SpeechHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green) (remote): Tēnā koe Madam Speaker. Thank you. I'm very pleased to take a short call on the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill and like others congratulate Tangi Utikere on getting this bill through and the work that he has done—as the Hon Scott Simpson mentioned—in providing really strong liaison and connection between the city council and the Environment Committee. It is only 1.6 hectares of land this Huia Street Reserve on the corner of Park Road and Fitzherbert Avenue. It is a prominent intersection close to the central city and just over five blocks from the Square. I have walked past it I admired the trees on it and I know that there has been some concern in Palmerston North about the land being sold. But as others have mentioned because this bill brings the 1.6 hectares under the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act it then enables the council to make any decision about the use of the land. If it wants to sell it it can after a proper process and a formal resolution before the council. It is unusual for the Green Party to support the loss of public reserve land because this land was set aside in 1876. That's almost 150 years ago. The fact that the land was set aside as reserve then has provided options for the council and for us today. We can't envisage how Palmerston North will develop—the demands for recreation the way work evolves the way housing options evolve 150 to 200 years hence—so public reserve land always provides options. I would be concerned by the Hon Scott Simpson's proposals that there be some streamlined legislation which fixes all of these little bits of reserve land because that potentially reduces the options.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Hon Eugenie Sage. Order! Hon EUGENIE SAGE: The previous speaker Rachel Boyack referred to amenity values. Green spaces in our cities and towns are enormously important in providing areas of natural space areas of open space places to recreate places to rest to the eyes. They absorb stormwater they help reduce the demands on our stormwater system—Tāmati Coffey: Point of order Madam Speaker. Can the speaker hear us?ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): No she cannot unfortunately because the earphones are not—Tāmati Coffey: Are not on—of course. I was going to suggest that we gave her some time to be able to put her headphones on but I understand the situation here. It's a bit of a catch-22. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Yes. Hon EUGENIE SAGE: [Missing audio]—abundant opportunities for recreation close by and the quite considerable green space close by and the central location of this site and its suitability for housing because of its connectivity to Massey University and the girls' high school close by. So it is suitable for housing. But it is also a key decision that the council will make in consultation with the community about whether it wishes to sell it. We do want in the changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) this whole issue of urban quality dealt with very carefully because the decisions we make now can influence how cities and towns and rural areas develop 150 200 years hence. We want to ensure that we do protect options. But this 1.6 hectares hasn't been used and if the council decides to sell it in future then the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act does require that any proceeds from the sale are used to acquire new reserves or are used to develop future reserves. So it is ensuring that any funds are used to protect those recreational values that people have enjoyed in the past on the tennis courts and their use of this reserve. So it's a bill that the Green Party is supporting but do note that we do want to see in the wider RMA changes an ability for plans and councils in their decisions to recognise the really important areas of open space and trees and the other qualities that give a city liveability pleasantness and amenity values. This small area may be better used as housing but that is certainly not a precedent for other areas of reserve being converted into buildings. But we do support this bill. Kia ora.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jenny Salesa): Kia ora. Before I call the next speaker can I just remind every member that if we are to connect online remotely by computers it is important to actually put the headphones on so that we can communicate with you.