Shaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeShaw James: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 07 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11685. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister of Tourism: What advice has he received about the risks to the tourism sector from pollution in New Zealand’s rivers and lakes?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Minister of Tourism): I have not received any advice from officials that our fresh water quality is a risk to the tourism industry. I am advised that New Zealand’s overall natural environment meets or exceeds the expectations of 99 percent of visitors. The Government recognises the importance of water quality to New Zealanders and tourists; that is why the Government spent $115 million on fresh water clean-ups between 2008 and 2015 and committed a further $300 million to that process. This compares with the paltry $29 million spent in the 9 years of the previous Labour Government.James Shaw: Given that answer why then has the Tourism Export Council called on him specifically to recognise the value of clean water to the industry and to stop rivers and lakes from being sucked dry and polluted at such an unprecedented level?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think everybody in the tourism sector would expect and value highly the environment of New Zealand. As I have said in the survey work that is done and the advice that we have had 99 percent of that either meets or exceeds tourists’ expectations but it is the reason why in 2011 the Government had the first national policy statement on water. It is why the first detailed water quality standards were set out in 2014. It is why we had the independent State of the Environment monitoring in 2015. It is why we set up the Land and Water Forum and it is why we have been doing a number of other policy initiatives including fencing off stock for farming from waterways.Melissa Lee: What is the current state of the New Zealand tourism sector?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Thank you very much for asking that informative question. Incredibly strong is the answer. We had a record 3.2 million tourists in 2015 with a record high level of spending directly contributing $10.6 billion into our economy and indirectly contributing a further $7.9 billion.James Shaw: What data does he have that show that tourists prefer to wade in our rivers rather than dive in head first?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I would always advise a tourist and a New Zealander to be careful diving in anywhere head first.James Shaw: Given that answer what budget has he allocated to inform the 3.3 million tourists arriving here this year that they can wade but not swim in two-thirds of our monitored rivers?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Our waterways are far more swimmable than that. Of course there are always signs that advise tourists—often signsfor waterways anyway—whether there are particular times when they cannot be swum in and if the member had wanted to know about diving in head first I would have told him happily last week that diving in head first with Andrew Little is not going to—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Melissa Lee: What is the biggest risk to the tourism industry?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Another excellent question. Well workforce predictions indicate that up to 36000 additional full-time workers will be required in the tourism sector by 2025 as well as an additional 26 hotels to house tourists. Given the opposition to foreign chefs and Resource Management Act reforms the biggest threat to the tourism industry is a Labour-Greens Government.James Shaw: What impact do the recurring images of cattle defecating in our rivers and lakes have on the tourism industry on our international marketability and ultimately on the economy?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am sure that the member is not aware of this but the advertisements we run as part of “100% Pure” tend to show our waterways our mountains and the like in beautiful condition because many of them are most of the time. We do not show images of animals pooing in rivers and that is why the Government is stopping that. If the member wants a lesson in effective marketing and in what images to show he should feel free to come to my office and I will show him all of those videos.James Shaw: What bottom line does he have as the Minister of Tourism to support for our rivers and lakes either wadeable or swimmable?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Obviously my preference is swimmable and that is why the Government is working on the initiatives that we have which include spending hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars more than the previous Government which include the national policy statement and which include the policies stopping stock from going into waterways. Over time that is something we would like to achieve but it is a very long process. It took a long time to get here and it will in reality take a long time to clean up all of those rivers.David Seymour: Does the Government have any plans or has it received any advice on introducing a tax on entering or exiting the country as a tourist to help fund tourism infrastructure?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Not recently but what is true is that a number of industry players have come to me as Minister of Tourism recommending that they do some work to come to the Government on a potential charge that could be applied—there are many potential areas where it could be applied—to build a tourism fund that could be used for infrastructure. The Government is neutral to that view at this point; it would need to look at it and would need to give some consideration to it and in the fullness of time when we receive it we will offer a view on it.