Mayor looking forward to eventful year

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 415, 3 December 1991, Page 4 (Supplement)

Mayor looking forward to eventful year

IT SEEMS HARD to belleve another year has almost passed with Christmas on our doorstep again. This is the first time I have had the opportunity of including a Xmas message in a Council supplement of this type. It's been quite a task compiling all the material. I hope you find it enjoyable reading and I thank the council staff and Ruapehu Press for its publication. As I write this message in front of a warm maire fire - Bing Crosby's great song, Tm dreaming of a White Christmas" comes to

mind. One can't help wondering if a white Christmas wiil remain a dream or become a reality the way southerly squails are passing across the country at the moment. Whatever happens weatherwise I know I'm looking forward to Christmas. It wiil be good to celebrate the occasion in traditional style and sneak a few days off early in the New Year as well, with a bit of luck. It's been a very eventful and chailenging year for many of us irrespective of our occupation or own personal

circumstances. It hasn't been an easy year either as the effects of this recession and Government restructuring, begin to bite deeper and deeper into our pockets. For many families throughout the country Christmas is becoming more and more difficult to celebrate in traditional style as they struggle to make ends meet. Normally we can dig deeper and buy that extra bit of food and drink plus those Xmas gifts however the additional financial burden piaced on people as a result can iead to an awful lot of

stress and strain that does mar the occasion. While financial pressure is one thing our health is certainly another. Those of us who have witnessed the suffering of a family member or friends recently have no doubt

been sharply reminded how much we take good health for granted and how important it is just to be healthy human beings. This leads me to this whole question of health reform and the process we are currently involved in. Without question in my mind it is the most important part of the Government restructuring programme. We have many reasons to be proud of what has been achieved by the Health System in New Zealand, but now we are having to confront many of the difficult

issues involved with it. We have had no choice but to start taking a long hard look at what we as a District want from our Health Service. We are having to make decisions about what we value and what our priorities are. One thing is certain we can no longer take it for granted the services the present Health System delivered previously, wiil be available in future, therefore we must make the best of the opporturtity we have now to tell this Government how strongly we feel about the issue and what we expect as far as access to Primary and Secondary Health Services is concerned. If there is going to be less money available for Health in future then sure we want that money spent wisely but we want our fair share for rural New Zealand as well. We have until January 7 to make submissions to the Government about Basic (Core) Health Services and the funding of the Health vote. Please make sure your Local Health Committee hears your view! Perhaps we should give more thought to that issue over the next month. Remember while it might be nice to be wealthy and be able to enjoy occasions such as Christmas with out financial problems to cope with we would all be far worse off if poor health prevented us from doing so. As I commented earlier it's been an eventful and chailenging year. No doubt 1992 wiil provide us with new challenges and new issues to be addressed and resolved. There is never any shortage of these for the Council. I look forward to leading the Council over this next twelve month period and on that note wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.