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Good morning ladies and gentlemen — it is a pleasure to be here. 

Our abundance of energy and minerals resources provides us with unique opportunities to build the New Zealand economy. 

Over the past three years the Government has made significant changes to how the sector is regulated.

We’ve done the groundwork necessary to attract investment and build our collective understanding of New Zealand’s potential. 

Introduction

Good morning everyone.   It’s a pleasure to be here for the 2014 AusIMM New Zealand Annual Conference – my second since becoming Energy and Resources Minister.

The minerals industry plays a major role in New Zealand’s economy, contributing more than $1 billion to our GDP, producing vital inputs for industry, and adding significantly to our exports.

It’s a pleasure to be back at the West Coast Minerals Forum for another year. 

The minerals industry is important for New Zealand. 

The sector plays a major role in our economy and contributes more than $1 billion to our GDP.  It is highly productive, provides high-reward jobs for New Zealanders, produces vital materials for industry, and adds significantly to our exports.

Developing our mineral resources can take decades — it is a long term game that the Government is committed to supporting.

I want to thank you all for the opportunity to be here today.

I know that in this room sit many of the leaders of the Adventure Activities sector.

As leaders, you will be seeking clarity from the Government on the new Adventure Activity health and safety regime and I want to give you that today. 

We have four new audit providers on board.

The new audit providers are taking bookings, and every operator is getting free support from the Government; there’s a financial incentive in place.

I’m very pleased to be here today – thank you for inviting me to open your conference.

The electricity industry plays a vital role in the daily lives of all New Zealanders. It has a proud history, and of course engineers have been an essential part of this.
 
I would like to acknowledge the contribution the Electricity Engineers Association has made for more than 85 years, including providing valuable feedback on government proposals and reforms.

Good morning - it’s a pleasure to be attending this conference on bioenergy at this time, when there is so much happening in this field. 

Countries around the world are facing the same energy challenge. 

We want to continue to grow our economies and help our people to prosper. 

This means we need secure and affordable energy.

At the same time, we’ve got to reduce our carbon emissions. 

There is no single solution to reducing emissions. 

Countries around the world are facing similar energy challenges.

We want to continue to grow our economies and help our people to prosper, but we need to reduce our carbon emissions and respond to climate change.

At the moment, the world is in a transition phase towards a low carbon future.

In the US, President Obama speaks of an “all of the above” policy on energy. That is also what we have here in New Zealand – a mixed and balanced approach to our energy future.

In August 2013, the Government announced the most significant reform of New Zealand’s workplace health and safety system in more than 20 years.

Our reform package ‘Working Safer – a blueprint for health and safety at work’ marks a turning point in New Zealand’s approach to safety at work. 

It provides us with a valuable opportunity to create and deliver a world class health and safety system.

Today countries around the world are facing the same energy challenge – we want to continue to grow our economies and help our people to prosper, but we need to reduce our carbon emissions and respond to climate change. 

At the moment, the world is in a transition phase towards a low carbon future. 

In the US, President Obama speaks of an “all of the above” policy on energy.  That is also what we have here in New Zealand – a mixed and balanced approach to our energy future.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. 

It’s great to see so many people, including the many international guests, here today.  I hope those of you from overseas have an opportunity to see some of the sights that our country is renowned for before you return home.

I want to take a minute or two at the outset this morning to tell you about a couple of the key points I made at the National Energy Research Institute conference here in Wellington a fortnight ago. 

The Global Energy Challenge

Energy is an integral part of our lives.

It is the foundation on which we build economic growth, prosperity and progress in our societies.  

Across the globe, we are all facing the same basic energy challenge.    

We want our citizens and countries to continue to develop and prosper.  

But we need to reduce carbon emissions from our energy use and respond to climate change.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Employment Relations Amendment Bill be now read a second time.  I thank the members of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee, and particularly its chair David Bennett, for their thorough consideration of this Bill.

Mr Speaker, this Bill implements the Government’s policies aimed at increasing flexibility and fairness in our employment relations framework.

I move that the Health and Safety Reform Bill be now read a first time.  I nominate the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee to consider the Bill.

The Government is committed to improving health and safety at work. 

This Bill represents the most significant law reform in this area in 20 years. Its main purpose is to provide for a balanced framework to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces.

The new law will play a major role in helping us meet our target of reducing New Zealand’s workplace death toll by 25 per cent by 2020.