6. Question No. 6—Digital Economy and CommunicationsMELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister for the Digital Economy and CommunicationsQuestion No. 6—Digital Economy and Communications6. MELISSA LEE (National) to the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: What work is the Government doing regarding connectivity around New Zealand?Hon STUART NASH (Minister for Economic and Regional Development) on behalf of the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: I am pleased to say the Government is making significant progress on improving connectivity for all New Zealanders. As part of the continuing ultra-fast broadband fibre roll-out nearly 1.8 million homes and businesses have fibre available to them across 327 cities and towns with 66 percent uptake so far. Five hundred and sixteen marae are now connected to the internet as part of the marae connectivity initiative over 68000 rural homes and businesses have access to improved wireless broadband services 902 kilometres of State highway now have mobile phone coverage under the mobile black spot initiative and 72 tourist sites have coverage they did not have before. These initiatives are already providing better coverage around all regions of the country but we must be realistic. There is still much more to be done including nearly $48 million in rural capability upgrades to improve coverage to rural areas where congestion is currently an issue.Melissa Lee: How will the Government work to ensure New Zealand households in—in the Minister's own words—the worst connected parts of New Zealand" can access digital and telehealth services while they continue to have congested and unsuitable internet connections during lockdown and COVID-19 reaches into rural New Zealand communities?Hon STUART NASH: Well that member will be aware that in our manifesto actually we set aside $60 million to improve digital connectivity for some of the most hard to find regions and I'm talking about the Manawatū Whanganui rural areas of Auckland Otago Gisborne the Hawke's Bay the West Coast Taranaki rural areas of Wellington and the Wairarapa. It is purely coincidence that nearly every single one of those rural areas is held by a Labour MP.Hon Louise Upston: Does he believe it is acceptable that 90 percent of New Zealand farmers as reported in the 2021 Dairy New Zealand The view from the cow shed have seen no improvement to their digital connectivity; and if not what work is he doing to provide them with a digital future?Hon STUART NASH: Well we absolutely live in paradise. One of the down sides of living in paradise is that we're a long narrow country where in many parts of our countryside there are more sheep than people. However as mentioned there is always more work to do and we are doing more work and we're coming up with innovative solutions to get wireless to the farm gate.Hon Louise Upston: Is the Minister content that rural households like the Beswick family of Tokanui are living with no mobile reception on their property and facing worries about medical emergencies for their three daughters; and if not how will the Government work to get them the connectivity they and rural New Zealanders need?Hon STUART NASH: I have no idea where that family lives. If the member wants to put that down in writing I'm sure the Minister will reply.Melissa Lee: Will the Government immediately work to act on all recommendations in the 2021 Dairy New Zealand The view from the cow shed report to ensure that we unlock all of the benefits that digital opportunities offer for the people of New Zealand and that rural New Zealanders can be adequately prepared for the future of COVID-19 in our country; if not why not?Hon STUART NASH: I think the best thing we can do to prepare rural New Zealand for COVID-19 is to make sure that they are absolutely all vaccinated. But having said that we consult regularly with Dairy NZ from the Prime Minister down and so be assured that conversations are being had.Melissa Lee: Point of order. It is quite obvious that the Minister hasn't actually read Dairy NZ's The view from the cow shed. So I seek leave to table this document because it might actually help him. Perhaps he could read it finally.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Is that publicly available? I believe it is. I think the member knows very well that's out of order.Maureen Pugh: Will the Minister commit to investing in rural communities like Dunollie on the West Coast that want to use a cellphone in the event of an emergency or natural disaster but have to drive many kilometres; if so when will he address their current mobile connectivity issue?Hon STUART NASH: Dunollie is a very interesting case actually. I would note that Spark 2degrees and Vodafone are all currently providing service coverage to the Dunollie area. I'm advised that Crown Infrastructure Partners is carrying out a drive test in Dunollie to see what the actual coverage is like on the ground. But I would just like to reiterate that we care deeply about provincial and rural New Zealand and we continue to work with them to find solutions to their issues.Melissa Lee: I seek leave to table an aide memoire on rural connectivity dated 11 August released to my office yesterday under the Official Information Act (OIA) which I don't believe is actually publicly available. So I thought maybe perhaps it could be helpful to all of the members.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Sorry in whose name?Melissa Lee: Aide memoire on rural connectivity dated 11 August 2021 released to my office yesterday by the Minister under the OIA.DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that document to be tabled. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It may be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Kieran McAnulty: Will he commit to coming to the Tararua district in the Wairarapa electorate in which this Government has funded nine new mobile towers significantly increasing access to rural broadband and hearing the difference—DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question has been asked.Hon STUART NASH: It would be my absolute pleasure to come to the Tararua district and what I'll do when I get there is I'll give the member a bell on my mobile and we'll jack up a time."