Peters attracts a full house for meeting

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at a public meeting in Rotorua at the weekend. Photo / Stephen Parker

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters touched on a number of issues at a packed public meeting during his visit to Rotorua.

Mr Peters visited the city on Saturday and spoke to a full house at the Copthorne Hotel.

He spoke on the British decision to leave the European Union, tourism, forestry, young unemployed, police, meth and the TPP.

He said the outcome of Brexit was a good opportunity for New Zealand.

"For New Zealand it is a tremendous window of opportunity. We can get a trade deal with the UK. We can't get a decent trade deal with the EU, and whilst the UK was in the EU we were denied access to them."

Mr Peters then went on to talk about tourism, in particular the $12 million funding over four years for local councils to deal with tourism numbers and the impact on infrastructure.

"Rotorua is just one of [the councils] and last summer you had massive pressure on your toilets, rubbish collection facilities, boat ramps and carparks.

"This $12 million will only be enough to pay for between seven and 15 toilet blocks nationwide - way short of what will be required for local infrastructure... The government needs to break its mentality of 'all take and too little give' for local councils."

Regarding police and meth, Mr Peters said the Government's funding freeze to police for six years would only see the meth problem in New Zealand get worse.

"[Meanwhile] We have a huge meth problem in New Zealand and police say it goes hand in hand with organised crime. Police say only considerable investment in disruption of organised crime in New Zealand will help reduce the prevalence of meth and other destructive drugs."