Dean Jacqui: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — First Reading 
Dean Jacqui: Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:11924] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. This bill provides temporary legislation to enable timely consent and regulatory approvals necessary for Rugby World Cup 2011 activities and facilities. It involves the establishment of the Rugby World Cup Authority and it establishes provisions for urgent consents. It also provides for the establishment of a Rugby World Cup liquor licensing scheme. 
This event is one of the biggest-ever sporting events to come to New Zealand—I hope it is anyway. It is certainly important for New Zealand’s global brand and it is incredibly important for our economy not only in the big cities—Auckland Dunedin Christchurch or Hamilton—but also all over New Zealand right down to the smallest towns. They have understood and realised the opportunity we face with up to 85000 visitors—and possibly more—expected and with many more watching on television. It really is a chance for us to showcase New Zealand to the world as a great place to live a great place to visit and a very good place in which to do business. 
This bill will help make the Rugby World Cup a success by allowing the temporary streamlining of Government regulatory processes. I imagine that they will be things like the consenting processes required to erect a marquee for some kind of event related to a game. Those processes can be expensive and timely. I imagine that the bill deals with that kind of process and with the myriad other processes and consents required—and the timeliness of them—to ensure the success of the tournament and the many activities that will support it. 
This event is the third-largest sporting event in the world and it is the largest event that New Zealand has ever hosted. A lot of planning has gone into it and this bill is an important part of the process. A deliberate decision was made to spread the tournament right around the country. It has been said and it is true that we are a stadium of 4 million people. There are 48 matches in 13 venues across New Zealand. That provides enormous opportunity for smaller centres which may not even be hosting a game to take advantage of the interest in the Rugby World Cup and to put on their own festivals associated with the tournament. In my own corner of the South Island in Oamaru North Otago we are hosting the New Zealand Golden Oldies Rugby Festival. Planning has been under way for well over a year. It will culminate in a rugby game that will comprise the North Otago Waitaki Wasps versus the rest of the world. I am hoping to play a small part in that—I think I will be the ball boy. But— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Hooker? 
JACQUI DEAN 
: Well yes maybe the hooker. I thank the member across the House for that. It is an exciting opportunity for North Otago and we hope to attract many many hundreds of people to the district because of it. We want to make the most of their visit. We want to take advantage of it. We want to host them well and to provide opportunities for them to spend their money in our region. We are always very keen on that. We are keen to showcase our region to them as they travel to and fro from Queenstown to Christchurch and Dunedin where games will be held. This bill will enable our local consent processes to be done in an expeditious way. 
I am very pleased to be standing in the first reading of the Rugby World Cup 2011 (Empowering) Bill. I look forward to good scrutiny of the bill by the Government Administration Committee and I commend the bill to the House.