Jan Tinetti Labour MP

There is no doubt that things are booming in our city.

It is great to see such progress. Roads are being built and improved and the CBD is undergoing a major change, with new buildings and renovation of the old. The success of our region has also been acknowledged by Air New Zealand this week, with the announcement of 10 extra flights per week to both Auckland and Wellington.

The airline has said they are committed to supporting tourism in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty region, and the decision to renovate and extend the airport building and infrastructure to cater for future air travel demand has been a good one.

There's also good news for the economy as a whole with record employment. Some 29,000 more people are in work since the June quarter, and at 68.3 per cent overall, this is the highest rate since the series began 30 years ago.

The unemployment rate fell to 3.9 per cent in the September quarter, down from 4.4 per cent in the June quarter.

This is the lowest unemployment rate since June 2008.

Historically, low unemployment is great news for New Zealanders.

The economy is going well and it's having a real effect on people's lives, as more people are in work, and more young people are in employment, education and training.

The difference this makes to the lives of families and communities such as ours is significant and should be celebrated - especially as we know that employment has a massive impact on whether our children live in poverty or not.