Korako Nuk: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKorako Nuk: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 26 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:2017. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]NUK KORAKO (National): E te Mana Whakawā tēnā koe. Before I speak to this bill I want to follow on from my colleagues on this side of the House and acknowledge the passing of Dame Thea. In doing that I remember Sir Robert Muldoon and the fact that when he passed out of this House in 1992 during the tangi he was haka’d out. There were two hakas that were part of his poroporoaki. I just want to acknowledge her passing. I remember her when both she and Sir Robert came to St Stephen’s College in Auckland when I was a student there. She was just a wonderful person—a very warm person. I acknowledge her and her tangi being held on Tuesday where she will make her final journey to Sir Robert and her ancestors. Kia ora again. E mihi atu ki a koutou katoa huri noa i te Whare e tū nei. [Acknowledgments to you all throughout the House standing here.] Nō reira tēnā koutou e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.I rise to speak on the first reading of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill. As the final speaker it is really interesting sitting here listening to the Opposition and to my colleagues on this side of the House. On this side of the House we have all the ticks and on the other side we have the fact that either the glass is half empty or if we come further over here to my right to my Green Party colleagues the glass is completely empty.I am pleased to support this bill and I look forward to considering it as a member of the Local Government and Environment Committee. National has a strong record of promoting economic growth and protecting our environment. We do not see protection of the environment as being detrimental to our economy. We also do not take the view of the Green Party that somehow increasing the wealth of our nation is detrimental to the environment and we should abandon the goal of economic growth. That in itself is a reflection of the fact that the future of this country should never ever be put in the hands of that particular party.I want to cover off the achievements to date in relation to this bill of the National-led Government. The achievements of the National-led Government stand as proof that economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand. Through a period of sustained economic growth National has steadily improved environmental management in this country. To me the environment is neither a left nor a right domain—it really is not.I am proud to be part of the Bluegreens as well. I am not only “blue brown”; I am also blue-green. I am very proud to be part of the Bluegreens group in the National Party caucus. I have great admiration for the work of the Hon Nick Smith and others who set up this group. The Bluegreens have instigated many of the sensible environmental management measures put in place by the National-led Government. I am looking forward in April to actually being able to go to Great Barrier Island and to be there as part of the Bluegreens conference.An incredible instigation coming from the Bluegreens initiative but not least among those measures was a sea change in how our maritime environment is managed. The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 was the big step forward for environmental management. It certainly was and we are seeing the fruits of that today. At the Local Government and Environment Committee meeting today the chair of the Environmental Protection Authority came to present. It has been going for just over 3 years and what an amazing 3 years that has been. This is a direct effect of that 2012 legislation. For the first time this law required the environmental effects of activities in our exclusive economic zone to be managed. That is really the essence here. It is actually about finding that balance particularly through management. It is sensible blue-green legislation that protects our environment without constricting economic growth in a way that would be detrimental to the prosperity of all New Zealanders.As can easily happen with reforms as big as this there have been unintended consequences. We have heard from the other side of the House that it is all doom and gloom. The whole country was going to the dogs—all the legislation and everything that we are doing in this House was based on the fact that suddenly we needed to amend certain legislation. I repeat for the benefit of my New Zealand First colleagues over there that these things can easily happen with reforms as big as this. There have been unintended consequences. Once they get into Government they will probably understand that a bit more if they ever do.As the Minister stated in his speech at the time when the original bill had its first reading it was those activities and undertakings that the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 regulates that would be allowed to continue until the marine consent applications were decided. This particular part of the legislation was to ensure that operators are able to continue their activities without interrupting the supply of gas to New Zealand consumers. That has been highlighted right across the House during this debate. It is now apparent that there is a risk that appeals against the granting of marine consents could interrupt this supply and cause damage to our economy.The first permit that is at risk expires on 27 June 2015 and even if the operator is granted a marine consent by the Environmental Protection Authority before the expiry of its current permit any appeal against the Environmental Protection Authority’s decision would force it to stop operating. Those appeals could take years and so the risk of interruption to the gas supply cannot be ignored. Other speakers have already talked through this as I have said. It is also about what the Government receives in revenue from extraction particularly the $800 million that as we have said goes into infrastructure education roading and all that sort of thing.I stand here and really commend this bill to the House. It is a simple bill and it is actually being supported by most of the parties in here. It is important that we do protect our resources for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Kia ora.