Tizard Judith: Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Bill — Procedure Second Reading Third Reading 
Tizard Judith: Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Bill — Procedure Second Reading Third Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:18028] 
Hon JUDITH TIZARD (Labour—Auckland Central) 
: 
 I move  
That the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Bill be now read a second and a third time 
. I would like to thank the members of the Local Government and Environment Committee for their careful and thoughtful handling of this bill. I would also like to thank other members and parties from across the House that are supporting this bill. I would like to acknowledge the huge amount of work by the organisations promoting this bill representatives of whom are present in the gallery tonight. They are Auckland City councillors Tony Miller and Greg Moyle and representatives from all of the amenities covered by this bill—too many to name. However I want to particularly acknowledge the work of Roseanne Meo who is chair of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and was the catalyst for this legislation. 
Many many people have worked in a truly sustained team effort over 4 years to see the 10 organisations come together to draft and promote this private bill for the good of Auckland. In fact many MPs from across New Zealand have come to me and asked whether this legislation could be extended to their area. I say to members of Parliament just as I say to representatives of local authorities that it is time we stood up in our communities for what we believe in. I am here in Parliament partly because my grandfather believed that politics is as good as we make it—just as the communities we live in and raise our families in are as good as we make them. This is a simple bill. It is about Auckland coming of age taking responsibility for its own amenities and taking the responsibility that all government—local and central—has to take to fund the organisations that make a difference to our families and our communities. Local government has a responsibility to look at the social economic environmental and cultural well-being of our communities and it is time we did so. 
This bill will establish a statutory framework for the secure and sustainable funding of 10 or more important services and organisations that provide facilities and services across the Auckland region. The bill will initially provide funding for the Auckland Observatory and Planetarium Trust Board the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust the Auckland Theatre Company Coastguard Northern Region the New Zealand National Maritime Museum trust board New Zealand Opera Surf Life Saving Northern Region the Auckland Festival Trust and WaterSafe Auckland Inc. I also want to tell the House that I and all of those amenities have given an undertaking that we will work with the kapahaka organisations in Auckland to make sure that a Maori organisation providing services in Auckland will also be supported and funded. 
I want to concentrate on the organisations that have worked so hard for this bill. These organisations contribute to the lives of hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders in terms of the services they provide but they also contribute to the lives of tens of thousands of Aucklanders in terms of jobs and economic benefits and opportunities to be involved in the local communities. I am talking about the Aucklanders who with their time and money support these organisations. They are an essential part of the fabric of Auckland contributing to make the region a great place to live in to work in and to visit. These organisations are all truly regional in nature and need to be funded as such. Independent surveys conducted over the last 12 years have shown that the public perceives them as being regional and supports the idea of these organisations receiving funding across all districts of the Auckland region. Right now the funding for these organisations falls disproportionately on the ratepayers of Auckland City. Auckland City has given us an undertaking that it will not cut its funding when there is better funding across the region and indeed in many cases it will increase it. It is time that the eight councils of the Auckland region contributed to those amenities that everyone in the region uses rather than leaving 90 percent of these amenities’ local government sector funding to Auckland City. 
These organisations work hard. They work hard to raise money and they work hard to provide services. We know that New Zealanders and Aucklanders are very generous with their volunteer time and their financial support. A number of these organisations are in danger of falling over. We are in more difficult times and sponsorship is hard to get. A legislative framework is needed to ensure the long-term sustainability of these organisations removing uncertainty—for example for my constituents on Great Barrier Island and Waiheke uncertainty that they will get rescue helicopter services if they or their children are ill. I have asked up and down New Zealand as this Government has moved to support arts organisations community organisations and sporting organisations why taxpayers should increase their support if we as citizens do not support these organisations as ratepayers. The time has come for local government across New Zealand to take that mature responsibility. 
I say that this bill is necessary and its time has come. This bill establishes the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board which will be the conduit between the organisations and the contributing authorities. It will specify the amenities and make sure they are providing good regional services and good value for money. The board will also set out a procedure for the approval of distribution of funding to amenities; it will enable those organisations to focus on their core activity and to use their time and volunteer time and money well demonstrating the good services that the community provides for the well-being of all of our communities. 
There is a suggestion that this bill should be delayed because of possible changes to the governance of the Auckland region arising from recommendations of the royal commission. This is utterly unacceptable to all of those organisations that have worked so long for this legislation. Many pieces of legislation will have to change if and when the royal commission recommends that they do and if and when any Government over the next 4 years or more decides to make those changes. These organisations should not have to wait for the ifs and buts of the royal commission and the political process. We have seen many organisations struggling. It is time we took that responsibility. 
Everyone accepts that these organisations are valuable to Auckland and to our communities and most of them are accepted nationwide. I came to Parliament to make a difference to the country I grew up in and the city I love—Auckland. I believe that Auckland will be a greater place to live and work in because these organisations have support. I also believe that as Auckland is New Zealand’s major international city it is time we passed this legislation. 
Again I commend this legislation to the House. I thank members who are supporting it. It is time that we did as my grandfather suggested and make politics as good as we can. Let us make common-sense decisions that support the services that our communities need.