is help available – and if you qualify you should have received a letter from Going Digital, but you will need to ring them to take up the offer.

For more information on how you can go digital - visit www.goingdigital.co.nz or call 0800 838 800.

EQ damaged HNZ houses undergo rapid repairs in just six days

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 09:56:38 +1300

It was a pleasure to welcome new Housing Minister Nick Smith to Christchurch on Friday and visit one of Housing New Zealand’s earthquake-damage rapid repair projects currently underway in Mairehau.

The pilot scheme is trialling quick-turnaround repairs of occupied HNZ homes, seeking to establish the most efficient and least disruptive way to undertake repairs while houses are tenanted.

This means a full strip out, repair and refit in an incredible 6 days, involving up to 100 crew working 7 days a week, 12-15 hours a day. The teams are currently completing 5-8 houses a week. Housing New Zealand has teamed up with three contractors to undertake this work and so far, the results has proved positive overall.

I joined Housing Minister Smith on site in Mairehau at a HNZ house mid-way through its 6-day repair. Contracting team members Terrence Burke (left) and Zak Burroughs were hard at work and relishing the challenge of the quick turnaround process.

Christchurch Community House welcomes new premises

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:02:37 +1300

After thirteen months being temporarily housed at Probation Services after their premises at 141 Hereford Street were damaged in the earthquakes, Christchurch Community House has just relocated (again, temporarily) to 113 Tuam Street.

Community House Trust deputy chair Helen Gatonyi took the opportunity at the official reopening to present a thankyou gift to Probation Services staff - a striking canvas painted by a young male who has successfully gone on to become a professional graffiti artist.

The message written on the canvas is “Hold on to hope and you’ll find a way through.”
Christchurch Community House has been home to 50 community organisations, but since the earthquakes it housed eight tenants at its temporary location. The House gathers a diverse range of welfare and social service community agencies all under one roof, and provides information to the public and community groups.

Pictured here with the canvas are from left: Helen Gatonyi, Nicky Wagner MP and Jan and Wendy from Probation Services

Canterbury Skills and Employment Hub launch another positive step in the rebuild

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:21:42 +1300

We regularly hear about the thousands of skilled workers we need to bring in for the rebuild so yesterday’s launch of the new Canterbury Skills and Employment Hub is another positive step towards meeting and managing this demand.

The Hub was officially opened by Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce and is a “business-friendly one-stop shop where employers can list vacancies and be matched up with jobseekers from Christchurch and elsewhere in New Zealand. It is aimed at ensuring employers can easily get the staff they need so there are no roadblocks to the rebuild.”

Skills brokers have been appointed as the central point of contact for employers and the Hub’s Opportunity Canterbury website www.opportunitycanterbury.org.nz offers a free online job listing and matching service for employers and job seekers.

The Minister emphasised no-one really knows when the peak of the labour force demand will be but he anticipates it will be later and bigger than expected, while Mr Simon Worthington of the Canterbury Development Corporation and latterly CERA, suggested in his launch address that demand would possibly peak in late 2014, early 2015.

See Hon Steven Joyce’s full speech here
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/canterbury-skills-and-employment-hub-opens

Hon Steven Joyce addresses the launch

Mr David Shearer of the Canterbury Development Corporation and Nicky Wagner MP for Christchurch Central

EPIC Enterprise and Innovation hub official opening

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:33:04 +1300

Yesterday’s official opening of the fantastic new EPIC Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus on the corner of Tuam and Madras Streets provided yet another example of the incredible drive, determination and creative thinking swirling about our city as we take on the challenge of rebuilding.

And what a facility! This striking building houses 17 businesses and boasts state of the art features. And above all, it really showcases the kind of ‘hub’ thinking representing new ways of doing things in Christchurch.

Hon Steven Joyce officially opened the precinct and it was uplifting to hear his reminder that he had turned the first sod last year and was now actually opening the completed building after an eighteen month journey from a single idea.

The large crowd at the opening heartily applauded co-founders Wil McLellan and Colin Andersen and the many teams behind the development. One of Colin’s comments really resonated with me as MP for the central city area. He remarked that if they had built this hub in a location outside the city centre, they could have completed it 6-9 months ago but they wanted to be in the city centre.

Fantastic news! And I must highlight Wil’s closing challenge to the crowd – “this is an opportunity we didn’t miss … but should we stop here?”

White Paper for Vulnerable Children public meeting well supported

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:55:12 +1300

It was a full house at this morning’s public meeting with Social Development Minister Paula Bennett at the St Albans Community Centre. In an interactive address outlining the inception, development and key messages of the White Paper for Vulnerable Children, the Minister emphasised her resolute focus on the child and the way this has underpinned the resulting child-centric policy formation and implementation.

The attentive audience represented a cross-section of the children’s social service sector and I felt the key messages were respectfully received. The White Paper was launched in Wellington on 11 October and is the culmination of more than eighteen months of public consultation, debate, research and policy formation which started with the release of the Green Paper in July 2011. Copies of the White Paper are available at http://www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz/

C1 Espresso official reopening

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:09:20 +1300

I have always loved C1 Espresso café – not only the great food and coffee but even more, the story behind it.

Sam Crofskey and his wife Fleur proudly reopened their central city café on the corner of Tuam and High Streets today after their original café was damaged and out of action after the earthquakes.

In his moving speech, Sam declared he and Fleur and their dedicated staff intended it to be ‘the best café in the world, right here in Christchurch’ and related the story of the rebuild of the café, including recycled table tops and lights from the Arts Centre. He said “this building tells a lot of stories about how we feel Christchurch can be.”

The very special part of the story, apart from the unique vineyard and organic vegetables growing on the rooftop, is their connection with Western Samoa.

For several years, the team has continued a relationship with villagers from this Pacific island, where they have an arrangement to produce mainly coffee, ginger and honey.

This provides work for the villagers and Sam and his team have visited the island on a number of occasions to meet the people involved and plant new crops. Two of the Samoan women involved were at the official opening today, having only just landed in Christchurch this morning.

Great story Sam and Fleur. Your journey personifies the image and attitude of the new Christchurch. All the very best.

Continue reading "C1 Espresso official reopening"

Bringing “colour, vibrancy and cheer back to Christchurch”

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 11:04:01 +1300

Great to join the Rotary clubs of Christchurch to plant thousands of flowers on vacant sites around the city.

This major project involved members from 15 Rotary clubs plus over 50 volunteers from the Student Volunteer Army.

Together the teams planted 5500 petunias and 1600 sunflowers on 15-16 vacant sites, as well as sowing large quantities of wildflower seed. The clubs will maintain the plantings over summer.

I’m pleased to say two-thirds of the sites are in my electorate and I was delighted to conduct a ceremonial planting of the first flower at the project’s central site on the corner of Brougham and Colombo Streets.

Rotary says their aim is “to bring colour and vibrancy back to the city, give people some cheer, and put a smile on their faces.”

‘DORA’ the Digital Mobile Learning Centre

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:30:34 +1300

Meet ‘DORA,’ the 2020 Communications Trust's new mobile digital learning centre just launched this week. The 26-year old converted school bus now operates as a high-tech internet-connected, solar-powered mobile learning centre. It will provide accessible computer learning opportunities in a practical, energy-efficient way and reduce the need to set up and fit out temporary computer and internet learning hubs.

At DORA’s official launch At Eliza’s Manor, Bealey Avenue on Thursday, 2020 Communications Trust contracts director Mr Laurence Zwimpfer outlined the history of the project and how DORA came to life from an old school bus purchased on TradeMe. He acknowledged the many contributors to the project, including Computers in Homes, InternetNZ, Microsoft, Meridian and Farmside.

Computers in Homes Regional Director Sue Davidson, who project managed the DORA initiative, joined Christchurch City Councillor Glenn Livingstone to cut the ribbon, after which everyone was ‘wowed’ by the digital and electronic features all springing into action.

I am very pleased to have been involved in the project myself and am delighted to report that DORA has just won an internet access award in Australia.

She took away the top award in the Internet Access & Digital Skills category at the 2012 Australia and New Zealand Internet Awards (ANZIAs). The Award was presented at a gala dinner held at the Old Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday 10 October and Sue Davidson was there to receive it in person.

Congratulations to all involved. Further details here

DORA boasting her personalised plate

DORA with satellite dish and transmission extension on display

Cr Glenn Livingstone and Computers in Homes co-ordinator / DORA project manager Sue Davidson cut the ribbon at the official launch

Red Cross outreach volunteers keep up on the good work

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 09:23:50 +1300

Over two years on from the first earthquake, as people are getting on with their daily lives, it is easy to forget that volunteers are still out there in Christchurch, carrying on their work in the community to help ensure the needs of residents are being met post-earthquake.

I joined two of our dedicated Red Cross outreach volunteers on Friday as they visited residents out in the community to provide Red Cross assistance where it is still needed. Pam and John enjoy being involved and helping people, and are often very moved by the response they receive from the residents they visit.

With the intensity of some of their work, the pair also appreciate the opportunity for a detailed and empathetic debrief back at the Red Cross base, especially after a heavy day’s caseload. And it was clear that they certainly have that support there at the headquarters in Birmingham Drive.

As the government representative on the Red Cross Grants Commission, I really appreciated the opportunity to join Pam and John last week and see for myself the wonderful work they are doing for Christchurch.

Opening address for the 2012 WasteMINZ Challenge, Change & Collaboration Conference,

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:08:02 +1300

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. It is my great pleasure to be here to open the annual WasteMINZ conference on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Amy Adams.

As New Zealand’s population and consumption continues to grow, we need innovative solutions to minimise waste and reduce the harm it can cause. That’s why the title “Challenge, Change and Collaboration” is so appropriate.

Since the introduction of the Waste Minimisation Act in 2008 there has been a more integrated approach to waste minimisation in New Zealand. New funding has created new opportunities for change and collaboration. The Act contains provisions that provide an incentive to reduce harm, minimise waste and to find more effective ways to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover our valuable resources.

Significant progress has already been made, but there is always more work to be done.
And this annual WasteMINZ conference provides an important forum to celebrate the achievements of the sector and discuss new ways to more effectively manage and minimise waste in New Zealand.
You may know that on the 30th of September, Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast were the first regions in New Zealand to go digital. We thought that a lot of kiwis might use this as an opportunity to replace their old TVs, and we needed a way to assist people in responsibly getting rid of their old sets.

So, on the 30th of September, the Government launched the TV TakeBack programme.
The programme is supported by funding from the Waste Minimisation Fund. It will develop a network of television recycling drop-off sites across the country. The cost of recycling a television will be subsidised for a period of time as each region in the country goes digital.

Last weekend saw the start of a two-week promotional period in Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast, where the full cost of TV recycling is being subsidised by TV TakeBack.

There are a lot of kiwis who want to do the right thing and recycle their TVs, but either don’t know how or are not willing to pay the true cost. Having a free recycling period will encourage people, who otherwise wouldn’t necessarily pay to do this, and this will ultimately allow the programme to collect and recycle the greatest number of TVs that it can.

The Ministry for the Environment has been working with recyclers, retailers and territorial authorities to develop the programme. It aims to prevent up to half a million TVs from going to landfill, but also to promote longer term improvements in the e-waste recycling sector. We see this programme as a first step in a transition towards a better framework for the management of our e-waste.

In September, Minister Adams launched an expansion to an e-waste recycling facility in Glenfield, Auckland, which will process up to 80,000 televisions each year. The Auckland-based Abilities Group was granted $110,000 from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund to buy equipment that will allow it to recycle televisions at this site. The initiative will help to divert up to 750 tonnes of waste from landfill each year.

Publicity for the TV Takeback programme to date has focused on the first two regions to go digital. If you have seen the advertising you will have noticed the use of the LoveNZ brand. I see the use of the LoveNZ brand for TV TakeBack as another step in expanding its use and maximising its potential.

This is part of an effort by the Government to use this brand on a wider scale and build on the success of the Rugby World Cup public place recycling programme. It’s great that the public can now recognise this brand for public place recycling.

As Chair of the LoveNZ Advisory Board, I, along with the other Board members, am supportive of the desire to further grow and expand the brand to build on what has been achieved by the Glass Packaging Forum and those councils and companies who they have inspired or coerced, to join them.

We will be sharing our ideas about options for this when we meet in Wellington next week. I see the use of the LoveNZ brand for TV TakeBack as another step in expanding its use and maximising its potential. We want Kiwis to love New Zealand and to recycle, whether it is a plastic bottle or a TV.

Update on Product Stewardship Schemes - So far, seven voluntary product stewardship schemes have been accredited under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. These schemes have diverted waste oil from landfill, recycled agricultural plastics, promoted alternative uses for glass packaging and safely disposed of refrigerants.

There are also currently two working groups under way looking at the long term options for improving the management of agricultural chemicals and tyres. I understand that both are presenting at this conference and I encourage you to go along and get involved in the discussion. We look forward to hearing more on the outcomes of these working groups when they are due to report next year.

One product stewardship scheme, Refrigerant Recovery, has collected and destroyed almost 50,000 kilograms of refrigerant. This represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 41,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

This deserves special recognition as it highlights New Zealand’s important work towards phasing out ozone depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. It is great to see New Zealand manufacturers, importers and industry groups taking responsibility for the safe disposal of potentially environmentally-harmful components in their products.

In 1987, New Zealand was one of the countries pushing for a strong agreement on this issue, and we were one of the first to sign the Montreal Protocol. And we have had great success. We have phased out almost all ozone-depleting substances, many in advance of the minimum timeframes required by the Protocol.

I am also pleased to say that we are on track to completely phase out imports of HCFCs by 2015. These are the final ozone-depleting substances under the Protocol requiring action by New Zealand. This is well in advance of the international deadline of 2030.

I would like to congratulate those of you who have proactively applied for product stewardship accreditation. We would all like to see more businesses and industry organisations taking responsibility, developing product stewardship schemes and applying for accreditation. I encourage you to think about whether it could be right for you and ask the Ministry staff on hand if you have any questions.

Now, getting back to the Waste Minimisation Fund, The Fund provides financial assistance for projects that reduce waste across New Zealand. Projects that have received funding over recent years have collected organic waste from households, provided new recycling facilities, and educated consumers and school children on responsible waste management.

The Government is always looking to fund innovative projects that think outside the square. We want to see solutions for dealing with specific problem wastes, and strategic projects that have wider benefits for New Zealand.

We want to promote growth and innovation, so keep thinking! The TV Takeback programme and this year’s funding round, as well as projects funded previously, will take the total funding committed to nearly $45m for more than 80 projects. The Government expects this funding to have a significant impact on waste minimisation as these projects are completed.

As many of you will be aware, half the waste levy goes to territorial authorities to spend on waste minimisation activities.

By the end of this year, more than $37 million will have been paid to councils since the payments began in 2010. Councils have recently reported to the Ministry on how they’ve spent their allocation and it is being used in a variety of ways.

Some examples include using the money to start up new recycling services, and expand existing services into new areas. Others have been using the levy money as seed funding for their own publicly contestable funds.

Tauranga City Council used some of their levy money to help build a new glass sorting facility that the Minister launched in September. With the assistance of the Glass Packaging Forum and EnviroWaste, flat glass, like window glass, is now properly collected and sorted in the district before being sent for recycling by 5R Solutions. It then gets made into new products such as home insulation. Flat glass recycling is in addition to the glass packaging recycling services already available.

This year, all councils in New Zealand were required to meet a deadline set in legislation to review their waste management and minimisation plans. This deadline has now passed, with all councils meeting their obligations. Through this process, Councils had to consider how they will be putting their levy money to good use over the coming years. And we all look forward to hearing more stories of how Councils are using this money on innovative activities for waste minimisation.

The NZ Waste Strategy is now two years old, So, I thought today was an opportune time to reflect on the two key goals the Strategy seeks to achieve, firstly to reduce harm and secondly to improve resource efficiency.

Combined with the Waste Minimisation Act, the Waste Strategy provides an overarching direction for all involved in this sector, central and local government, businesses, industry and our communities.
The Act and the Strategy helps to direct money from the Waste Minimisation Fund.

Councils are also required to consider the Waste Strategy in their waste management and minimisation plans.

We are keen make real progress on these two important overarching goals and to continue to look for new and innovative ways for us all to contribute.

In closing, Its been great to be here today and to be able to assure you that the Government recognises the importance of the waste and resource sector in New Zealand, and faith in what it can achieve.

We recognise the huge amount of innovation happening in this sector which is of benefit to all New Zealanders.

Over the next three days you will have the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas with each other. Make the most of it – the challenge for us all is to find new ways of working to achieve better outcomes for waste management and minimisation in New Zealand.

A healthy environment and a healthy economy can go hand in hand. By directing investment and effort to the right places we can not only ensure more environmentally sound outcomes, but also generate economic wins as well.

I now have the pleasure to declare the 2012 Waste MINZ conference open.

The guest speakers included Mike Mendonica - Director Operations at the Ministry for the Environment, Paul Bishop Chairman of WasteMINZ, myself, and Vaughan Levitzke from Zero Waste South Autralia.

Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Fund Exhibition launch

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:23:15 +1300

Yesterday evening’s launch of the Canterbury Earthquake Heritage Fund Exhibition in Worcester Boulevard really showcased the fine work the Heritage Fund and Trust teams are doing to preserve out treasured Canterbury architectural history.

The earthquakes have destroyed so much of this history and in delivering the keynote address, I really wanted to acknowledge the hard work of so many in their determination to help save the best of our remaining buildings so they will continue to enrich our lives.

Well done to architectural historian Kristina Pickford and architectural photographer Richard Mahoney on their wonderful project, and acknowledgements to the Heritage Trust, the supporting organisations and sponsors Caxton Press; Boffa Miskell; Bathgate Design; Andrew Budd; Imagelab; Edgar Press and IAG insurance.

www.savecanterburyheritage.org.nz

Jenny May Heritage Trust member (fundraising); Nicky Wagner MP for Christchurch Central, and Anna Crighton, Heritage Trust Chair

Men’s Sheds come to Christchurch

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:40:38 +1300

“Men’s Shed” is a concept well known in Australia for nurturing men’s talents and wellbeing and they now have taken off in New Zealand too.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Men’s Shed established in Nancy Avenue, St Albans this week and those attending were delighted to show me around and talk about their community projects. There are 23 Men’s Shed groups in Canterbury, all in various stages of development, and five are fully open so far.

Aldred Men’s Shed in Nancy Avenue also boasts a community garden and is involved in many woodwork projects. They are open at certain times for viewing. For more information, go to http://menssheds.org.nz/canty-sheds/aldred-community-mens-shed/

Kilmarnock Enterprises showcases valuable employment opportunities

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:27:19 +1300

A visit to Kilmarnock Enterprises on Friday proved rewarding on so many levels. The organisation and its Riccarton Road/Kilmarnock Street workshop have provided employment opportunities for the mentally and physically disabled for many years and Kilmarnock’s high quality wooden toys are widely known and recognised.

It is the only business enterprise of its kind in New Zealand which manufactures wooden toys for commercial sale. Labour Minister Kate Minister Wilkinson and I visited the many departments of the workshop and were amazed at the scale and diversity of the operation.

From the recycling of plastic and cardboard packaging to quality control of food and grocery packaging, as well as the manufacture of the new wooden restaurant tables for ‘Dux Dine’, which is about to open in the building adjacent to Kilmarnock Enterprises on Riccarton Rd.

The Enterprise has contracts with many high profile corporates and organisations. Those employed in the workshop were proud to demonstrate their processing and manufacturing systems in action, while Business Development Manager Michelle Sharp outlined the broad scope of corporate contracts currently being fulfilled.

Ms Sharp says the Enterprise is currently operating at 70 percent capacity and she welcomes any interest or approaches to secure further contracts to be able to operate at 100 percent. She says the manpower required to fulfil more contracts is certainly able to be met, without question.

Contact Michelle Sharp at michelle@kilmarnock.co.nz

Cardboard chips: Business Development Manager Michelle Sharp explains how cardboard packaging is cut into 1 x 1 cm pieces and bagged up to be utilised, for example, for horse stable floors, gardens and numerous other uses.

Kilmarnock quality control: Monique shows sealed package of quality tested Nestle UHT pottles

Kilmarnock packaging: Teresa and Megan in the Air New Zealand packaging room

Gough packaging: Allan (seated ) demonstrates the total recycling of Gough oil containers to be washed and cleaned sent back to the company instead of being disposed of