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Good morning everyone. It’s great to be here as part of the launch of the 5th Business Growth Agenda Progress Report – Building Natural Resources.

As we conclude the parliamentary year, I certainly hope we have firmly established in most minds that this Government has a very clear focus on our economic growth agenda.

Part of that has to be the better use of New Zealand’s natural resources.

Thank you to the New Zealand Forest Owner’s Association for inviting me to launch the Forest Road Engineering Manual. Congratulations for taking the lead in revising this manual.

I would also like to acknowledge Brian Pritchard, chair of the FOA Transportation Committee; Brett Gilmore as the principle editor who I understand has put a huge amount of work into this project; and all those who have contributed.

As everyone in the room tonight knows, forestry is an important industry to New Zealand. It accounts for:

Firstly, I want to say I agree wholeheartedly with your theme this year - "Looking Forward to Sustainable Growth."

That is very much my focus, and the focus of this Government.

I want to begin today with the Government’s Business Growth Agenda and how important the primary industries are to achieving our ambitious economic growth goals.

It is a pleasure to be here today at the third Annual Meeting of the Primary Growth Partnership.

I’d like to acknowledge my Associate Minister Nathan Guy, Investment Advisory Panel Chair Bill Falconer, members of the panel, MPI Director-General Wayne McNee, and all co-investors in the Primary Growth Partnership.

The genesis and growth of PGP is something of which we can all be very proud.

Tonight I want to say a few quick words about some of the challenges and opportunities facing the forestry industry.

The forestry industry is vital:

This Bill makes a wide range of improvements to the legislation that underpins our biosecurity system. The initial policy development work was started under the previous Labour Government and I want to acknowledge the continued support of the Labour Party.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here this evening for the Future Forests Research Science Awards.

As Associate Minister for Primary Industries, I have a particular responsibility for forestry.

So tonight I would like to say a few words on:

I have been asked to speak today about the Government’s reform agenda which is a very wide brief, but particularly pertinent to my two portfolio areas of Primary Industries and Local Government.

But I want to start with a few comments on Antarctica and the Ross Sea as I understand you’ve just had a session with documentary film-maker Peter Young.

I haven’t seen Peter’s documentary, but I did watch the recent story on TV1’s ‘Sunday’ programme.

It’s great to be here to have the opportunity to talk about the important contribution that agri-food sectors make to the New Zealand economy.

Agri-food accounts for:
• more than $24 billion of exports
• about 10 per cent of total employment in New Zealand
• over two-thirds of New Zealand’s merchandise export earnings; and
• more than half of New Zealand’s manufacturing.

That doesn’t include the significant contribution our fibre industries – wool and timber - also make to New Zealand’s economy.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you Andrew and thank you Horticulture New Zealand for inviting me to speak with you today.

I want to use this as a good opportunity to talk about the one issue that is a genuine concern to many people in this room – New Zealand’s biosecurity system.

It’s also a good opportunity to challenge some of the exaggerated allegations about our biosecurity system.

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.  It is a pleasure to be here at this very prestigious World Conference on Timber Engineering.

To acknowledge:

I would like to acknowledge your President Bruce Wills, Vice-President William Rolleston, Chief Executive Conor English, provincial presidents and delegates.

I am going to touch on topics across both my Primary Industries and Local Government portfolios and I am happy to take questions from you shortly.

I know you’ve just had a session on Local Government but I’d like to explain briefly what’s driving the reforms from the Government’s point of view.

Good afternoon. I am very pleased to speak to this year’s conference.

To acknowledge:

• National Beekeeper Association President Barry Foster
• Hawkes Bay Branch Chairman John Berry
• Bee Industry Group Chair John Hartnell
• the organising committee

I’ve been the Associate Minister for Primary Industries since December last year, when the Prime Minister asked me to work with David Carter.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

It’s great to be back at New Zealand’s premier agricultural event.

I would like to acknowledge those on the stage with me:

• Rt. Honourable Jim Bolger (Chancellor, Waikato University)

• Professor Roy Crawford (Vice Chancellor)

• Sir Dryden Spring and David Hisco (ANZ Bank)

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I’m very pleased to be here today as the Associate Minister for Primary Industries, a portfolio of which the seafood industry is of course a very important part.

To acknowledge:

• Chairman of the Seafood Industry Council Dave Sharp
• Board members
• Chief Executive Peter Bodeker

Introduction

This morning I’d like to talk to you about the Government’s focus on economic growth and the contribution that your industry can make.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, President, Executive Committee, and Federation members. I am delighted to address your Conference today, especially in my role as the Minister responsible for New Zealand’s fishery resources. 

To begin, I’d like to talk to you about the Government’s focus on economic growth, and the contribution that your industry can make to this growth.

You are a major part of the powerhouse of our economy – our primary sector. 

I am delighted to have the opportunity to reflect on the important contribution that deer farming has made – and continues to make – to the New Zealand economy, and to underline the Government’s continued support to enable the deer sector to achieve its potential.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill be now read a first time.

At the appropriate time, I intend to move that the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill be considered by the Primary Production Committee and that the Committee present its final report on or before 1 June 2012.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.

I know it’s a cliché to say that we live in ‘interesting times’ and I could start any speech to an annual meeting by saying this – but for sheep and beef farmers it’s very true.

2011/12 was a bumper season for most farmers. Despite the recent sharp decline in sheep meat prices, it was certainly the best that I have seen in my farming career.

Good morning and welcome to the 2012 ForestWood Conference. It’s great to be here.

Congratulations on holding your second national pan-industry conference.

I’m pleased to see the Pan-Industry Strategic Action Plan in today’s programme. It is great to see that growers, processors and manufacturers have got together to develop a collective industry view of the future.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be here.

Your conference theme, Beyond our Boundaries, suits the arable industry down to the ground. It encourages your farmers to strive for growth and embrace innovation, something that also fits well with the Government’s goal.

As the Parliamentary year gets underway the Prime Minister has taken the opportunity to outline the aspirations of this National-led Government.