Search written questions to Ministers and the replies they have received.
Showing 7451 to 7500 of 32204 written question sets.
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has Treasury quantified the economic value expected from the proposed conservation reforms?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
No, The Treasury has not quantified the economic value expected from the proposed conservation reforms.
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
What forecast increase, if any, in commercial activity on public conservation land has been modelled?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
No modelling has been undertaken to forecast the potential increase in commercial activity on public conservation land that would result from the Conservation Amendment Bill.
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
How many additional concessions, if any, does the Minister expect the Conservation Amendment Bill to enable over the next five years?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
No modelling has been undertaken to forecast the potential number of additional concessions enabled by the Conservation Amendment Bill.
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister assessed the impact of the Conservation Amendment Bill on Te Papakura o Taranaki, Whanganui National Park, and Whareorino Conservation Area; if so, what were those assessments?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
I have received advice on how to uphold the Taranaki Maunga arrangements as set out in the Te Kāhui Tupua Act 2025. I, along with Department of Conservation officials, am continuing to engage with both Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi and Te Tōpuni…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Which public conservation areas, if any, within Te Tai Hauāuru has the Minister identified as likely to experience increased commercial access or activity as a consequence of the Conservation Amendment Bill?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Conservation Amendment Bill develops new national settings for conservation and does not single out specific regions, so there has been no regional-level analysis of the expected change to commercial access or activity for Te Tai…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
How many hectares, if any, of Department of Conservation land within the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate are expected to be affected by the Conservation Amendment Bill?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Conservation Amendment Bill introduces new national conservation settings that will apply across all public conservation land. However, the impact on any particular area will vary depending on factors such as the purposes for which the…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister undertaken a Te Tiriti impact assessment regarding the Conservation Amendment Bill; if not, why not?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
Treaty analysis occurred throughout the policy development that led to the Conservation Amendment Bill. The Department of Conservation has proactively released a significant amount of the background analysis, which can be found on the…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister obtained advice regarding the consistency of the Conservation Amendment Bill with Treaty settlement obligations?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
I have publicly stated the Government’s commitment that amendments to the conservation system will uphold Treaty settlements. I have received advice on how redress obligations can be transferred into the new conservation system. For more…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
What specific engagement, if any, has occurred with iwi and hapū whose rohe include public conservation land affected by the Conservation Amendment Bill?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
Engagement with Iwi, including Post-Settlement Governance Entities, has been ongoing since November 2024 to discuss how to uphold Treaty settlement commitments in the context of these reforms. Since January 2025, officials have met with at…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
How many recommendations, if any, from Conservation Boards regarding the Conservation Amendment Bill have been accepted in developing the Bill?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Department of Conservation engaged with conservation boards during development of the Conservation Amendment Bill, including during public consultation from November 2024 to February 2025. Conservation boards provided submissions on…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister received advice indicating Conservation Boards opposed any aspect of the proposed conservation reforms; if so, what were those concerns?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Department of Conservation engaged with conservation boards during development of the Conservation Amendment Bill, including during public consultation from November 2024 to February 2025. Conservation boards provided submissions on…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
What assessments, if any, has the Minister undertaken of the impact the Conservation Amendment Bill will have on the statutory role of Conservation Boards?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
Department of Conservation officials have provided advice to me on the potential impacts of amending the processes for developing and approving conservation planning documents. This advice has been proactively released and can be found on…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
What assessments, if any, has been undertaken of the cumulative impact of the Conservation Amendment Bill together with the Fast‑track Approvals Act on public conservation land?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
Department of Conservation officials have assessed the potential interactions of the purpose-related changes in the Conservation Amendment Bill with the Fast-track Approvals Act. They have not quantified the impact but have acknowledged…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister received advice from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment regarding risks that the Conservation Amendment Bill could weaken conservation outcomes; if so, what action has he taken?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment provided a submission on the discussion document. DOC’s analysis of submissions informed policy decisions for the Bill. The summary of submissions can be found here -…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
What advice, if any, has the Minister received on whether the Conservation Amendment Bill changes the legal hierarchy from conservation being the primary purpose of public conservation land to one where economic use is given greater weight?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
I have been advised that the proposed changes do not create an obligation on the Department of Conservation to balance conservation outcomes with economic opportunities. Conservation will remain the overarching purpose of the Act. For more…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
How many hectares of Department of Conservation land in each region of New Zealand are expected to be affected by the proposed changes to the Conservation Act, if any?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
The Conservation Amendment Bill introduces new national conservation settings that will apply across all public conservation land. The impact on any particular area will vary depending on factors such as the purposes for which the land is…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30348 (2026), what proportion of the $531 million Picton works budget and the $325 million Wellington works budget is covered by signed fixed-price contracts rather than estimates, and what cost escalation provisions will…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Per our reply to 30348 (2026), early contractor involvement and various demolition and design tasks have been contracted while main works contracts will be entered later this year. To maintain the position of Ferry Holdings to carry out…
Asked by
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer
Member for Te Tai Hauāuru · Te Pāti Māori
Has the Minister received advice identifying every parcel of public conservation land that may be affected by the Conservation Amendment Bill; if so, will he release that advice?
Answered by
Hon Tama Potaka
Member for Hamilton West · National Party · Minister of Conservation
No. The Conservation Amendment Bill introduces new national conservation settings that will apply across all public conservation land. The impact on any particular area will vary depending on factors such as the purposes for which the land…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30347 (2026), what elements of the Government's negotiating position remain to be protected in respect of the agreements between Ferry Holdings and CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail that reply 30346 (2026)…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
To use your language, those elements which are still under negotiation remain to be protected. With respect to finalised elements, we have released all information where it is possible to do so under the OIA. As work progresses, we will…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30345 (2026), what is the current forecast cost at completion for the Cook Strait ferry replacement programme against the budget approved by Cabinet, expressed as a dollar variance, if any?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
$1.704 billion is the current taxpayer budget for our contribution to the programme. This gives a variance of $0.000 billion against the budget approved by Cabinet. As a mathematical equation: $1.704 billion minus $1.704 billion equals…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30354 (2026), has Ferry Holdings Limited issued a formal notice to proceed, or equivalent instruction, authorising Guangzhou Shipyard International to begin building the two new Cook Strait ferries, as distinct from the…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Refer to the reply to 30354 (2026). The entire point of the contract is to build the two Cook Strait ferries.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30354 (2026), on what date was the fixed price contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International entered, and how does the Minister reconcile that date with the date of 15 November 2026 stated in the reply?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
15 November 2025. We have corrected the typo in the reply to 30354 (2026) and thank the member for drawing it to our attention.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30344 (2026), does a programmed delivery date for each vessel exist within the shipbuilding contract or the programme schedule, and if so, will the Minister release those dates; if not, why not?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Yes, and no. Rest assured, however, when we are in a position to announce the commencement dates the member will be among the first to know.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30352 (2026), in which quarter of 2027 is construction of the first vessel programmed to begin, and how is an end-of-2029 in-service date achievable if construction begins later than the first quarter of 2027 and vessels…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
May 2027 for the first vessel, which will enter service in the first half of 2029.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30352 (2026), how much time has been programmed between delivery of each vessel by Guangzhou Shipyard International and its entry into service on the Cook Strait for the delivery voyage, sea trials, Maritime New Zealand…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
This information will be released closer to 2029, but time is allocated for these matters to occur before the first vessel enters service in the first half of 2029.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30350 (2026), what is the value of the contingent liability recorded on the Crown's books in respect of the Crown guarantee provided to secure the shipyard deal?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
This information is not disclosed, as this would reveal the quantum of various milestone payments.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30350 (2026), has Guangzhou Shipyard International obtained the refund guarantee from a reputable bank required under the shipbuilding contract, and if so, on what date was it provided and does it cover the full value of…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Yes, as obtaining a refund guarantee was a condition to enter the contract. It is not the Government’s place to state the banking arrangements of a shipyard, except to say that Ferry Holdings and its assurance advisors were satisfied such…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30351 (2026), in what currency is the shipbuilding contract denominated, and what hedging arrangements, if any, are in place to protect the taxpayer against the foreign exchange movements to which the reply states the $596…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
USD. Hedging arrangements are in place for 66 percent of the remaining unpaid contract value. The balance is managed under the company’s foreign exchange management policy.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30351 (2026), what was the quantum of the first milestone payment made on signing in November 2025, and what proportion of the total contract price will have been paid before construction of the vessels commences?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
This information cannot be disclosed at this time, but as it is a fixed price contract the total payments add up to $596 million.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30349 (2026), what consequences arise under the shipbuilding contract if Final Approval to Deliver is not granted, including any break fees or forfeited payments, if any?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
This is a hypothetical question of no consequence as the Final Approval to Deliver Business Case has been completed and provided to shareholding Ministers. It will be released soon.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30349 (2026), was the first milestone payment to Guangzhou Shipyard International made before Final Approval to Deliver was granted, and if so, under what authority was that payment made?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Yes. Shareholding Ministers approved funding for Ferry Holdings to enter the shipyard contracts consistent with our delegations from Cabinet and on the recommendation of Ferry Holdings and the Treasury.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30346 (2026), which party or parties will bear any programme costs above $2 billion, should the overall cost of the programme exceed that figure?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
None, while we’re in charge anyway.
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30346 (2026), how much of the $415 million allocated to programme management and total contingencies has been drawn down or committed to date, and against which risks or cost pressures was it drawn down or committed, if…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
$28 million has been spent on programme management as of 30 June 2026. This includes direct ship-related costs that sit outside the ship build contract (such as ship brokerage, naval architecture, and interior design), together with Ferry…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30346 (2026), which parties are meeting the difference between the estimated overall programme cost of $1.86 billion and the maximum taxpayer contribution of $1.704 billion, and what is each party's confirmed contribution?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
As announced on 17 July 2026: CentrePort Limited (that’s a port based in Wellington) is contributing $100 million, Port Marlborough (a port based in Picton) is contributing $110 million, and the New Zealand Transport Agency (an authority…
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30343 (2026), what risks recorded on the programme risk register for the Cook Strait ferry replacement programme are currently rated as high or extreme, if any?
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Refer to the response to WPQ 30343 (2026).
Asked by
Tangi Utikere
Member for Palmerston North · Labour Party
Further to reply 30343 (2026), what specific written advice, if any, has the Minister received from Ferry Holdings Limited, the Treasury, the Ministry of Transport, or any other officials since 1 January 2026 assessing the likelihood of…
Answered by
Rt Hon Winston Peters
List MP · NZ First · Minister for Rail
Where it has been possible to release these titles and documents we have done so. The Treasury has also proactively released advice on its website leading up to our November 2025 announcement.
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
How many of the 230 overseas investment transactions granted consent by LINZ in the 2025/26 financial year are subject to ongoing conditions or monitoring requirements, and what enforcement action, if any, has LINZ taken against overseas…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: [Reply corrected on 11 August 2026] All consents granted were subject to conditions and monitoring. 19 enforcement actions were taken relating to non-compliance with consent conditions in the 2025/26 financial year; eight…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
What additional resourcing, staffing, or budget has been allocated to LINZ since 2024 to achieve the reduction in average overseas investment processing times from 71 working days to 23 working days cited by Associate Finance Minister…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has not received any additional resourcing, staffing or budget allocation for the overseas investment function that is associated with the reduction in average processing times since…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
What was the total number of consents granted and the total gross investment value approved by LINZ under the Overseas Investment Act in each of the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 financial years, for comparison with the 230…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: I refer the Member to the attached table.
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
What consultation, if any, was undertaken with LINZ, Treasury, the Commerce Commission, and industry stakeholders in developing the new guidance for overseas investors in the supermarket and grocery sector announced by Associate Finance…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: The guidelines were based on guidance previously published by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) in August 2025. In preparing the 2025 guidance, LINZ consulted with the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment,…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
How many overseas investment applications relating to supermarket or grocery retail have been received, approved, declined, and withdrawn in each of the 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, and 2025/26 financial years, and how many such…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: There have been three applications for consent relating to supermarket or grocery retail within the specified timeframe, all of which were approved. No applications are currently pending with Land Information New Zealand…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
What was the average, median, and longest processing time in working days for the 230 overseas investment transactions granted consent by LINZ in the 2025/26 financial year, broken down by consent pathway, and how many of these exceeded…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: I refer the Member to the attachment.
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
How many of the 230 overseas investment transactions granted consent by LINZ in the 2025/26 financial year, referenced in Associate Finance Minister David Seymour's 14 July 2026 press release, were assessed as raising a potential national…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) assesses the risk of all overseas investment transactions against New Zealand’s national interest. In 2025/26, 22 national interest assessments were undertaken. Most of these…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
What is the individual transaction value, sector, applicant entity name, country of origin, consent pathway, and date of consent for each of the 230 overseas investment transactions granted consent by LINZ in the 2025/26 financial year…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: The 230 applications that were granted is made up of 152 Consents, 36 Exemptions, and 42 Variations. Details of the 152 consents is provided in the attached table. Note, this excludes 20 $5 million plus house consents and…
Asked by
Damien O'Connor
List MP · Labour Party
How many of the 230 overseas investment transactions granted consent by Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) in the 2025/26 financial year, with a combined gross investment value of approximately $23.8 billion as cited by Associate Finance…
Answered by
Mike Butterick
Member for Wairarapa · National Party · Minister for Land Information
Corrected reply: [Reply corrected 11 August 2026] I refer the Member to the attachment.
Asked by
Chris Hipkins
Member for Remutaka · Labour Party
Further to his replies to Questions 30393 and 30392 (2026), did he approve Minister Jones’s request for additional funding for the Minister’s travel to Toronto in March 2025 or did his Chief of Staff approve that additional funding?
Answered by
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Member for Botany · National Party · Prime Minister
My Chief of Staff confirmed additional costs could be met from the Ministerial Services budget.
Asked by
Chris Hipkins
Member for Remutaka · Labour Party
Further to his replies to Questions 30393 and 30392 (2026), why did it take until June 2026 for him to become aware of the changes to Hon Shane Jones’s class of airfare, if his Chief of Staff became aware of it in January 2026?
Answered by
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Member for Botany · National Party · Prime Minister
The costs were confirmed to be met from the Ministerial Services budget in February 2026. That was a process that is administered by my office.
Asked by
Chris Hipkins
Member for Remutaka · Labour Party
When did he first become aware that Minister Shane Jones had overspent the Cabinet approved budget for the Minister’s March 2025 travel to Toronto and what enquiries, if any, did he make about that overspend?
Answered by
Rt Hon Christopher Luxon
Member for Botany · National Party · Prime Minister
I refer the Member to reply number 30392 (2026).
Asked by
Ginny Andersen
List MP · Labour Party
Further to Written Parliamentary Question 29637 (2026); What specific functions or capabilities that were within scope of the original ReFrame transformation programme are not included in the current pipeline of advancement requests, if…
Answered by
Hon Mark Mitchell
Member for Whangaparāoa · National Party · Minister of Police
I am advised that the original ReFrame transformation programme was a broad business transformation initiative comprising operating model, workflow, service design and technology components. As business needs, priorities and organisational…
Asked by
Ginny Andersen
List MP · Labour Party
Further to Written Parliamentary Question 29640 (2026); what enhancements have been categorised as low prioritity, if any?
Answered by
Hon Mark Mitchell
Member for Whangaparāoa · National Party · Minister of Police
I am advised that advancement requests are periodically prioritised and reprioritised using agreed operational, strategic and legislative criteria. Police does not maintain a permanent category of enhancements classified as "low priority",…