Botany Pansy Speak
new-zealand-national-party
Sat Jul 24 2010 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Botany Pansy Speak
Saturday, 24 July 2010, 12:20 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party
Botany Pansy Speak
Schools being plugged into fibre
The government recently announced that another 239 schools across the country are set to receive government-subsidised upgrades to help them take advantage of ultra-fast broadband in the future. In our patch, Our Lady Star of the Sea school made the list and will have upgrades to their data and electrical cabling to allow for broadband speeds of 100 Mbps or more.
It is important that our children receive the best quality education possible and part of that is equipping schools with the ability to make the most of modern technology. The government's aim is to ensure that 97 percent of schools and 99.7 percent of students across New Zealand have access to ultra-fast broadband in the next six years.
As life after school also becomes more and more influenced by the internet and advances in computing it is great to see that almost every student in Botany and around New Zealand will have access to ultra-fast broadband at school. This will help prepare them for work, study or whatever else they choose to do when they leave school, not to mention create a much more relevant and fun learning experience for our students.
During my visits to the schools in our patch I am often taken-a-back with what is made possible by the technology in our classrooms. Linking our schools into the ultra-fast broadband network in New Zealand will keep them on the cutting edge and allow our students to learn in ever-more exciting and interactive ways. We have come a very long way from the old abacus and slate down on display at the Howick Historical Village.
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More schools will be invited to upgrade their networks in 2011.
Extra Police have an effect
It is an unfortunate reality but crime exists across all communities in New Zealand and our patch in not immune. But encouraging signs are starting to emerge that indicate increases in police numbers and tough law and order policies are having a positive effect.
Provisional figures show that from 1 January 2010 to July 2010 there has been, among other things, an 80 percent drop in bag snatching, a 29 percent drop in motor vehicle crime and a 14 percent drop in home burglaries in the Counties-Manukau district. Another figure which stood out for me was that there have been three murders in Counties-Manukau so far in 2010, compared with 14 in the year to June 2009 and nine in the year to June 2010.
Much of the credit for this drop in crime must be attributed to our Police. The proactive approach which is being adopted along with the additional Police numbers appears to be making a difference.
This encouraging news is however tinged with the sadness of the news earlier in the month that a man had been shot and killed in Burswood. We cannot be complacent and must maintain this front foot approach towards reducing crime.
PM opens new hospital building
Last week Parliament was in recess and I was able to attend the opening of the new Edmund Hillary Building at Middlemore Hospital. The building was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key and the event was attended by a number of other local MP's and dignitaries including Lady Hillary, wife of the late Sir Edmund Hillary and his children Peter and Sarah.
It is fantastic to have a brand new facility to cater to the ongoing health needs of those in our patch. This new $40 million ward will house another 240 more beds and help provide extra capacity to accommodate for the anticipated population growth in Counties-Manukau.
Visit my website at www.pansywong.co.nz for snappy shots of our beautiful Botany electorate.
Hon Pansy Wong
MP for Botany
ENDS
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