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Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, today welcomed a project to insulate all of the homes in central Foxton as part of the Government’s Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme.

‘Warm Up Foxton’ is being led by New Zealand company Autex Industries Ltd, in partnership with PowerShed Ltd and the Horowhenua District Council. Their additional funding contribution means that up to 1300 Foxton households could get their homes insulated at little or no cost.

Nearly 80 per cent of the remaining 8096 properties in the residential orange zone in Canterbury have been rezoned to green, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced today.

"This confirms that a further 6430 residential properties can be either built on as is or built on with individual remediation to damaged parts of their land.  

"Property owners will now need to work with EQC to repair their land, if required, and with their insurer or EQC to repair and rebuild their homes," Mr Brownlee said.

Three new categories for residential foundation design have been developed and will be required for repairing and rebuilding homes in Canterbury following the earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, it was announced today.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee said the foundation designs apply to the flat land in the residential green zone in Canterbury, which has now been divided by engineering experts into three new technical categories (TC1, TC2 and TC3).

The five communities pioneering the community-led development initiative have been making good progress Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Tariana Turia said today. The five communities are: Whirinaki (South Hokianga); Mt Roskill (Auckland); Mangakino (Central North Island); Porirua East/Cannons Creek and North East Valley (Dunedin).

Phase II of the Department of Conservation’s trials of self-resetting possum traps has been launched in Northland’s Trounson Kauri Park, and in the northern Te Urewera National Park, following positive results from tests in Waikato, Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Green MP Kevin Hague announced today.

“The early indications from small trial sites have been positive,” Ms Wilkinson says.

“The traps are working as intended, and most importantly, killing possums.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully and EU High Representative/Vice President of the European Commission Catherine Ashton yesterday held bilateral talks in Perth. Catherine Ashton agreed to seek a negotiating mandate for a Treaty level Framework Agreement to upgrade the bilateral relationship.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is pleased to announce another round of Break-Away School Holiday Programmes is going ahead.

“This is the third year we have run free school holiday programmes for young people who might not otherwise get the chance to attend,” says Ms Bennett.

This year $3 million in funding will provide 30,000 one-week places over the summer holidays and in April next year.

Police Minister Judith Collins today praised the Police security operation during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, saying Police had done an outstanding job of ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of fans.

The Police operation, which involved around 1300 staff from throughout the country during the Cup, began to wind down after the Wellington street parade for the All Blacks on Wednesday.

Can I acknowledge Paul Jarvie, Chairman of the Occupational Health and Safety Industry Group, and other distinguished contributors to this important conference on challenges and changes in occupational health and safety.

Today I want to talk to you about:

• ACC’s performance and financial problems over time and in recent years

• The Government’s reform programme to address these issues and improve ACC

The Government has decided to set up a company to manage the recovery of the remaining assets of six finance companies placed in receivership while they had Crown guarantees, Finance Minister Bill English says.

"Right throughout the Retail Deposit Guarantee scheme the Government has sought to minimise disruption to the economy, while reducing the cost to taxpayers," Mr English says.

"The receiverships of these six firms have reached the stage where all the readily marketable assets have been sold.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has welcomed the release of an Education Review Office evaluation of Service Academies, which shows improved engagement, behaviour and academic achievement for the secondary school students enrolled in this important Youth Guarantee initiative.

The Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, is thanking consumers for conserving gas while Vector contend with a leak on the Maui pipeline in Taranaki.

The residential savings have meant that another band of users will be brought back on today.

Gas supply was restored to essential services yesterday including hospitals and rest homes, and a number of dairy factories and bakeries.

Free visits to the doctor for children aged under six will be extended to after-hours under Government plans released today.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says district health boards will work with local GP networks and after-hours clinics to extend free medical care for under-six year olds to after-hours at an estimated cost of around $7 million a year.

Trade Minister Tim Groser announced today that there is a consensus among World Trade Organisation members to appoint New Zealand’s WTO Ambassador, John Adank, as the new chair of the WTO Doha Round agriculture negotiations.

Mr Adank is expected to be formally elected Chair at the next meeting of the Special Session of the Committee on Agriculture.

Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, says gas consumers need to continue limiting their usage while Vector work on a leak on the Maui pipeline in Taranaki.

Ms Parata says Vector is making good progress with the leak, just north of New Plymouth, which is affecting consumers in the North Island.

Economic Development Minister David Carter today launched the Food and Beverage Information Project, the most comprehensive analysis of New Zealand’s F&B industry ever undertaken.

“The food and beverage industry accounts for more than half of our total exports and employs one in five New Zealanders, directly or indirectly. Full knowledge of the industry and its performance internationally is key to lifting export growth,” says Mr Carter.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Steven Joyce has welcomed today’s announcement that Telecom shareholders have voted in favour of proceeding with structural separation.

He says this is one of the final procedural steps in the roll out of ultra fast broadband to 75% of New Zealanders where they live, work and study.

Thank you Tony (Tony Nowell – Chair of New Zealand Food Innovation Auckland).

Vice Chancellor Steve Maharey, my colleague Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, Councillors Arthur Anae and Alf Filipaina, members of the Board of New Zealand Food Innovation Auckland, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

It’s great to be here today to celebrate the opening of this impressive centre.

New Zealand has been accepted as a member of the International Partnership for Geothermal Technology, announced Science and Innovation Minister Wayne Mapp.

“Geothermal energy is one of our most important renewable energy resources with huge potential for growth,” said Dr Mapp.

“This recognition of our geothermal research programmes will allow our scientists to collaborate with an elite group of researchers in the United States, Australia, Switzerland and Iceland.”

The Government is to make a series of changes to bail laws to improve public safety.

The changes build on work the Government achieved in its first 100 days in office to reverse Labour’s 2007 decision which made it easier for defendants to get bail.

“This announcement fulfils the other half of our 2008 election promise to review aspects of the bail system,” Mr Power said.

Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, has this evening been briefed in New Plymouth on plans to address the incident that is impacting on gas supply across the upper North Island.

Vector advised early this morning of an incident on the Maui pipeline, which transports gas north from Taranaki.

Vector is the technical and system operator for the Maui pipeline. The area where the gas escape has occurred is steep and difficult terrain.

Let me first acknowledge and thank my colleague and friend, the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson, for inviting me to deliver the annual Ralph Hanan memorial lecture.

As you know, this annual lecture is a celebration of the Liberal tradition of the National Party. It honours one of the Party’s greatest liberal minds and practitioners, the Rt Hon Ralph Hanan. I am not the first to observe in this series of lectures that Chris is perhaps the most obvious inheritor of that proud Liberal tradition.

Minister of Trade Hon Tim Groser today welcomed the announcement that agreement had been reached between the New Zealand Commerce and Industry Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Wellington to explore the feasibility of an economic cooperation agreement between New Zealand and Chinese Taipei.*

“Chinese Taipei is an important trading partner for New Zealand and even after its WTO accession maintains a number of high barriers to our exports” Tim Groser said.

Acting Minister of Energy and Resources, Hekia Parata, has arrived in New Plymouth for a briefing on a gas leak that is affecting customers in the North Island.

Vector was advised this morning of a large gas escape, which resulted in a loss of pressure on the Maui pipeline which transports gas north from Taranaki.

The escape occurred in the remote White Cliffs area, north of New Plymouth.

The pipeline has been isolated and is currently being depressurised.