February has been a busy month - Joseph Mooney, MP Southland

The recent extreme weather events across large parts of the North Island have left many communities devastated. Our thoughts and hearts go out to those who have suffered loss and are now facing a long and difficult process of recovery and rebuilding. It is important for us to come together and support these communities as they face the challenges ahead and help them rebuild.

Locally, it was heartening to welcome new citizens and new families to our district recently at the Special Citizenship Ceremony in Queenstown and everything that they bring to making this town what it is. It can be daunting to move to a new place, but we have a wonderful community here in Queenstown with a great diversity of skills, networks, vision and passion.

I was recently impressed by a demonstration of an autonomous shuttle by Ohmio, the first to do so on a public street in New Zealand without the street being closed. Ohmio is an innovative Kiwi company selling these electric driverless vehicles to the world. This is just one example of how we can potentially use technology to create more sustainable and efficient transport options in our city to make communities more liveable.

However, the issue of enough accommodation has become a pressing concern recently. A shortage of accommodation is not a new issue for Queenstown as it has been a challenge for as long as I can remember, but it appears to be particularly acute now.

I am hearing that the lack of available accommodation is having a significant impact on the local labour market and local businesses, and we need to find a solution. A recent report released by Queenstown Lakes District Council indicates the accommodation challenge is complex. While building more houses is important, it’s a multi-faceted issue which requires a united focus from the council, local businesses, organisations and central government towards solutions.

As our city continues to grow, it is also essential that we focus on building integrated and liveable communities as the increasing traffic on our roads highlight. This will likely mean co-locating essential services with new housing, accommodation, and commercial developments, and ensuring that multi-modal transport links are in place from the outset.

As your local Member of Parliament, I am here to support and assist anyone who needs help, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need to at joseph.mooneymp@parliament.govt.nz.

I am also hosting a constituent catch-up on Monday 27 February, 7pm at the Crown in Frankton, and I would love to see you there. No appointment is needed, so please come along if you have any concerns or views that you would like to discuss.