Sabin Mike: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSabin Mike: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 14 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14714. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]11.MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) to theMinister for Primary Industries: What announcements has he made on boosting growth in the Northland region?Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister for Primary Industries): I have recently launched a new programme to help unlock the potential for primary industry growth in Northland. This is the first step in a wider programme for the Government to work in partnership with the regions to help them further develop industries like agriculture horticulture forestry and aquaculture. Unlocking the potential of New Zealand’s regions is an important part of building a more productive and competitive national economy. It will be very important to achieving our goal of doubling our primary sector exports by 2025.Mike Sabin: What growth potential is there for the Northland primary sector?Hon NATHAN GUY: There are three key opportunities to boost growth and create jobs in Northland. One is the development of a new finfish industry which has the potential for a $300 million investment per annum employing 700 people by 2030. Also optimising the 116000 hectares of Māori freehold land has the potential for a $331 million gross contribution to GDP and for creating well over 300 jobs. Also moving the productivity of the bottom 50 percent of Northland farmers to the median is estimated to generate around $50 million per annum.Mike Sabin: What is the Government doing to help Northland reach its potential?Hon NATHAN GUY: The Ministry for Primary Industries is working closely with Northland iwi education providers council industry organisations and the Northland Economic Action Group which was set up by the local member Mike Sabin to make sure that Northland reaches these growth targets. For example the Northland Hub is a collaboration between education—Mike Sabin: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think that you have picked up on the point I want to raise here. The constant barrage of interjections denies the opportunity for members at this end of the House to hear the Minister’s response. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is not an unreasonable point. The level of noise coming from a particular quarter is certainly very loud. All members have a right to hear the answer. I invite the Minister to start the answer again.Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You characteristically look in my direction. I definitely heard the Minister talk about a bull farm.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I was not referring to the member on this occasion. Most times I probably am.Hon Damien O’Connor: Supplementary question—Mr SPEAKER: No there is an answer still to occur. The Hon Nathan Guy will start that answer again.Hon NATHAN GUY: The Ministry for Primary Industries is working closely with Northland iwi education providers council industry organisations and the Northland Economic Action Group which has been set up by the local hard-working member Mike Sabin to make sure that Northland reaches these growth targets. For example the Northland Hub is a collaboration between education institutions and local Māori who are working together to train and attract school-leavers into primary industries. The Ministry for Primary Industries is also working closely with two Māori-owned farms—one in terms of developing potential in dairying and one in terms of sheep and beef expansion—and it is doing that work in partnership with Landcorp Dairy New Zealand and Te Tumu Paeroa. The Government is committed to growing the primary sector increasing exports and creating more local jobs.Hon Damien O’Connor: How many jobs will be lost in Northland as a result of the meat industry decision to export carcasses to China for processing and is this a new policy developed from the $350 million he has given to the meat industry for wonderful initiatives?Hon NATHAN GUY: That member always wants to criticise the Primary Growth Partnership. Some of the investment in the Primary Growth Partnership is being made in the red meat sector. The member should stand up here and salute and celebrate the investments that this Government is making to support industry to grow jobs and to grow our exports because New Zealand relies on strong primary industries backed up with research and technology. It is an embarrassment that that member does not support the Primary Growth Partnership irrigation or the Trans-Pacific Partnership.Hon Damien O’Connor: I seek leave to table a paper outlining the new policy of the meat industry to export carcasses to China for processing.Mr SPEAKER: The source of the document please.Hon Damien O’Connor: It is out of a newspaper.Mr SPEAKER: In that case no.