Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19034. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]6.GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central)to the Minister for Economic Development: What does he consider are the core components of a regional economic development plan?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development):I thank the member for his excellent question. It may take a little bit of time given he has asked for the core components. In my view a regional economic development plan needs a number of elements. An important component is access to capital encouraging companies to invest. That is why for example New Zealand Trade and Enterprise has established a new regional investment attraction programme to help regions attract new investment and take advantage of their opportunities. Another key area is skills. Right around the country the Government is investing in more closely matching the skill levels of New Zealanders with jobs in regions through our universities and polytechs and apprenticeships and industry training. Of course developing our natural resources is also important. That is why we are focused on reforming the Resource Management Act to make better decisions; developing our oil and gas resources; water storage and irrigation; and reforming the Maori Land Act. Infrastructure is vital as well which is why the Government is building the roads of national significance and investing heavily in regional roading projects as well as innovative technologies like ultra-fast broadband and rural broadband. In fact I would say there are many key areas of a regional development plan so yet again I invite the member to take a look at the Government’s Business Growth Agenda which contains 350 initiatives across six key areas to grow jobs and growth in regions around New Zealand.Grant Robertson: In light of that answer around infrastructure is clear planning an important part of creating a regional economic development plan; if so how does spending hundreds of thousands of dollars doing an upgrade to the Motu Bridge near Gisborne—an upgrade that is due to finish in the next fortnight—only to decide to fund a project that will see the newly strengthened bridge knocked down a good use of taxpayer money?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member makes an interesting point. That particular bridge is going to have $100000 spent on it which is going to keep it in shape for the next 4 years and then the big one can be built. If the member is opposing the new bridge at Motu or repairing the existing bridge I think that is going to be very well received in Gisborne. All of those projects that the member raises which are a small but significant part—Phil Twyford: Loony economics!Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Do not be talking loony economics; you have got “Mr Moa Hunter” behind you. That is loony economics.Grant Robertson: Is Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon correct when he says about the replacement of the Motu Bridge “Now they can throw that money in the drain and get a new bridge.” and does throwing money down the drain represent National’s great regional economic plan?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I understand that that is not what the mayor said. I have been advised—Grant Robertson: It is!Hon STEVEN JOYCE: But again the member needs to go to Gisborne and talk to the people there as Mr Brownlee and I did with Mrs Tolley not very long ago launching the East Coast Regional Economic Potential Study. They are very keen to see those projects develop and this Government has invested significantly in roading projects in the Gisborne region. I encourage the member to continue on with his approach because once again he is showing he knows nothing about economic development.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In light of the Minister’s answer I seek leave to table the comments of Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I simply need to know the source of that document.Grant Robertson: Well the source is a media report but he has challenged my word on this—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am not putting the leave. The member may have further supplementary questions.Grant Robertson: When Gerry Brownlee said that the current strengthening project would pay “instant dividends” to the local economy can he assure the House that there will hundreds of thousands of dollars of “instant dividends” before the bridge just gets pulled down?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Let me explain to the member. This is 2014. The new bridge will be finished around 2017. So yes it needs to keep the existing bridge going for a while while the new bridge is built. If the member turns his mind to that he can see that that will be $100000 well spent for Gisborne.Grant Robertson: Would a core component of a regional economic development plan include developing plans to support industries that are significant to a region; if so why has he ignored the pleas of the East Coast region that if money is to be spent on roads it should be spent on upgrading forestry roads as Labour has committed to in our forestry upgrade package?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I do believe that we should be encouraging the development of industries in regions which is why this Government supported the West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Bill last week which the Labour Party did not support. It is why this Government is unambiguously in favour of oil and gas exploration in the Taranaki Bight where the Labour Party was like “Yeah nah.” and was not interested in that. This Government as I have pointed out has 350 separate initiatives in regional economic development through the Business Growth Agenda but I have to admit that we do not have the resuscitation of the moa project in this book at this stage but we will look into it for the members.Grant Robertson: Why is it that after 6 years National’s best effort on regional development is a somersault while standing on a pork barrel and where is the support for regional initiatives that will actually grow sustainable jobs like supporting the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs for instance?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The member I am sorry is so out of touch. This Government has supported a huge range of projects in the regions.Phil Twyford: Struggling!Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well let me take you through some. Thank you—I will take the extra time. We are supporting ultra-fast and rural broadband around New Zealand the Primary Growth Partnerships for the agricultural industry the research and development funding for companies all over New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise’s regional business partners programme which works on developing management and research and development capability in businesses around the regions. We are encouraging oil and gas exploration. Dare I say it we are encouraging water storage and new irrigation projects the national cycle trails export education and so on and so on. We have a range of projects. Mr Robertson has just platitudes.