What makes these smaller rural-type communities the strong and stable places that give us so much value and purpose?
We have these rural and semi-rural communities where our children enjoy the privilege of being brought up in a more relaxed environment.
It is the people who have the strength and resilience to make these small communities work, and be enjoyable places to live in.
If we take the area that I was brought up in, Tuapeka, with its communities of Lawrence, Beaumont, Waitahuna and its wider areas, we have the people who dig in to make things happen.
Generally, they just get on with it.
These areas have the volunteers who selflessly join all the various groups and committees that keep our facilities and organisations up and running.
Sports clubs, service clubs, our essential services such as the fire brigade, St John, health centres and schools.
It is the volunteers and staff who all play an integral role in keeping these services alive.
People in the service industry, transport, forestry, farming, roading to name a few, all play their part in the community.
No doubt there are some I have missed, but they are the most significant contributors to our success.
They are the strength and depth that our communities value and need.
It is thanks to these people that we are seeing a greater influx of new residents coming from further afield to enjoy this lifestyle.
Modern technology allows many to work from home.
Others are willing commute to their workplaces, whether that be locally or further afield.
We need to be proud of what we can achieve and have achieved.
We need to be thankful to all those who put the time and effort in to make the places we live our places of choice.
• One other thing ... Lawrence’s water supply.
Over last few months Lawrence’s water supply has come under pressure. This is due to the process of decommissioning the Phoenix Dam.
It is great to see that the pipe for the Lawrence-Tuapeka water scheme has been laid, apart from a small section at top end of Whitehaven St, nearly 40km in all.
Over 32km of poly pipe and 3.8km of steel pipe now feeds Tuapeka West.
This has been a massive project and with the imminent completion of storage and pumps it should not be too long before Lawrence can enjoy a stable supply of good clean water feed from the Greenfield bore.
