Swain Paul: Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Swain Paul: Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
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Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Transport) 
: 
 It is with great pride that I stand and speak in the third reading debate of the Resource Management (Energy and Climate Change) Amendment Bill. In the time I have been sitting here and listening to colleagues I have had the opportunity to do quite a lot of research on this issue and I have been able to come up with some salient facts that I think may help the understanding of members in this debate. 
The first important point is that this bill supports the Government’s well-established renewable energy energy efficiency and climate change policies which are very very important. It also ensures the efficient use of energy—which I am sure all members support; even Mr Carter over there—and the benefits of renewable energy and the effects of climate change are flagged for those working with the Resource Management Act. 
John Carter 
: That’s what Harry Duynhoven just read out. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Well no—he might well have talked about some of these things but I am also trying to create a bit of an overview hopefully with a little more passion. 
The bill also removes ad hoc local decision-making on the control of greenhouse gas emissions which are better managed at a national level—I think everybody agrees with that. The Government is certainly committed to a sustainable-energy future for New Zealand. This requires a balanced portfolio of energy efficiency improvements and a transition to renewable energy resources and I think most members would agree with that. So this bill is about enacting part of the long-term strategy that enables New Zealand to achieve all those ends. Our policy will also deliver a more productive internationally competitive and environmentally sustainable economy which I am sure all members also agree with. 
There are some objectives to the bill. We want to give greater weight to the value of renewable energy as I have said and to clarify that energy efficiency should be a consideration regardless of the energy source. We want to give greater weight to considering the effects of climate change—for example addressing the increased flood risk. Given the events of last week we do not have to talk too much about that in this House. 
We want to address issues like rising sea levels which of course affect our Pacific neighbours— 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Where? Name one. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: —well the Pacific actually—and changes in typical rainfall patterns. I know that the member for ACT will probably talk about some voodoo science but I think that is all well established. 
We also want to remove climate change as a consideration when local authorities consider industrial discharges of greenhouse gases. Those are best addressed through a national mechanism which I think the Minister of Energy has pointed out on a number of occasions. 
This is very good piece of work. It is an extraordinarily good bill. It has been through a long process and I am extremely proud and privileged as a member of a good hard-working Labour Government to support its third reading.