Nathan Guy backs region's primary industries during noisy visit

Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy (right) and National Party Whanganui candidate Harete Hipango (left) talk with supervisor Hoani Te Koari at Affco's Imlay plant.

With a background of a saucepan-banging "orchestra", Primary Industries and Associate Economic Development Minister Nathan Guy yesterday sang the Government's song to Whanganui civic and business leaders and members of the public.

Mr Guy was in town to visit a couple of major industries, open the campaign office for National's Whanganui candidate Harete Hipango and attend Whanganui & Partners' public forum and port revitalisation project update at Cooks Gardens function room. He also met Federated Farmers members and visited the New Zealand Commercial Pilot Academy at Whanganui Airport.

Mr Guy and the other speakers at the public forum were accompanied by non-stop saucepan-banging by a small group of anti-fracking and seabed mining protesters outside the venue.

The minister spent the morning visiting Affco's Imlay plant, Open Country Dairy and Bartley Group Holdings and was impressed with what he saw.

"Part of my visit is to ensure that what the Government is doing is helping primary industries to grow," Mr Guy said.

"Affco's Imlay plant is a significant part of job creation in the district. It's the second largest employer after the Whanganui District Health Board, with 600 staff at peak times.

"Imlay is one of 10 successful plants operating on a six-month trial to export chilled meat into China. The value of chilled meat compared to frozen is double and frozen meat is worth $1 billion a year to the red meat industry. If we can double that it will flow through to farmers in Whanganui.

"Open Country Dairy has expanded with a second drier and there may be a third if demand keeps growing. Bartleys are operating a successful logistics business, taking Open Country Dairy product by freight train through to Centreport."

The Government's recent announcement that the highway from Levin to Sanson has been included in a new list of Roads of National Significance would open up more economic opportunities for this district and region, he said.

"Much of Whanganui's GDP comes from the primary sector and the Government will continue to support the sector through the regional economic development programme Accelerate25. A big part of Whanganui's growth prospects and opportunities are around the port.

"We are very keen after September 23, if we are back in government, to focus on the things that matter most to the city, district and region and backing up the investment we have made in Accelerate25."

Questions from the forum attendees included several about roading issues that affect Whanganui business and tourism: reopening access through the Manawatu Gorge; making State Highway 4 (Parapara) between Whanganui and Raetihi a Road of National Significance; and road signs indicating the distance to Whanganui on State Highway 1 from Wellington.

Mr Guy said the inclusion of the Manawatu Gorge in the recent Roads of National Significance announcement would enable the resource consent process to be fast-tracked and make it a higher priority for New Zealand Transport Agency to find a long-term solution. The long-term solution, which would be extremely costly, could be a tunnel, with the alternative Saddle R upgraded in the short-term.

"We need to look at something long-term that's durable as the gorge is important for connectivity," he said.

He agreed that although the Parapara had been upgraded over time, it was important that it remained open as a link for business and tourism, especially if State Highway 1 (Desert Rd) was closed.

While state highway distance signs were a matter for NZTA to decide on, Mr Guy said he was "happy to go back and lobby them".