Doocey Matt: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDoocey Matt: Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 26 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:2014. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): It gives me great honour and privilege to rise and speak to this very important bill. Just following on from the previous speaker David Seymour I am a bit concerned and not sure about the Greens’ position. My understanding is that gas exploration and export took the pressure off and retired coalmining so I am not very sure of their position today.I rise to speak on the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) (Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill in its first reading. I am very much looking forward to following this bill through the legislative process of this reading the select committee work and its second and third readings. Could I take the time to acknowledge the Hon Nick Smith our Minister for the Environment for his leadership and work in protecting the environment. I also take the opportunity to acknowledge our Local Government and Environment Committee chair Scott Simpson for his leadership and work in steering this committee—and very important work it is.This bill is small it is simple and it is effective in allowing existing operators that have applied for marine consents to continue operations until the application is decided and any subsequent objections or appeals are determined. It is simple small and effective. I wrote down a few things—I normally have a look at a checklist—for this bill. Does this bill support our fourth-biggest export commodity earner? Tick. Does this bill avoid the closure of a gasfield at $40 million a day? Tick. Does this bill protect 300 jobs? Tick. Does this bill support existing operators to transition into the exclusive economic zone Act? Tick. Does this bill protect $800 million worth of taxes and royalties from operators in this sector which pays for public services such as schools hospitals and roads? Tick. And—very important for the Greens—does this bill support the retiring of coalmining by supporting gas exploration and exporting? Tick. So for me even though this bill is small simple and effective it has got a lot of ticks.The Opposition members have also talked about this legislation as being poor but really the reason for this amendment is no different from what businesses and organisations do every day up and down the country—it is around business continuity and looking at risk management. Very much of what we are doing around business continuity is ensuring with risk management that it is business as usual. That is very much the focus of this bill: ensuring we are moving to business as usual. So very much in my region of Canterbury post-earthquakes you will find that a lot of businesses and organisations are focusing on business continuity. In this case it is for Shell Todd Oil Services because if it ceases operation in the Māui field it is a cost of $40 million a day. Gas is our top fourth export commodity and it is 20 percent of our gas exploration.Another reason why I think we need to support this bill is that this amendment is very much about the maturity and growth of legislation. We have got a newly established Environmental Protection Authority which over the last 4 years in its words has been moving from “establishment to consolidation” and very much overseeing the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act. What we need to do is promote sustainable management of our natural resources. The exclusive economic zone is approximately 12 to 200 nautical miles offshore and it covers areas of the sea the seabed and the subsoil. So what we are looking at with this amendment is the maturity and growth of this legislation. I must say that it was great to hear the Environmental Protection Authority talk today about how our public submission process is unparalleled. This is because New Zealanders expect to have face-to-face time when they make submissions around the environment. It is great to see we are supporting that.This is a technical bill and I would just like to take a bit of time talking about the technical aspects of it. This bill amends section 162 of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act of 2012. Section 162 allows existing petroleum operators that are permitted under the Crown minerals regime to continue their existing activities for the duration of mining permits or privileges. To continue operating once mining permits or privileges expire existing petroleum operators must have a marine consent under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act. Currently section 162 does not allow existing petroleum operators to continue activities while a marine consent application is being considered by the Environmental Protection Authority and any objections or appeals are being determined. This uncertainty about how long it takes to resolve appeals creates unnecessary risk around the transition of existing operators into the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environment Effects) Act 2012.Just to summarise I think that this is an important amendment and is very much supporting our natural environment which is our greatest asset. National believes that successful economic and environmental policy can and must go hand in hand. It is interesting that parts of the Opposition think that it is only they who can stand up for environmental interests. I challenge that because I would say that it is intrinsic to every New Zealander and every Kiwi to protect our environment. This Government has taken great steps not only to protect the environment but to ensure we have economic development. As a small country we need to increase our exports because it is the way we will improve the well-being of our people. This Government has a very aggressive growth agenda to double its exports and I must say coming from an electorate like Waimakariri which survives on its primary production—Hon Simon Bridges: Great part of the world.MATT DOOCEY:—it is fantastic—that primary production supports everyone in the local community right down to the dry-cleaner the dairy operator and the person making the cappuccinos.So I very much support this bill because what we need to do is protect the $800 million in taxes and royalties that come from companies operating in this sector each year which helps to pay for our schools our hospitals our roads and our other essential infrastructure. Thank you.