Meeting with Communications Minister encourages Connect Tararua

The Connect Tararua deputation to Parliament, Tim Poulton, left, Tracey Collis, Kieran McAnulty, Sharon Wards and Allan Benbow. Photo/Supplied

Connect Tararua has taken the next step towards achieving its aims by meeting Minister of Communications Clare Curran in Wellington.

Four representatives of the Governance Group together with district mayor Tracey Collis and Labour MP Kieran McAnulty met the minister to outline Connect Tararua project's objectives and goals.

Team leader Mel Poulton said they came away from the meeting encouraged and with a clear message of where to from here.

"The minister supports the idea of community initiatives and wants to see demonstration of community ownership of this project," she said.

"And we're certainly on the right track with this, having enlisted community support to get the project off the ground.

"We have to continue our efforts building our business case to take to the minister and advance our conversation with the Government."

Mel said the survey work the community champions and their teams were undertaking in their local areas was critical to this.

"The business case needs to be robust, with data supported by case studies of the impacts from a lack of mobile connectivity and benefits of a much improved connectivity platform across all aspects of the Tararua District community," she said.

"Good connectivity is vital because without it there are many on-farm initiatives and technologies that simply can't be used and this applies across many sectors such as health and education.

"We simply can't access these without good mobile and internet services."

Ms Curran acknowledged the impact of coverage on business and service delivery.

Tararua Health Group chief executive Sharon Wards also attended the meeting and pointed out that planned technological advances to improve access to care for patients in Tararua could not be utilised until cell phone coverage to the rural areas improved.

"Inefficiencies occur for staff who cannot access records and document patient care plans while visiting in the community," she said.

Mrs Collis said the minister was impressed with Connect Tararua's initiative.

"Connect Tararua is continuing to map the entire district to fully understand the gaps in our mobile connectivity," she said.

"Improved connectivity creates so many opportunities in health, education, business and environmental solutions.

"I am positive the district will achieve far more with this strong united Connect Tararua community-driven governance team.

"Connectivity is an issue that must be resolved and is another area the Tararua District Council are keenly interested in."