1. Question No. 1—Regional Economic DevelopmentCLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First) to the Minister for Regional Economic DevelopmentTUESDAY 18 JUNE 2019The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.Prayers.ORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Regional Economic Development1. CLAYTON MITCHELL (NZ First) to the Minister for Regional Economic Development: What recent Provincial Growth Fund announcements have been made?Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Regional Economic Development): Hawke's Bay has been the region that has most recently felt the fiscal love from the Provincial Growth Fund. My colleague Under-Secretary Fletcher Tabuteau reflected that we believe in water storage. We realise that in order to effect a change in land use patterns it is important that we futureproof land in areas in Central Hawke's Bay through water banking. We have provided capital via the regional council not to breathe life into the failed Ruataniwha double-demon kaupapa of the last Government but to improve the spread of horticulture and get better returns on land in the Hawke's Bay because they are screaming out for practical assistance in relation to things which reflect common sense such as water storage.Clayton Mitchell: Well said.SPEAKER: Order! Which of the members—was that the Deputy Prime Minister was it? The Well said."Clayton Mitchell: No that was me sir.SPEAKER: Well the member just lost his ability to ask any more than one supplementary question because he knows that he cannot comment through his open mike in that way.Clayton Mitchell: What other projects were announced in Hawke's Bay last week?Hon SHANE JONES: Early in the life of the Provincial Growth Fund we responded to the requests from the regional council of Hawke's Bay and a host of other stakeholders in that region to provide approximately $6.5 million to upgrade the rail track and re-establish rail between Ahuriri-Napier and Wairoa. We also were able to bring all of the leaders together put them on the train and they safely made it to Wairoa. I have said that we are open to proposals subject to due diligence from KiwiRail up to Gisborne.Rt Hon Winston Peters: What feedback has he received regarding these announcements?Hon SHANE JONES: The Hawke's Bay people not normally known for being verbose were totally talkative from the point at which the train left Ahuriri and three hours later they had still not stopped talking when it got to Wairoa. Let me recount some of the things they were saying. At long last Hawke's Bay is seeing fiscal assistance not just political rhetoric which has littered their neighbourhood over the last nine years. From the humble areas of the marae where they're seeing digital connectivity land use is changing and what they saw was the first citizen of the provinces plant the last tree of the million trees and the Deputy Prime Minister planted the first mānuka tree of the next million trees.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Could I ask the Minister another question?SPEAKER: The member can have a crack yeah.Rt Hon Winston Peters: I'm asking for your permission. Having regard to that very very positive set of announcements what feedback has he received regarding these announcements where it comes to Lake Waikaremoana's road upgrade package?Hon SHANE JONES: Lake Waikaremoana under the last regime fell into the joint ownership of Tūhoe a tribe belonging to Te Urewera formerly identified by Elsdon Best as the "children of the mist". We are very keen to see that State Highway 38 proceeded with. There are some minor ruffles with the people of Tūhoe the children of the mist. I have warned them that if they don't agree missed will be m-i-s-s-e-d not mist. Thank you very much."