10. Question No. 10—Rural CommunitiesJAMIE ARBUCKLE (NZ First) to the Minister for Rural CommunitiesQuestion No. 10—Rural Communities10. JAMIE ARBUCKLE (NZ First) to the Minister for Rural Communities: What recent reports has he seen regarding rural communities?Hon MARK PATTERSON (Minister for Rural Communities): I have seen a report—the extreme weather insights and observations 2023 report from the Ombudsman. I welcome this report but am sobered by its contents. This report writs large the necessity for improvements in rural infrastructure transport links and telecommunication. It highlights the plight of those in more isolated communities who felt they were ignored and abandoned by Government agencies and emergency response in favour of those places more I quote in the news". This reflects my own observations on the ground during my recent ministerial visit to Tai Rāwhiti. Rural roading was in a dire and often dangerous state. Locals while stoic were clearly stressed and anxious. This Government is committed to funding the recovery and not forgetting the plight of those in the Tai Rāwhiti and other cyclone-affected areas. I thank the Prime Minister; the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown; and the Minister of cyclone recovery Mark Mitchell for also visiting these areas. This is a Government that has put cyclone recovery at point 6 and point 7 in our 100-day plan. It is a strong signal to those communities that we will not abandon them.SPEAKER: Hon Mark Patterson that was a very long answer.Hon MARK PATTERSON: It was a good one though.SPEAKER: Well not necessarily. There was a bit of superfluous stuff in there. You could do better.Jamie Arbuckle: Has he seen reports on the increase in confidence that rural communities have in this Government's policies?Hon MARK PATTERSON: I have seen another report and rural communities have every confidence in this Government. The proof of the pudding was in the fourth-quarter Rabobank Rural Confidence survey. Of course farmers are a key driver in rural prosperity and indeed the prospects of all New Zealand accounting for 82 percent of all of our merchandise exports. Their net confidence has leapt 25 percent and I quote from the report—Hon Shane Jones: Tell us more!Hon MARK PATTERSON: I will tell you more. A direct quote from the report: "Government policy emerged as a major contributor to higher overall farmer confidence." Farmers are now more confident they have a Government that understands them and has a policy platform to address their issues.Ingrid Leary: Given his confidence in this Government does he agree with the letter written by MP Mark Patterson dated 7 December 2023 supporting my letter to the Minister of Education on 1 December 2023 requesting core funding of $90000 per annum for the Tokomairiro Forestry Pathways course be provided by the Ministry of Education for the next three years and if so will he commit to working with that Minister to ensure funding is forthcoming?Hon MARK PATTERSON: I've already committed within that letter to taking exactly that course of action.Jamie Arbuckle: What Government policies can rural communities look forward to?Hon MARK PATTERSON: Well there are too many to list but of course the highlight for us on this side of the House is the $1.2 billion for regional infrastructure overseen by my colleague the Hon Shane Jones and that will go some way to addressing the Ombudsman's concerns as outlined in his report. The fast-tracking Resource Management Act provisions will unlock regional economies and make it easier to build renewable energy projects and get access to extracting natural resources which will turbocharge our rural economies."