Significant Community Based Projects Fund—Karori Wildlife Sanctuary

Does he agree that the sanctuary had proved itself against the fund’s criterion of securing commitments for significant community support towards the project cost from funding sources other than central government, given that it had secured an $8 million interest-free loan from the Wellington City Council, and only after extensive community consultation?

Russell Fairbrother Link to this

Yes, it is true that the project for a visitors centre and car-park at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary did meet many of the criteria set down by Cabinet. There were some concerns, however, about some financial aspects of the project.

What does the Significant Community Based Projects Fund aim to do, and how much has been distributed this year?

The Significant Community Based Projects Fund aims to help those significant community projects that have been stifled of capital over a number of years. It is to be a funder of last resort, and a number of very, very good projects have been funded. An amount of $19.3 million has been allocated, including to the velodrome in Invercargill, the Chinese gardens in Dunedin, the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust in Waikato, the Ōparara Valley project on the West Coast, and Auckland’s agricultural and pastoral showgrounds. Those are excellent, deserving projects and won support in their own right.

Dunne Hon Peter Dunne Link to this

Just keep the level of chat down, so we can hear the member.

How does the Minister reconcile his officials’ advice to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary—that its application had been declined because it had failed to secure significant community support for the project from sources other than central government—with the fact that at the time that the Wellington City Council approved a loan of $8 million to the sanctuary in June 2005, those same officials had advised the sanctuary that the loan would not pose a problem with its application, and also with the fact that of the $15 million previously raised by the sanctuary, 64 percent had come from the community at large, and is he therefore now prepared to request his officials to review their decision?

Dunne Hon Peter Dunne Link to this

The application was not for the sanctuary itself; the application was for a visitors centre—[ Interruption]

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I am sitting not very far from the Minister, but with the noise I cannot hear a word he is saying.

I sympathise with the member.

The first point I would make in answer to the member’s question is that the application was for a visitors centre and car-park, not for the sanctuary itself. Secondly, the officials did acknowledge to the group that the loan was there and told it that it was not a problem, but that is not to say there were not other financial concerns about the entire project. There were concerns, and they have been outlined to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.

How much confidence does he have in the grants process, when the Wellington City Council was absolutely certain, in giving the $8 million interest-free loan, that the loan would be repaid, whereas his officials sat in their office and, without consulting the council and without consulting the sanctuary, deemed that the loan could not be repaid, and used that as one of the main reasons for declining the grant?

Dunne Hon Peter Dunne Link to this

I am confident about the process. The criteria were clear and the process was transparent. Every application had to go through exactly the same process. They were all judged fairly and equally. I have to say to the member that it was not just the loan that was at issue; the officials have explained to the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary their concerns. I make the point to the member that another funding round is coming up next year.

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I have a slight dilemma, in that I have used up my party’s allocation of supplementary questions for today but the Minister has failed to answer the first part of my original supplementary question, which was whether he would order a review. I cannot ask a second supplementary question, but he did not answer the first part, so perhaps he could be invited to comment on it now.

Would the Minister like to add to his answer.

Is this a supplementary question, Madam Speaker?

No. [ Interruption] I have in the past ruled in the same way when members have not phrased their questions properly—and, yes, Mr Hide, I remember quite clearly that once I gave you the benefit. Would the Hon Rick Barker please add to his answer.

No.

Can the Minister understand why his colleague the Hon Marian Hobbs found the decision “bloody hurtful”, when the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary clearly met a different criterion of securing demonstrated community support, given that it attracted over $13 million in community funding, that 350 volunteers had put in over 250,000 hours of volunteer work, and that the sanctuary has 5,500 members—yet his department deemed that it did not have enough community support?

What the applications to this fund have shown is that there is an enormous amount of energy out there in New Zealand for significant projects. All the projects we had to turn down were deserving, and it is very difficult to judge one as being better than another. I am well aware of the outstanding work being done by the Karori sanctuary, but I would say that it is rather ironic that criticism based on public concern comes from that member, as 70 percent of Wellingtonians said they opposed the sale of Wellington Airport, yet that member, Mark Blumsky, sold it.

Can the Minister understand the statement made by his colleague the Hon Marian Hobbs that she had huge doubts about the decision and about the process around the decision, when she and many others cannot see the logic behind criteria that result in the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary’s application for $6 million of taxpayers’ money failing, but that would have approved an application from it for $8 million of taxpayers’ money?

Hon Jim Anderton Link to this

The member’s last statement is simply not correct. I can understand the frustration felt by Marian Hobbs, but I am confident that the process was clear, transparent, and robust.

Can the Minister tell the House when the grant policy for significant community activity and events was put in place, and was it in place when the National Government was last in power?

Hon RICK BARKER: I can say that this is a fantastic policy that shows Labour’s commitment to strengthening communities. We are prepared to invest in communities, unlike the National Party. This is a Labour process, and if National has its way, which it will not, and imposes huge tax cuts, then all these sorts of activities will be gone—gone well before lunchtime.

Gerry Brownlee Link to this

I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. We notice that the Labour whips have indicated to Marian Hobbs that there are not enough supplementary questions left on their side for her to ask a question. If you were to recognise her, you could take the question off us.