Guy Nathan: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Third Reading 
Guy Nathan: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:668;Page:15328] 
Hon NATHAN GUY (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister for the Rugby World Cup 
: I move  
That the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill be now read a third time 
. When New Zealand hosts the Rugby World Cup next year it will be the largest event we have ever experienced in this country. Matches and teams will be spread from one end of the country to the other with an influx of 85000 visitors and 2000 international media expected. For 45 days the global spotlight will shine on New Zealand. It is vital for our reputation our economy our pride and ourselves that our country delivers a truly excellent tournament. As a result the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill is needed to guarantee the country’s preparedness for this enormous responsibility. 
The Government has invested in various stadium developments infrastructure business leveraging and sector showcasing programmes. We are wholeheartedly committed to making sure we are ready. This bill is a vital tool to aid the country in hosting our biggest event ever. There will be no room for any second chances. We simply have to get this right. This bill will speed up the consenting process for Rugby World Cup - related facilities and activities and also allow for special Rugby World Cup liquor licences. It provides an expedited regime that will help ensure that the events forming part of and supporting the tournament meet the appropriate environmental and public safety standards. This will help ensure that New Zealand can meet the hospitality and hosting requirements of the tournament and that we are well placed to leverage maximum advantage from the opportunities that hosting this event will provide overall. 
The bill establishes a Rugby World Cup Authority to consider and determine applications for temporary approvals for Rugby World Cup - related activities and facilities as well as temporary declarations of permitted activities. The authority is appointed by the Minister for the Rugby World Cup and must include members with experience and expertise in the matters likely to come before it. It will receive administrative support and advice from local councils and does not require the establishment of any significant new bureaucracy. 
There is also provision in the bill to enable the Minister for the Rugby World Cup after receiving advice from the authority and consulting relevant Ministers to grant approvals in circumstances of unforeseen urgency. The bill also enables declarations of permitted activities to be made urgently by Order in Council. These provisions are a vital safeguard for the successful operation of the tournament and it is entirely appropriate given the importance of the Rugby World Cup that the final decisions are made by Ministers rather than by an unelected body no matter how eminent. 
Finally the bill establishes a Rugby World Cup liquor licensing regime which will help the hospitality industry meet the extraordinary requirements of the Rugby World Cup while ensuring that licensed premises operate in a sensible and safe manner. Premises licensed under the bill will need to adhere to stricter standards than the ones in the Sale of Liquor Act and both the police and the authority have the power to take swift and effective action against premises that do not meet those high standards. 
During the parliamentary stages of this bill a number of matters were clarified including the duties and powers of the authority itself the supporting role of local councils and changes to the definition to clarify the sorts of activities and facilities that can be approved under the bill. One of the effects of those changes ensures that Rugby World Cup liquor licences can be granted for live public screenings of games. Holders of current on-licences will be able to have their licensing hours extended to coincide with live screenings of Rugby World Cup matches and will allow cruise ships the holders of club licences under the Sale of Liquor Act and charter clubs to apply for Rugby World Cup liquor licences. 
The bill provides the police with greater enforcement powers to control the consumption of liquor during the tournament and ensures that the granting of Rugby World Cup liquor licences will not extend the hours during which existing gambling machines can be operated. In addition the select committee recommended providing an exemption from the change-of-use provisions in the Building Act to enable modern apartment buildings to be used for temporary Rugby World Cup accommodation without seeking building consent. This was a sensible solution that balanced the accommodation requirements of the tournament with the need to ensure public safety. 
During the Committee stage a number of MPs commented on the powers the bill gives to the Minister for the Rugby World Cup. Some of the speakers suggested that the Minister could override any decision of the Rugby World Cup Authority. This is not correct. The Minister following consultation with at least two other Ministers can make a final decision on only the most urgent applications and then only in the period between 1 July 2011 and the end of the tournament. Hopefully the Minister will not be called upon to exercise that power but given its nature it is entirely appropriate for it to be exercised by a democratically accountable Minister. 
I thank the select committee officials Parliamentary Counsel Office submitters and all those people who have had a part in bringing the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill to this stage. The bill will give us the mechanism to ensure that all necessary approvals for Rugby World Cup activities and facilities are considered and determined very quickly. It will also deal with any unforeseen emergencies that may affect New Zealand’s ability to host an excellent tournament next year. It is further evidence that the Government continues to deliver on its commitment to maximise the benefits and opportunities that we know will be presented to our country by staging the Rugby World Cup. I am pleased to commend this bill to the House.