Muller Todd: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMuller Todd: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:7794. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.TODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty) to the Minister for Economic Development: How is the Government helping to grow regional economies like the Bay of Plenty?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Economic Development): In the last adjournment alongside my colleagues Simon Bridges Anne Tolley and Te Ururoa Flavell I launched the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Economic Action Plan a set of key initiatives prepared by central government local government and business leaders locally that will help to lift employment incomes and investment across the Bay of Plenty. It identifies nine priority work areas across the wider region in areas like agribusiness agriculture forestry and wood processing geothermal horticulture Māori land utilisation the visitor economy and water management. The Bay of Plenty region is now growing well as a result of the recovery from the kiwifruit Psa crisis and the rapidly growing tourism industry. This action plan will help to ensure the growth is maintained and extended to all parts of that region.Todd Muller: What initiatives and opportunities are identified in the action plan to promote growth in the Bay of Plenty?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: A number of things. For example in agribusiness the action plan sets out a programme to expand mānuka honey production to help meet an increasing global demand for high unique mānuka factor grade mānuka honey. In horticulture the report lays out a plan including additional training irrigation and water use and unlocking Māori land to grow the kiwifruit industry further particularly in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. In the visitor economy the action plan identifies the potential of more cycleways to further grow tourism. And in aquaculture the action plan identifies the Ōpōtiki sea farm and harbour development as a potential significant growth opportunity. The Government agrees and that is why we are funding up to $3 million to finalise the geotechnical investigations and the design options for the new harbour entrance in Ōpōtiki.Todd Muller: What else is the Government doing to help grow regional economies?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: In addition to the Bay of Plenty action plan and regional growth study we launched similar programmes in Northland last year Manawatū Whanganui and the East Coast to help them make the most of their opportunities encourage investment and grow jobs. We are investing in critical infrastructure like ultra-fast and rural broadband and national and regional roading projects. We are rolling out the regional business partners network and regional business hubs to make it easier for businesses to access the help they need. We are establishing regional research institutes and of course we are signing significant international trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Korean free-trade agreement which give exporters in our regions more access to major international markets and grow more jobs. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! We will have the general debate tomorrow.