Great country concert

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Sam Barnes sam@wsn.co.nz 021 109 4406

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By Frank Neill

The Wainuiomata Country and Western Club held a great concert at the historic Pioneer Church on Sunday 19 March.

The club’s nine singers, along with the instrumentalists, performed 16 numbers to an appreciative audience.

“There was a very good turnout,” says Sam Tamanui of the country and western club.

This concert saw the club raise the most money for the Pioneer Church since it began running concerts at the historic venue, Sam adds.

Following the music, those attending enjoyed a supper provided by members of the Wainuiomata Pioneer Church Preservation Society.

The country and western club plans to hold a second 2023 concert later in the year.

Hutt City Councillors and Wainuiomata Community Board members at the emergency planning hui (front row from left): Te Awa Puketapu, Cr Keri Brown, Tamsyn Harker and Lesa Bingley; (back row from left): Cr Josh Briggs and Cr Gabriel Tupou. Photo: Supplied. and child in our community, Cr Josh Briggs says.

“Wainuiomata has a strong tradition of collaborating to tackle local challenges, and readiness for any situation. It’s deeply ingrained in our culture,” he says.

Nickola Loodin from the Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) attended the meeting to support the Wainuiomata initiative. WREMO co-ordinates Civil Defence and emergency management services on behalf of the nine councils in the Wellington region. Its key focus is ensuring communities are prepared and ready to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster.

The club is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, having been launched on 6 February 1983.

The club plans to hold a special celebration of its 40th birthday later in the year.

The club meets every fortnight at the Fernlea School Hall, starting at 6:30pm. People are welcome to attend. The next club night will be held on 2 April.

As your local MP, I wanted to let those people who already receive Superannuation or are close to receiving it – that you’ll receive a boost from 1 April.

Our Government is focused on the bread and butter issues in front of New Zealanders right now, especially the cost of living, at a time when world events are having a real impact on the weekly budgets of people here in Hutt South and particularly those on low or fixed incomes.

We’ve made a start on helping with cost of living pressures by extending fuel excise restrictions and half price public transport until the end of June as well as increasing the minimum wage which are all doing their bit to help families – however I know more needs to be done.

That’s why the Prime Minister has announced recipients of superannuation will receive an inflation increase of 7.22 percent to payments from 1 April. This will see a couple who are both aged over 65 receive $102.84 more a fortnight and a single person living alone receive an extra $66.86 a fortnight more.

In a time of cost of living pressures, we will ensure that older New Zealanders incomes don’t go backwards.

I know some people will also be worried about the added pressure of higher power bills. The good news is our Winter Energy Payment will restart on 1 May, helping with heating costs through the colder months. Single people will receive more than $80 a month, while couples will receive more than $125 per month. I know this payment has made a real difference for older residents here in Hutt South, helping them stay warmer and healthier through winter, so I’m sure it will be welcomed again this year.

There’s no quick fix to issues like the cost of living, but we’re taking a range of actions that together will make things easier for Kiwis, and will build on the measures we’ve already put in place. Since the day we took office, we’ve worked hard to lift incomes and ease the pressure, through things like cheaper doctor’s visits, free lunches in schools and minimum wage increases.

If there’s anything my team or I can help you with, or if you’d like to raise an issue that’s affecting our community, please do get in touch. We’re always here to help. You can reach me and the team at ginny.andersenMP@ parliament.govt.nz or on 04 568 2949, or by popping into our office at 176 Jackson Street, Petone. For now, though, I hope you’re keeping safe and well.

P.S. If you’d like a copy of our handy Information for Over 60s booklet which contains information on the resources available to support you, including some of the newer initiatives our Government has introduced, please let my team know at the below contacts.