5. Question No. 5—Economic DevelopmentHon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Minister for Economic DevelopmentQuestion No. 5—Economic Development5. Hon JUDITH COLLINS (National—Papakura) to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he stand by his statement of 1 April 2020 that he was developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects that would begin as soon as we are able to move around freely and go back to work"; if so how many new projects have now started?Hon PHIL TWYFORD (Minister for Economic Development): I stand by my actual statement that we—as in "the Government"—are developing a pipeline of infrastructure. Some of this pipeline includes the Government's State housing construction programme; the additional $1 billion for rail announced in the Budget by the Minister for State Owned Enterprises; schools up and down the country with school improvement projects under way. A number of Ministers including the Minister of Transport are continuing work on the projects announced in the NZ Upgrade Programme. The Minister of Finance signalled on Budget day that more projects will be considered through the COVID rebuild and recovery fund based on the work of the industry reference group. The Minister of Finance is responsible for the COVID rebuild and recovery fund. Ministerial responsibility for the start of projects lies with the relevant portfolio Minister. By way of example I'm advised by the Minister of Transport that construction has resumed on the Northern Corridor improvements in Auckland; Baypark to Bayfair in the Bay of Plenty; Mackays to Peka Peka and Peka Peka to Ōtaki; and the Christchurch Northern Corridor. I also note that the Minister of Housing announced on 9 May that 240 Kāinga Ora public housing worksites had builders back at work.Hon Judith Collins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister's referred to what he calls his actual statement. I have his statement here; it doesn't seem to be the same as what he's said it is. So I wonder if I could seek leave to table the statement that he put out.SPEAKER: We'll just take it simply. The member is seeking leave to table a document which is printed. Normally we wouldn't do that but seeing issue has been—Hon Member: What's the source?SPEAKER: Sorry. The source of the document—I presume it's a press statement is it Ms Collins?Hon Judith Collins: It's a press statement and the Minister says he's quoted from it today. It is significantly different from what it says in the press statement.SPEAKER: Well we're not going to make any judgment about the difference but the member has sought to table a document and unusually I'm going to put it to the House because there appears to be an issue here. Is there any objection to that? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Judith Collins: Thank you Mr Speaker; thank you for that. Is anything holding up his announcement of the "pipeline of infrastructure projects" that on 1 April he claimed would start as soon as the construction industry returned to work?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: Well I suggest to the member that if she's after the start dates or any reasons for projects starting or not at a particular time she should direct her questions to the Minister who has responsibility for those projects such as the Minister of Education the Minister for Infrastructure the Minister of Transport or the Minister of Housing.Hon Judith Collins: If he is now saying he doesn't have responsibilities for these projects why did he announce that he was going to have an announcement?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: The press statement that the member is referring to was put out by the Minister for Infrastructure the Hon Shane Jones and I because we were asked by the Minister of Finance to commission some work by the industry reference group chaired by Mark Binns. That's what the press release announced and I'm pleased to say that work has been completed by the industry reference group.Hon Judith Collins: Why did he say on 1 April that these projects would start as soon as the construction industry returned to work yet two months later he's now telling the House that it wasn't his responsibility?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I entirely reject the premise of the member's question. I've already cited to her a long list of infrastructure projects that are part of the Government's infrastructure pipeline that are up and running since the country emerged from level 4 and level 3 lockdown.Hon Judith Collins: How many of the projects that he said would start as soon as the construction industry returned to work will need fast-track consenting in order to proceed?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I suggest the member direct that question to the Minister responsible for the Resource Management Act (RMA) fast-tracking legislation or alternatively the various Ministers responsible for those projects.Hon Judith Collins: And as the Minister for Economic Development has he received any advice from the Minister for the Environment on any potential delays to the pipeline of infrastructure projects and what is that advice?Hon PHIL TWYFORD: I've received quite a lot of advice—as many of my colleagues have—from the environment Minister about the timing of a number of infrastructure projects generally that will be considered as part of the COVID response and recovery programme and the desire to speed up the RMA consenting process for those projects is the policy intent behind the Hon David Parker's bill."