Catchpole Brent: Third Readings 
Catchpole Brent: Third Readings 
[Volume:622;Page:17244] 
BRENT CATCHPOLE (NZ First) 
: 
 I will take up a point that the previous National speaker raised about tolling. Mr Mapp pointed out that New Zealand First is against tolling. That is correct; we are against it. The issue he raised was quite irrelevant really. I ask Mr Mapp whether he has forgotten his statement that North Shore residents have been waiting for a busway for 10 years. I remind him that his party was in Government for at least 5 of those years; for probably the full 9 years of the National Government North Shore residents were waiting for bus lanes. In response to Mr Mapp’s suggestion that this Government has delayed the busway for 5 years I suggest that his party also did that for at least 5 years. 
I also point out that were it not for legislation that has just passed through the House the Albany to Puhoi realignment B2 would have been constructed by now. It was delayed because the opportunity to toll it was in the pipeline. Because of that legislation the construction of that road has been delayed. About this time last year Transit New Zealand had to apply to extend its resource consent in order to end the motorway in the middle of Orewa. It asked for an extension of 7 years but the courts allowed it only a 1-year extension. That road still has not been built. It will be interesting to see what happens. It has simply been delayed because of the prospect of tolling. 
The Transport Legislation Bill has been divided into multiple bills but the main issue I will talk about is the change to the Civil Aviation Act. That legislation better coordinates the search and rescue organisations. It provides for a structure that is coordinated. Under new sections 14B(2) and 14C inserted by clause 5 those mechanisms are put in place. New section 14B(2) states: “The Minister may authorise the payment out of money appropriated for the purpose …” of search and rescue “… to—(a) any person who assisted in a search and rescue operation …; or (b) the owners of any vehicle ship or aircraft …”. It is all very well reimbursing people for the use of those vehicles but there is a lot more to search and rescue than just using vehicles vessels and aircraft. I suggest that funding for some of the training of those organisations is sadly lacking and desperately needed. 
 I will give an example of a search and rescue organisation. I was fortunate enough to be invited out on the new Maraetai rescue vessel over the weekend. We went to the launch of the Hibiscus Coast sister ship. That was a search and rescue organisation that had been fortunate enough to obtain two of the support boats for the New Zealand Americas Cup team. It has had to fund those vessels the fitting out of those vessels and the manning of those vessels. The people are all volunteers. They do not get the funding they should. I do not believe they get enough funding certainly for their training. They only get funding for fuel when they are out on operation on a rescue. If they are out on a full training mission they do get some funding but when they have to train people on the ground and on the water separately they do not get any funding whatsoever. I suggest that that is not the best use of our rescue organisations. 
I would like to pick up on another part of this legislation: land transport. This legislation combines the Land Transport Safety Authority and Transfund into what is now Land Transport New Zealand. This is a good combination because finally we get some coordination between the two. It means that the funding has not been landed with Transit. That would have been a disaster. This legislation provides for a much easier process for funding. Certainly it makes safety paramount. The safety part of the legislation is the main reason New Zealand First will support it and therefore it is important that safety is paramount. 
I would just like to point out one of the issues this legislation is leading up to—and I have witnessed it recently. As of 1 November in the Clevedon electorate we have seen a reduction in speed limits. The speed limits on some of the highways around the Clevedon electorate have been reduced to 80 kilometres an hour. That is because the roads are of a low standard. Government after Government has failed to put funding into these roads. One of the excuses for reducing funding was that “safety at reasonable cost” has been removed. This sadly has left a situation where the Government has started reducing speed limits. I think Maurice Williamson suggested that the speed limit could be reduced to 5 kilometres an hour. That is a bizarre statement but we have seen speed limits reduced to 80 kilometres an hour because the funding has not been put into those roads where there is a high growth rate. 
I heard the Minister say and I heard Harry Duynhoven repeat that this Government is getting New Zealand moving again. I would suggest that it is getting us moving at a much slower rate than the rate we have been moving at until now. The Government is allowing speed limits to be reduced because it has not provided proper funding for the area. 
Mark Gosche made reference to a huge undertaking in central Auckland where they are completing the motorway interchanges. This is a huge task. It has taken over 40 years to complete. It is still not quite ready. I was one of the Auckland MPs who had the opportunity to inspect that area. It is a massive undertaking. There are motorways going underneath over the top and all over the place. “Spaghetti” is probably an understatement in describing that particular intersection. The Government’s provision for that is well placed. Certainly Auckland has needed it for a long long time. But the rest of the motorway system does need to be completed and it is a long way off yet. I hope the Government will allow the funding for that to come forward. 
New Zealand First is disappointed that the “safety at reasonable cost” provision has been removed but we will support the legislation because safety is paramount to us. “Safety at reasonable cost” would have been a satisfactory way of getting it—we would have preferred it—but we are not going to knock this legislation back purely because that provision is not there. 
I ask the Minister—and particularly Harry Duynhoven who had quite a bit to do with the Maraetai sea rescue vessel just recently—to see that some more funding is provided for training the crews particularly those who are volunteers. Funding is essential to make sure that the service is top class and that this legislation can come into proper being and provide the full service.