McKelvie Ian: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMcKelvie Ian: General Debate[Sitting date: 23 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19402. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]IAN McKELVIE (National—Rangitīkei):That speech by Russel Norman was without a doubt one of the most boring obituaries I have ever heard in my life. It was in my view a gross misuse of facts to run down rural New Zealand. It will not help our cause. Regional New Zealand has faced its share of challenges in the past 40 years as our population and economy have adjusted and acclimatised to change. The progress we have made in the past 6 years under this Government is now having positive effects as the buoyant world food market and demand lifts farmer confidence optimism and ability to invest further in their industry. New tourism initiatives such as the Forgotten World Adventures cycle trails and walking tracks are appearing. The growth in these businesses is leading to new opportunities for growth and investment in our regions.The announcement in Levin last week by Ministers Joyce and Guy of an ambitious plan to double my region’s agribusiness production by 2025 after some early feasibility studies by mayors Margaret Kouvelis and Jono Naylor who of course is the very good candidate for National in Palmerston North is another example of a proactive Government determined to enable our regions. The interesting point to note is that this agribusiness strategy is not all about increasing agricultural production as the previous speaker would have us believe. It includes science tourism and the manufacturing sectors which complement our traditional farming activities.Fresh water is critical to the future of our country and the Rangitīkei as tourism and farming rely heavily on our pristine environment for our futures. The Government has invested heavily in this area adding a further $12 million to it in the Budget just passed. This is on top of $350 million already committed to lake and river clean-ups and the $101 million already spent in this Government’s term. The Rangitīkei has three of New Zealand’s major rivers—the beautiful Whanganui River which is a beautiful river and a great tourism opportunity for that region and certainly for the electorate of the member sitting next to me; the Manawatū the subject already of a considerable amount of clean-up funding and of course New Zealand’s first river accord; and of course the Rangitīkei one of the best fishing rivers in New Zealand.National has also developed the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research centre in Palmerston North in partnership with AgResearch and nine other partners. This as it progresses will add significantly to our contribution to climate change measures and increase our productivity. The other key measure adding to the productivity in our region announced in the past few weeks is the increase in the regional roading spend. In my region the replacement of the Whirokino trestle bridge south of Foxton which is over 1.5 kilometres long when completed will take some 30 kilometres off the trip for the average heavy truck from the central North Island to Wellington—30 kilometres. Add this to the Ōtaki to Wellington roading improvements including the capital expressway and Transmission Gully and the benefit to the central North Island will be significant. The Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks are a huge resource for the people of Rangitīkei. Winter sports walking boating and cycling are growing at a great rate. On top of this we have a net migration inflow of people into the region in the last month an increase in population and a drop in unemployment. Despite the wailings of Labour and the Greens this Government has made significant investment in the future of regional New Zealand and we are seeing the benefits in our region.One of the key challenges that our rural councils face is managing demand for access to our vast network of paper roads and careful thought will need to be given to the future management of these. The Walking Access Commission has started this work but there is much to do and funding will be required in the future to complete this work.I want to briefly acknowledge the huge role that Tariana Turia has played in the Māori communities throughout my region and congratulate her as she leaves this place on making such a great contribution to the welfare of so many. I want to briefly note the work done by Ngāti Apa in the south of the Rangitīkei particularly in the social field and now with the acquisition of Flock House and the subsequent partnership they have formed to farm this historic property. It will be the forerunner of things to come and perhaps the trendsetter to help unlock the vast potential of Māori land in New Zealand.In Taumarunui the Kōkiri Trust is achieving fantastic results in areas such as health education work projects and aged care under the leadership of Christine Brears—another initiative from and thanks again to the great work of Minister Turia. Finally I want to acknowledge the time that my north-western neighbour Shane Ardern has spent working for the people of the north of the Rangitīkei. In the hill country of the North Island boundaries are obscure and challenges are the same wherever you live. Thank you.