Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 16 August 2011. Volume:675;Page:20886. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
 to the  
Minister of Transport 
: Ka aha ia ki te whakapaipai ake i te ahua o nga rori i te tuawhenua he hapori Maori nei te nuinga o nga tangata ki reira a e kiia nei e etahi he pera aua rori ki nga mea o nga ao pohara rawa atu? 
[ 
What will he do to improve the conditions of roads in rural predominately Maori communities some of which have been described as of third world status? 
] 
Hon NATHAN GUY (Associate Minister of Transport) 
on behalf of the Minister of Transport: This Government is spending over $1.5 billion on State highway maintenance and renewals in the current 3-year funding period—more than has ever been spent before. Much of this is going into rural areas. An example is that 1.1 percent of all kilometres travelled in New Zealand happens in Gisborne and in return we spend 2.7 percent of the road maintenance budget there. So we think we have the mix about right. More of course could always be done so to complement this spending on maintenance and renewals last month the Government launched the Road Maintenance Task Force to improve value for money in this area. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Does he agree with Na Raihania the Maori Party candidate for Ikaroa-Rawhiti in his characterisation of several of the roads on the East Coast as “shocking” “extreme” and “dangerous”; and will the Minister take up the offer from Mr Raihania the mayor of Gisborne and the chair of Te Runanga o Ngati Porou to see the roads in person as the Minister did recently with the mayor the chief executive and councillors of the Far North District Council? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: No I do not agree with those statements. What I can say is that the Government is investing millions of dollars in the Maraenui Hill deviation which is currently under way in pretty difficult terrain. Of course the member will know that last year significant investment was made in the Busby Hill deviation which is making a huge amount of difference for the Gisborne region. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Can he advise where the East Coast roads from Gisborne to Ruatoria or the roads from Ruatoria to Opotiki and Te Waiariki are sitting in terms of priority over the next 10 years? 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: The areas that the member has just raised fall within those two deviation areas and we are already addressing that issue. 
Hon Shane Jones 
: Kia ora Mr Speaker. Mehemea e rite ana wenei moni pehea nga whakaaro o te Minita ki te reo whakahawea mai i a Lawrence Yule he koretake nga moni hei whakatikatika i nga rori ki tuawhenua? 
[ 
If these funds were the same what does the Minister think about the disparaging remark by Lawrence Yule that funds for improving rural roads were hopeless? 
] 
Hon NATHAN GUY 
: That member should be well aware that we have increased the renewals in the State highway budget from what was invested previously by the Labour Government. We have increased them from $561 million to $633 million. Also maintenance and operation of State highways has increased from $809 million to $897 million. There is significant investment there and I tend to disagree with Mr Yule’s comments.