Anderton heading to Murupara for community planning day

The Murupara community will discuss their economic and social development challenges on Thursday, with Jim Anderton, Regional Development Minister and the Minister responsible for co-ordinating the Labour-Progressive government's anti-drugs campaign. This visit is a follow-up to his visit in June on these issues.

In order to identify practical steps that could be taken to help the Murupara community meet its full potential, Jim Anderton has brought together officials from the Ministry of Economic Development, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise, the family and community services unit at the Ministry of Social Development, the Department of Health, Work & Income and the Department of Labour.

"Murupara is yet another community that was devastated by the policies of the 1980s and 90s which left many regions without the businesses and services they needed to maintain employment, economic growth and healthy communities. While many of those problems have been addressed by regional development programmes, we are now dealing with the most difficult of those issues.

"It is now time to tackle the obstacles to development, which the people of Murupara have identified. We are working together to make a positive difference to a town that has suffered more than its fair share of problems.

"I know that the community has been putting a lot of effort into developing ideas and programmes and I look forward to hearing their ideas. I believe that, with careful planning, patient hard-work, goodwill and co-operation, Murupara will take ownership of its own problems as well as the solutions to them, and in so doing, lift the spirits as well as the social and economic well being of all its citizens," Jim Anderton said.