MP Inspired By SIT Visit

National Member of Parliament for New Plymouth David MacLeod took a whistle-stop tour of the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) campus recently to view the future-focused facilities.

Mr MacLeod took up an invitation from the Minister for Vocational Education and MP for Invercargill, Hon Penny Simmonds, to visit SIT’s Invercargill campus on March 6.

The National Party is proactive in encouraging new MPs to travel to other electorates to meet with locals and familiarise themselves with successes and challenges in other regions. Mr MacLeod, who became an MP in the 2023 general election, is a keen participant. The Invercargill visit hit all the right notes for him, including a warm southern welcome from SIT Chief Executive Bharat Guha.

There were numerous highlights for Mr MacLeod on the campus tour.

“All areas I visited on campus were impressive, particularly the motor mechanic training facility – one of the largest in NZ I understand,” he said.

He was heading back to New Plymouth with ideas and examples relevant for the Taranaki region.

“SIT is an amazing regional learning institution showing many innovations on how to be successful while being physically remote from large populations.”