COALITION GOVERNMENT COMMITTED TO HELPING RURAL COMMUNITIES PROSPER

Prime Minister Jenny Shipley said the Coalition Government is determined to create an environment in which farmers and people with small businesses can do well.

Speaking at the Hauraki-Coromandel Federated Farmers' Annual Dinner tonight, Mrs Shipley said the Government is committed to policies which will ensure continued economic growth, through a programme of continued reform and improvement.

"The Government is in the process of implementing a comprehensive reform programme which will reduce costs to businesses and will help rural New Zealand.

"We are reforming the implementation of the Resource Management Act, reducing ACC costs, reducing the cost of electricity and reducing compliance costs.

"The Government is committed to doing all we can to reduce costs for our productive sector because without the wealth they create there is nothing for the rest of us to share in."

Mrs Shipley said both industry and government must continue to be vigilant in ensuring that world trade liberalisation continues to occur and must guard against non-tariff barriers as a means to restrict trade;

"New Zealand must ensure that we have the best market driven commercial structures to maximise new and growing opportunities.

"Industries must look at strategies that will ensure that New Zealand markets food to the high value international food markets.

"We need to move from commodity to consumer products; need to talk food and fibre rather than milk and meat," Mrs Shipley said.