Bennett Paula: Housing Amendment Bill Housing Corporation (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (No 2) Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (NO 2) — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBennett Paula: Housing Amendment Bill Housing Corporation (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (No 2) Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (NO 2) — Third Readings[Sitting date: 18 February 2016. Volume:711;Page:9171. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Housing): I move That the Housing Amendment Bill the Housing Corporation (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (No 2) and the Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters (Social Housing Reform) Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a third time. I would like to thank the Social Services Committee and the many officials who worked on these bills. I also want to thank ACT United Future and the Māori Party for supporting them.These bills of course achieve three things. We have heard a whole lot of rhetoric over the last few days most of which actually is not factual for the bills themselves. They authorise designated Ministers to enter into social housing transactions in the name of the Housing New Zealand Corporation and its subsidiaries. This will allow us to transfer homes beginning with some in Tauranga and Invercargill to community housing providers and to undertake the redevelopment in the Tāmaki community. The bills enable designated Ministers to enter into contracts to require that Housing New Zealand provides transitional services to those community housing providers to ensure that tenants’ needs are looked after during any transfer process which is really important. We want to ensure that transaction processes work smoothly for the tenants foremost.The transactions process is new both for the Government and for the community housing providers. The process is proceeding in a measured way so that potential participants have the opportunity to prepare and the rights of tenants are protected. Officials have received expressions of interest about both the Invercargill and Tauranga social housing transactions and in mid-March will announce a shortlist of bidders who will be asked to submit a detailed response to a request for proposals issued by the Government. We are very pleased with the level of interest shown in these transactions.There are safeguards in the process. Following exercise of the transaction mandate Ministers are required to publicly notify the general nature and purpose of the use in the Gazette and present it to Parliament. This provides transparency and allows Parliament and citizens to assess whether the exercise is consistent with the purpose outlined in the legislation. The bills also clarify that the Public Works Act offer-back provisions do not apply to land held by Housing New Zealand and preserves this treatment for designated Ministers. It is important to provide certainty on this point to avoid delay for the social housing process. This amendment actually does not alter any existing rights; it merely confirms the current legal position. Importantly the legislation does not remove any right of first refusal that iwi may have in relation to Housing New Zealand properties under Treaty settlements. We have been engaging with affected iwi since last year to ensure such a right is appropriately recognised.The final aspect of this legislation is an amendment to the Housing Act 1955 to clear up a longstanding issue not directly related to the Social Housing Reform Programme. This legislation is an important but small part of our overall work to improve social housing. We are also opening up Crown land in Auckland for social and affordable housing developments; providing more emergency housing with a $2.5 million funding boost to the sector; contracting with community housing providers to provide more social houses in Auckland; and freeing up social houses by reviewing the tenancies of those who can afford private rentals or can even purchase their own home and we have spent nearly $400 million on upgrading and maintaining Housing New Zealand homes just in the last year. This Government remains committed to improving the lives of tenants in social housing and this legislation supports that objective. I commend these bills to the House.