Maharey Steve: Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Maharey Steve: Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:638;Page:8424] 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Labour—Palmerston North) 
: 
 I move  
That the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill be now read a first time. 
 At an appropriate time this bill will be referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee. I hope the consideration there will allow for people to come in and air their views which is something I will come back to in a moment. 
I note at the beginning of my comments that it is the parliamentary convention that the local MP sponsors bills of this nature through the House. It provides a mechanism whereby people can make sure that legislation is passed from a local point of view. In this case it is the Palmerston North City Council that wants this legislation to be passed and it is my duty to ensure that it is advanced so it can be discussed. 
The bill provides the mechanism for the Palmerton North City Council to sell some specific land if—and I stress the word “if”—it becomes surplus to the council’s requirements. The land—for anybody who is familiar with the city and I know that my colleague Mr Simon Power over there is familiar with it—is on Fitzherbert Avenue which is currently around the bowling club near the girls high school. There is a tennis court there as well. One of the concerns of the tennis club has been that this bill may lead to the sale of the club. I reassure anybody who is listening to this speech that my understanding is that the Palmerton North City Council has met with staff at the tennis club and both they and the city council are comfortable that they have arrived at an understanding that land will not be sold. That part of the discussion is put to one side and we are really talking about any possibility of the bowling club land being sold. 
For physical reference purposes I simply say the land is on the corner of Park Road and Fitzherbert Avenue and it is currently utilised as the Manawatu Bowling Club. Due to the road being widened on the corner of Park Road and Fitzherbert Avenue the club has been relocated from those premises so it is currently not on this land. The land was identified in 2005 as being surplus and the sale was signalled in the council’s long-term community plan. Following majority approval by the city council this year the future use of the land is included in the council’s draft annual plan for 2007-08 which at present is with the community for consultation. 
I make the following point particularly for anybody who may want to contact local members—Mr Power and myself being the obvious members whom people may come to. I am well aware that in the last 24 hours there has been some debate in the city about the bill. It would not normally be my practice to advance a bill if there were any controversy at all to be truthful but my understanding is that this is clearly the resolution of the council by majority. Therefore it is my duty to advance the bill. But I think I should say to people who are listening that the bill will go to the select committee and that is a good time for them to get along and make their views known. I know there are views on both sides of this issue and the select committee is a good place to make them known as well as through the community’s long-term plan process. 
I am sure most people have been to Palmerston North. The previous Mayor of Wellington Mark Blumsky was a frequent visitor to our city and he was always up for new ideas that he could bring back to Wellington and put into place here. People will know that Palmerston North prides itself on being an attractive place to live particularly because of the nature of the city. The city is spread out with a lot of trees gardens and green space. 
Mark Blumsky 
: The windiest city in the world! 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The previous Mayor of Wellington interjects quite rightly. It is a place that prides itself on having a bit of wind like Wellington. But Palmerston North has put its wind to good use as that wind now turns windmills. That is a good idea to take back to Wellington as well. 
To come back to the point I was making earlier the nature of the city with a lot of wide open green spaces needs to be kept in mind in relation to this debate. Just down the road from the land we are debating is Victoria Esplanade. It is a very good example of an old-style esplanade that has been modernised over the years to become one of the best rose gardens in the world. There are lots of good features in that particular area. I say to members who want to weigh up the issues when they are debating this legislation that one of the things I know is that the city council has already made it clear because it has to use funds that come from this kind of sale to enhance the city’s amenities that that is probably where the money would go. The council has already signalled that it would use the money to enhance that area particularly in terms of recreational facilities for people to enjoy and build a new conservatory which would be quite an enhancement to the city. 
There seems to be good purposes behind the intention of the city council at this time which people will need to keep in mind when they are discussing the bill. At the present time though I should stress once again that the bill is simply giving the city council flexibility to make a sale should it go ahead with that. It is out for discussion. It may be that people will convince the council to do something else. But from here on in should a future plan be made that will allow for the sale as the appropriate thing to do the council would not have to come back to Parliament and have that decision made through the House. The bill would simply give the council the ability to make the decision in Palmerston North. 
I am pleased to put this bill before the House on behalf of the Palmerston North City Council. The bill comes at the council’s instigation because of the resolution that was on its books. As I say the next part of this debate—apart from what will take place here—will hopefully have an airing of views before the select committee.