Roy Heather: Wellington City Council (Te Aro Reclamation) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Roy Heather: Wellington City Council (Te Aro Reclamation) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:619;Page:14630] 
HEATHER ROY (ACT) 
: 
 It gives me pleasure to rise as a Wellingtonian and a member of ACT New Zealand to support this bill. I endorse the comments made by the New Zealand First member Mr Jim Peters about the length of time it has taken the bill to reach this point. I see that it had its first reading on Wednesday 14 May 2003 and that the second reading was not held until a year later on 19 May this year—2004. I think that this House has done the Wellington City Council a great disservice by the length of time it has taken to progress the bill through the House. I would like to say too that the Green Party despite the fact that it seems reluctantly to be supporting this bill is also responsible for the slow progress it has made. The Greens objected to the final stages of the bill being dealt with at once. One can only assume that that was a political stunt to make the point that they do not like what the council intends to do with the land in Jack Ilott Green. We have heard from several speakers—and I think the Minister put it very well—of the great benefits that Wellington would have as a result of Victoria University and Massey University joining together to have a school of music. This is I believe a very good site for such a proposed school of music and the school would benefit Wellingtonians greatly as it would benefit those students from around New Zealand who would wish to come to such a school. 
This bill as the member for Wellington Central pointed out is only about the role that central government has in relation to local bodies. It outlines very clearly the inappropriateness of holding up the sale or otherwise of the affected land due to the Te Aro Reclamation Act of 1879. That Act is very outdated and it gives the land a very different legal status from other parcels of land owned by the city council. In this day and age the very prescriptive nature of the legislation that governed Jack Ilott Green is totally inappropriate. It is not right that councils should be required to jump through hoops to do what they wish with land that they govern. I come back again to a comment that the member for Wellington Central made when she said that central government should not hamper land that is under the control of local bodies. In fact she was referring to the 1879 legislation when she said that the relationship between central government and local government was not as close then as it is now. However ACT New Zealand would contend that it is not appropriate for that to happen in this day and age either. Local bodies must be able to control their own land without being held to ransom by central government. We contend that that point is every bit as relevant now when legislating as it was in those days. 
I shall also touch briefly on consultation. The Green Party has made much of consultation as this bill has progressed through the House. The Wellington City Council has shown great willingness to consult not only on this matter but on many matters. It is willing to consult and it consults in a very fair way giving everybody the opportunity to have their say on matters relating to Wellington. The council is very responsible and I have been very impressed with it. That aside the responsibleness the council has shown would be required of it under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 which other speakers have talked about too. 
ACT New Zealand is very pleased to support the passage of this bill through the House. The final point I would like to make is one of principle: central government should really stay out of local body matters. That is a lesson not only with regard to this bill but with other legislation. When we are making law we should ensure that property rights are upheld both for individuals and also bodies like local councils. When they own land they must be free to deal with it as they see fit within the delegation of their elected representatives. So ACT New Zealand supports this bill and just regrets that it has taken as long as it has to get this legislation through so that the Wellington City Council is able to do with the land as it sees fit.