Simpson ScottSCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): What a great couple of speeches we have heard—firstly from the Hon Maggie Barry and now from my colleague Jonathan Young who have made contributions to this debate.This time last week my electorate of the Coromandel was being drenched by one of the most severe rain weather events that the region has had to succumb to for many many long years. This time last week there were houses that were in jeopardy slips were occurring roads were closed and there was a lot of surface flooding around the region. Farmers were having to put up with moving stock. There was some very serious concern that the weather would continue over the weekend and that the situation would get worse.This time last week most of the emergency first responders—who are almost always in my part of the world volunteers—were out around the electorate ensuring that people property and communities were safe during a very stressful weather event. I just want to acknowledge the contribution of all of those people who assisted last week—the civil defence people the contractors and the people from the New Zealand Defence Force who were ready willing and able to assist should we have needed them. I also acknowledge the very good work of the district councils the regional council and of course private citizens who went about their work of supporting each other—neighbours supporting neighbours communities supporting communities—and showing the very best of what the Coromandel has to offer even in adverse weather conditions.I have been talking to the Minister for Primary Industries the Hon Nathan Guy because I am very aware that there are a number of farms in the Coromandel that have suffered an impact that is beyond normal weather event impacts and there is some serious work yet to be done. So I am hopeful that the Minister who will be visiting some of the flood-affected areas today will be in a position to get a first-hand view of what the situation is on the ground and apply himself to the situation that those people find themselves in.This is a National Government that I am very proud to be a member of. It is doing terrific things for regional rural and provincial New Zealand. In my electorate of the Coromandel there are several terrific examples of how this is impacting in a positive tangible real and meaningful way that brings positive change to people in my communities. Just yesterday the Minister of Transport was able to confirm that the New Zealand Transport Agency has committed to a long-awaited much-wanted and much-needed bypass on State Highway 2 through the very beautiful and important township of Katikati. This is going to be part of a $520 million roading safety improvement package for my region. I see the member for the Bay of Plenty my colleague Todd Muller nodding. This roading improvement will go through my electorate through Waihī through Katikati through the Bay of Plenty electorate and into Tauranga. It will strengthen roading networks make them safer and make them better for the people who use those roads and who live in those communities. That is a very very welcome decision by this Government which is committed to rural and provincial New Zealand and ensuring that good outcomes are achieved for people in those communities.Another excellent example of the commitment that this Government has to rural and provincial communities can be further demonstrated in my electorate by the roll-out of ultra-fast broadband to 13 Coromandel communities over the next several years. It will be starting in Thames literally in a few weeks' time. The roll-out of ultra-fast broadband will be crucial in changing the way people's lives are lived in electorates like mine. So in communities like Pāuanui Tairua Whitianga Thames Ngātea Te Aroha and Katikati what it will mean is that once we have ultra-fast fibre connected to those sorts of townships there will be an opportunity for a resurgence of economic activity. Those towns that were only a few months ago being labelled by pessimistic narrow-minded economists as zombie towns" will actually prove to be successful in a way that those pessimistic people could never have imagined.This is a Government that is doing great things for rural and provincial New Zealand. I am very proud and pleased to be part of a Government that has such a clear focus. This is a good Government doing great work."