Lees-Galloway Iain: Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill — First Reading 
Lees-Galloway Iain: Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:652;Page:1733] 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
: 
 It is my great pleasure to rise in support of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill. 
For a moment there I thought I might not get a chance to actually take my call this evening but we have got there thankfully at last. I get the feeling of Groundhog Day. Here I am again speaking on a technical bill and it has taken a while for me to get my chance to speak but I suppose such is the lot of those of us who hold the land information portfolios in our respective parties. It is not a glamorous spot but it does deal with important details of Government and some of those fundamental rights that New Zealanders hold dear and take for granted. The work all gets done behind the scenes without much media attention. 
Hon Dr Richard Worth 
: Sadly so. 
IAIN LEES-GALLOWAY 
: Yes indeed. It is not unlike internal affairs; it is not a glamorous portfolio but it is where a lot of the hard work gets done. Of course we are dealing with another one of Labour’s bills today—just another one of Labour’s bills. I congratulate the previous Minister for Land Information David Parker who was involved in the meticulous work of putting this bill together. He has done an excellent job. This bill is another one that the Government has picked up without touching in any way whatsoever so I congratulate the previous Minister on his superb work. 
As the current Minister for Land Information Dr Richard Worth said this bill is an omnibus bill; it pulls together a lot of different issues. Reserves and Other Lands Disposal bills are identified as non-controversial issues and have the consent of all parties in Parliament so really there is no need to waste too much time on the bill. I will cover a couple of areas just very briefly. 
The first area is the Auckland volcanic cones land. Under existing legislation it is an offence to excavate or quarry on the side or slope of a volcanic cone or hill in a domain or public reserve in Auckland without the express authorisation of the Governor-General by Order in Council. Seeking authorisation from the Governor-General for that type of activity is no longer appropriate. Accordingly clause 11 amends section 5(1) of the Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Act 1915 so that consent must now be sought from the Minister of Conservation. That is entirely appropriate considering that in March 2007 New Zealand submitted that volcanic field with several specifically named features as a World Heritage Site candidate based on the area’s unique combination of natural and cultural features. That is very much in line with Labour’s philosophy of protecting our unique landforms for future generations of New Zealanders to enjoy. 
The second area I will cover is the provisions relating to the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area off the Taranaki coast. That protected area is currently a mixture of Crown-owned and local authority - owned land and seabed. The bill seeks to rectify the anomalous position of having sanctuary areas and a conservation park owned in part by persons other than the Crown. The bill also designates further areas within the protected area as sanctuary areas and removes the redundant wildlife refuge status from further areas within the protected area. 
New Zealand is blessed with some of the world’s most outstanding and distinctive flora and fauna and with conservation areas of great beauty and attractiveness for recreation and tourism. The recreational and heritage values of conservation areas can be readily diminished by alien weeds or pests and by overuse and poor management. Through this bill we can help protect these values and ensure we are responsible kaitiaki for future generations. 
There are as the Minister detailed a number of other provisions. There will be ample opportunity for any individuals or groups around the country affected by those provisions to make submissions to the select committee. I look forward to the progression of this bill and I commend it to the House.