Sosene Lemauga LydiaLEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour): Thank you for the opportunity to be the final speaker and to make a contribution to the first reading of the Natural and Built Environment Bill. I have joined the Environment Committee this year and it's a real pleasure. I was a not a member at the time of the review of the resource management framework and the drafting of this bill but I understand the Resource Management Act (RMA) has undergone a transformational journey so I welcome the privilege to speak on this.I want to acknowledge and congratulate the Minister David Parker for his leadership. This bill is very very important in terms of the overhaul of the RMA. Despite earlier contributions we are now at the point where this bill has been more engaging and communities have had their say and industry partners right across Aotearoa. The Environment Committee in the next step of the process will also have consultation to allow for more public scrutiny. As we heard earlier the repeal and the replacement of the RMA will reduce costs in consenting times and the resource consenting process in Aotearoa which has become very costly under the RMA. In fact it was highlighted earlier that between 2014-2015 and 2018-2019 council fees have increased by 66 percent for non-notified consents and 124 percent for notified consents respectively. The consent system was taking longer with decision-making time frames. Minister Parker appointed the 2020 Resource Management Review Panel to undertake a comprehensive review of the resource management system framework with the main focus on the RMA. The aim of the review was to improve environmental outcomes and better enable urban and other development within environmental limits. The RMA is broken and consent fees have almost doubled. I want to acknowledge the multiple issues since the introduction in 1991 confirmed by a number in the industry—builders and also in the legal profession—who raised a number of issues around highlighting time frames planning mechanisms including the RMA with so many processes and information to go through.This bill the Natural and Built Environment Bill introduces new standardised conditions that will see fewer bespoke consents and specifically speed up the process. What is needed is a faster cheaper and better framework for resource management. The plans under the RMA haven't been working because it's just taken far too long and cost New Zealanders far too much. The RMA is a major contributor to land costs being the least affordable in the OECD. The environmental outcomes have been poor with degrading water quality loss of biodiversity and just the resource consenting. So there have been many actions to date—including the Randerson panel recommendations—with regards to looking at New Zealand's natural environment under significant pressure; urban areas throughout Aotearoa have struggled to keep pace with population growth; the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions and to adapt to climate change; and specifically that iwi and Māori have an effective role in the system to be consistent with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.Just as I finish up to achieve the above objectives will address multiple problems in the current Resource Management Act as highlighted by the Minister David Parker before the dinner break. Once the bill is enacted it will be implemented progressively region by region. In closing I am optimistic that we will get there. I would like to acknowledge the chair of the Environment Committee and members of the Environment Committee who will continue to do the mahi and work really hard because they are committed to arrive at a better system for our country. I commend this bill to the House.