Tirikatene Rino; Rurawhe AdrianCANTERBURY REGIONAL COUNCIL (NGĀI TAHU REPRESENTATION) BILLFirst ReadingRINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga): I move That the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill.Tēnā koutou e te Whare. Aoraki maunga te paparahi o Te Wai Pounamu ngā Papatipu Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu whānui aku tini whanaunga tēnā koutou. Te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha nāu i kawe nei i tēnei pire ki te Whare nei tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[Greetings to you all in the House. To Aoraki the foundation of the South Island to the tribal authorities to Ngāi Tahu in general and to my many relatives greetings to you. To Environment Canterbury who brought this bill to this House greetings greetings greetings one and all.]I am delighted to speak as the support member for this bill the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill. This bill reinstates mana whenua representation on the Canterbury Regional Council in the form of two Ngāi Tahu councillors from the 2022 local body elections. I want to acknowledge the Canterbury Regional Council also known as Environment Canterbury for bringing this bill to the House in collaboration with the Papatipu Rūnanga of Ngāi Tahu who I know are tuning in from HQ there in Ōtautahi so I mihi to them all.This arrangement of Ngāi Tahu councillors was first put in place by the National Government in 2010 when it installed commissioners on the council. The introduction of Ngāi Tahu councillors proved truly insightful and I commend the National Party for its foresight in doing so. This House will recall a similar local bill that was introduced in April 2019 intended to continue the mana whenua representation on council prior to the 2019 local body elections but unfortunately that was defeated at first reading.Disappointed but not discouraged Environment Canterbury worked with the Papatipu Rūnanga to explore other opportunities and that led to the appointment of mana whenua Tumu Taiao—mana whenua experts who were appointed in 2020 to advise councillors on the interests of mana whenua. However the Tumu Taiao do not have the ability to vote at council meetings and ultimately legislative change is required to provide for the mana whenua voice at the council table. This bill reflects Environment Canterbury's commitment to securing Ngāi Tahu representation. I commend Environment Canterbury's councillors for recognising the value in mana whenua representation and acknowledge that this benefits all ratepayers not just Ngāi Tahu.There are two key differences between this local bill and that previously debated in the House and these changes relate to Māori constituencies or wards and the issue of remuneration which I'll briefly address. This bill explicitly provides that Māori wards are not prohibited meaning that the council may still choose to introduce those in the future. However Māori wards are not considered to amount to mana whenua representation hence the promotion of this bill which is very much a local solution for local issues.In terms of remuneration this bill provides for the appointed Ngāi Tahu councillors to be remunerated—including allowances expenses and fees—separately from the pool allocated by the Remuneration Authority but otherwise on the same basis given that the appointment of Ngāi Tahu councillors will not reduce the workload of the existing elected councillors. As stated previously this bill is a local solution for local issues and would simply reinstate what has previously worked exceptionally well. It is not a model that will work in all regions of Aotearoa New Zealand but it reflects a tried and true arrangement in Canterbury that ensures the values and concerns of mana whenua are given full expression. Environment Canterbury is not urging this model be adopted by others but it does ask this House that it be allowed to have a system that it believes is right for Canterbury.Environment Canterbury is responsible for not only environmental outcomes but also social economic and cultural outcomes in a 45000 square kilometre area of the South Island. It is an area that includes many of New Zealand's iconic landscapes and majestic vistas from north of Kaikōura to Waitaki in the South and inland as far as the Southern Alps including the spectacular braided rivers and the mighty maunga Aoraki / Mount Cook. Ngāi Tahu of course are the original people and kaitiaki of much of that area having had an intimate connection with it since the ancient migrations of Waitaha Ngāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu. Generations later the sense of kaitiaki responsibility that Ngāi Tahu has for the natural environment has not diminished. To the contrary it remains vital and strong and increasingly relevant. Ngāi Tahu is increasingly recognised as a strategic partner in the Canterbury region.Indeed I submit Ngāi Tahu should have a seat at the decision-making table. Opposition to this bill will likely include the apparent concerns that it's not acceptable to give Ngāi Tahu special treatment—and let me say to those people that this bill is not about special treatment; this bill is about ensuring there is enhanced representation in an age where a mana whenua voice is critical in which Ngāi Tahu councillors have previously demonstrated the value they have added to a range of Environment Canterbury's work. To those who say this is a special privilege for Ngāi Tahu I say: you're looking through the wrong lens. This bill is about recognising the responsibility that Ngāi Tahu has as kaitiaki of the air waters land and coast of the region and enabling them to perform that duty. That responsibility lies with Ngāi Tahu directly not with Māori generally. To those who say this bill will adversely impact on representation and democracy I say this: this bill will ensure that more not fewer voices will be heard at the council table and because of that it provides an enhanced additional level of representation informed by generations of knowledge and environmental awareness. There can only be advantage and value from such inclusiveness and mutual understanding. That is a fundamental element of this bill.This nation has come a long way but our journey—of which this bill is now part—is far from complete. Aotearoa New Zealand and the modern progressive nation we wish to be—in our nation a Te Ao Māori worldview is an essential part of decision making. Ngāi Tahu representation on the council ensures a position of influence for mana whenua values and it creates a governance structure that reflects the spirit and commitment to work together and is a big step forward toward true collaborative partnership between mana whenua and the council in the work it does. Ngāi Tahu councillors have played a pivotal role in building the social capital and community ownership of solutions that underpin water and land management in Canterbury. They provided confidence to Papatipu Rūnanga and wider tribal members that their voices their environmental and societal vision and concerns were heard at the highest level. The practical benefits were not least the greater efficiency in planning and consenting processes reduced costs for both council and consent applicants and the council's role in earthquake recovery. This representation contributed immeasurably to good outcomes in the region for the council for its ratepayers and even those visiting the region.From a council perspective Environment Canterbury very clearly understands that mana whenua representation at a governance level is the most effective way to give effect to key statutory obligations under the Resource Management Act and the Local Government Act and also as fellow New Zealanders wishing to contribute to a better and more inclusive New Zealand. As the famous Ngāi Tahu saying is:Mō tātou ā mō kā uri ā muri ake nei.For us and our children after us.This bill will ensure that the values and intergenerational perspective of Ngāi Tahu are consistently heard at the council table creating a more representative and effective local authority. As the member for Te Tai Tonga covering the vast expanse of the Canterbury region and a proud whakapapa member of Ngāi Tahu myself I support this modest request from the Canterbury Regional Council and I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora tātou.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.