4. Earthquake Kaikōura—South Island CommunitiesRON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime MinisterEarthquake Kaikōura—South Island Communities4. RON MARK (Deputy Leader—NZ First) to the Prime Minister: Can he update the House on the situation in quake-affected areas in the South Island?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister): Maybe it would be best if I just gave a quick summary of the most recent visit we have had there—a couple of hours ago. What I can say is that on the one hand I think spirits are actually quite high in the Kaikōura region. There has been significant additional support coming from police coming from the military and coming from civil defence. The locals I think in that regard are feeling well supported by this Parliament and by the services that support them. Secondly what was clear is that there is real concern about the upcoming tourism season and the capacity for tourists to actually get into Kaikōura because of the damage to the road. I think the Government will need to provide a business support package and the Minister responsible Steven Joyce is likely to make that announcement in the next 24 hours in a package that would be similar in nature I think to what took place in Christchurch.The only other point that is probably worthy of note for the House is that I think it is increasingly possible if not likely that the House will have to pass some sort of emergency legislation and political parties will need to think about that. Just to give you one example: because of the lift in the seabed floor the advice we got from those running whale-watching was that they would be able to operate for only 2 hours a day. I think that this House knows that to fix that issue would require some dredging which would require a resource consent process that is likely to be very slow. I told the local business people that I thought this Parliament was unified in its support of the people of Kaikōura and the region and that I thought that if emergency legislation was required enough political parties would support that to allow it to take place. I also mentioned it to Mark Solomon from Ngāi Tahu as a pretty interested stakeholder in what has taken place.Ron Mark: What specific updates does the Prime Minister have on the situation on small settlements like Hanmer Springs Cheviot Parnassus Rotherham Culverden Ward and Seddon?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think it is fair to say they are each in slightly different places. Some have had electricity and the likes fully restored; some have not. There is an outreach campaign that is happening so they are going out to all of those individual communities. They are visiting them and they are trying to visit each of the individual farms and isolated houses to make sure that they have got the support that they need. There are as I understand it in the wider area 22 farms there that are dairy farms. I met with the representatives of them. They are all Fonterra farms. They are dealing with the situation as best as they possibly can at the moment. So if you want a very detailed answer we can obviously get that from the different departments but I think they are literally going around and dealing with the variety of issues which all fit around the same areas: the restoration of electricity water telecommunications networks and roading access.Ron Mark: Has the Prime Minister received any updates or any information on the percentage of farmers and their families who are isolated and who are yet to be contacted?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No I do not have an exact number there but I asked effectively that same question when we were in Kaikōura today as we met representatives of each of the different disciplines or areas. They inform me that they have been going literally house by house community by community. So I think there has been a lot of work happening to make sure that people are being contacted and are getting support. I cannot hand on heart say that every single house has been contacted because they were not able to give me that assurance but they are certainly working their way through it as rapidly as they can. I got the impression they had covered most of them off.Ron Mark: Did he receive any briefings this morning as to whether residents in Mt Lyford village had been contacted and asked whether they need assistance given the reports that are coming out that are saying that people are being left to fend for themselves"?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: No and obviously we will follow up on those reports.Ron Mark: Did the Prime Minister have an opportunity to speak with Waiau fire chief Hugh Wells this morning who was quoted in a British newspaper story posted at midday as saying "It has been very frustrating watching all the reporters flying around taking pictures but not landing to help us or seeing if we are OK."?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: From memory no he was not there but the fire service absolutely was there and regionally represented. They gave us an update of the number of fire service personnel and the work that they were doing. With respect the journalists are having to rely for the most part on the military capability to get in and out of the areas so that in the first instance has been going to Kaikōura because of the logistics of the number of people who are there. Again we will follow up on those issues but communities are being dealt with as rapidly as they can be and certainly from the review that we got from the various different services there is contact being made as best there can be.Ron Mark: Could the Prime Minister give the House an assurance that he will personally ensure that the 200 residents in Waiau who are camping out on grass and saying that they feel like they have been forgotten having not had any contact or assistance up until now are so contacted and that their circumstances are given some attention?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Yes we will follow up on the matter."