Making the Most of Rugby World Cup Festivities
The 2011 Rugby World Cup is now just over a year away and there is a huge amount of work going in to make sure New Zealand makes the most of this incredible event.
A few weeks ago the Prime Minister and I launched a new fund to support community events held during the tournament. $9.5 million is available for activities such as concerts, fairs, exhibitions, street markets and parades.
The money comes from the Lotteries Commission who run games like Lotto, Daily Keno and Instant Kiwi to benefit the community.
As the Minister of Internal Affairs I get to see the difference this funding makes in communities around New Zealand. It helps fund everything from cancer societies, women's refuges, age concern, disability charities, and environmental causes right through to sports clubs.
This new fund will help ensure that all communities and regions can get involved in the spirit of the event, even if you aren’t lucky enough to get a ticket to a game.
The Rugby World Cup will be the largest sporting event ever held in New Zealand with around 85,000 visitors expected. There are seven games in Wellington and two in Palmerston North, which means we should see plenty of campervans staying locally.
This presents a real opportunity for Kapiti and Horowhenua to get involved in the spirit of the tournament and showcase our region to visitors.
As local MP I’ve met with Kapiti Mayor Jenny Rowan, Horowhenua Mayor Brendan Duffy and Nature Coast to discuss how our region can be involved. I’m keen to explore the idea of a joint proposal for events in our region being forward. If you have a local idea for the Rugby World Cup Festival Committee you can contact Nature Coast at one of our i-SITE visitor information centres.