Foster-Bell Paul: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFoster-Bell Paul: Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 16 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:9817. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā Tuarua. Tēnā koutou katoa e ngā mema o Te Whare. In this Committee stage debate on the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board Empowering Bill I just want to start by saying that clause 3 is a very very sensible clause.This bill updates the framework that the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board will operate in to make it far more relevant to the 21st century environment. Clause 3 “Interpretation” clarifies the meaning and the difference between the new board and the old board. This is important because there have been changes in the real world that make some of the previous legislationmeaningless. For instance the Associated Churches of Christ no longer exists and this is laid out very clearly. The old board the Associated Churches of Christ Church Extension and Property Trust Board no longer exists. That institution changed its name some time ago. It is now the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board and it will be regularised as my colleague Brett Hudson referred to bringing the arrangements for governing the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 like what the vast majority of other Church-held property would be registered under. In fact the vast majority of charitable trusts—full stop—are regularised under that general law rather than requiring their own particular individual legislation. That does to some extent futureproof the organisation against the changes that it will face in the coming years.The very practical example of how this will play out was given by my colleague the Hon Dr Nick Smith when he spoke about this bill in its first reading in the House. In his own area of Nelson he is now the proud owner or I suppose the landlord of property that was once part of the Church of Christ Property Trust Board—the Annesbrook Church which now forms his electorate office—and in fact it was outgrown by its congregation. So that was a positive sign for the Church of Christ. It actually managed to outgrow the buildings in which it was based allowing them to be disposed of to Dr Nick Smith so that he could put his home and his electorate office into that property. It moved to a new complex in Saxton Road.This particular clause of the legislation does clarify that every type of property and real estate in particular that is held by the Churches is able to be transferred—to be disposed of. Their existing powers remain. But there is another important word here that I want to refer to. In clause 4 “Purpose” it also talks about the “obligations”. My colleagues have focused primarily on the property rights and interests of the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board but actually there are obligations. So for instance where debts may be owing on properties where there are other conditions that need to be abided by by the Christian Churches New Zealand Property Trust Board those obligations will continue to remain. By defining that very clearly and outlining that those obligations of the old board are transferred to the new board we will not end up with the problematic situation where the assets are moved across but the liabilities are kept with the old board once it is dissolved.The powers of the board—this is also important. The board must be able to conduct its business. It must remain the master of its own destiny. So it is retaining the existing powers—not adding any additional powers and not removing powers but retaining the existing powers of the board—along with the obligations and along with the interests in the property whilst it does. transfer to the new board which I think is particularly important. Just on a technical level that land will be registered in the name of the new board under the Land Transfer Act 1952. So effectively the name on the title will transfer across—that is in clause 3(b)(iii) of this particular part of the legislation. It is very well drafted. It is very clear. It is short and crisp but excellent.