In last month’s column, I talked about the lead-up to the Fifa Women’s World Cup being hosted here, and little did I know what an amazing event it would turn out to be.
Dunedin proved to be a fantastic host city for six matches of the Cup — great numbers showed up for each match and New Zealand’s match against Switzerland sold out.
While the nil-all result wasn’t the end we had hoped for our women, I was proud of the support and trademark southern hospitality they and all the visiting teams received. Ka pai Dunedin.
I was proud to see a big change at the University of Otago.
Its recent logo rebrand and Māori name change — from Te Whare Wānanga o Otago to Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, metaphorically meaning "a place of many firsts" — is an apt description for the thousands of students going through their tertiary education.
It is a great change as the most substantial rebrand for the university in 154 years.
Another great development I’ve seen while in Dunedin has been the quick progress on the new hospital. After months of seeming like an empty lot it is exciting to see the frames going up so quickly and the hospital starting to take shape.
Contributing an estimated $429 million to the GDP, this hospital will be a great boost to the economy, but more importantly a huge improvement to healthcare in Dunedin and the region.
Utilising the latest technology and better facilities means greater efficiency, better patient experiences and reduced unnecessary delays, meaning those who need it can get their treatments quicker.
Finally, this will be my last column for The Star until the election on October 14 (save the date).
So until then, it is over and out for me here.
I wish you all the best for the coming few months, and sincerely hope I have the opportunity to see many of you while I’m out and about on the campaign trail.
Mauri ora.
