Brown SimeonSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): Thank you very much Madam Chair. It's a pleasure to take another call—well actually my first call in Part 2 of the Land Transport Management (Regional Fuel Tax) Amendment Bill. I thought I would also speak in favour of the amendment in the name of Chris Penk which he's just been speaking to. I thought I could bring to the committee some experience having sat on a local board and support the good work that he is doing by bringing this amendment to the committee.I just want to commend Chris Penk as the new member of Parliament for Helensville for doing such a good deed because the people—and he represents a number of local boards in Auckland and all of those local boards wish to be seen as co-governors in the Auckland Council. I think what would be fair to say from my experience being on a local board in Auckland is that too often local boards are seen as second-class governors and they need to be more empowered. This proposed new section 34B(1)(d) inserted by clause 10(5) would give more power and would give more influence to local boards across Auckland.There are a number of reasons why I'd like to speak in support of this. I think firstly the reporting is an important part—going to local boards—because local boards represent the people they represent constituents and they need to know that the tax being paid by the people that they're representing is having an impact in the local area. And I think what we see with the regional fuel tax which is being proposed by Auckland Council is yes they've tried to spread the benefits out across Auckland but local boards need to know that each year progress is being made and what that progress will be so that they can be part of that conversation not just be recipients of information after the fact or just see what's being talked about at the governing body table.Local boards are players. They have decision-making power. They have budgets which they can also put towards transport projects—and I understand in the long-term plan that budget has been doubled for local boards in Auckland. So they are actually significant players when it comes to local transport in their areas. So they need to be part of this process each and every year along the way.I think the other very significant word which has been included in this new section which has been proposed by my colleague Chris Penk is the work prior". It says "Reporting of all RFT Schemes should be received by each local board in a region and consultation undertaken with that local board prior to the consultation on the annual report." Now I think that word "prior" is a critically important word in the context of Auckland Council because from my experience local boards get told things after the fact. They get told them later and what they need to be is engaged in the process earlier.I am speaking very strongly in favour of this because local boards need to be seen as co-governors in Auckland Council. The Local Government Act sees them as playing a very important part in representing their local community and developing their local community and this is another way in which we can improve this legislation if it was to pass—and you know on this side of the Chamber we don't support this legislation but I think this is a very sound amendment.I'd like the Minister actually to take it very seriously as someone who is a member representing a seat in Auckland and who has local board members which he would meet with regularly and who would understand some of the issues and challenges that they face. I think they would have a very strong view on this and I would like to hear the Minister outline his views on this clause and—I hope he would support it and it would be great if he did but if not—why he doesn't support it. I think local boards and local board members of which I think there are 170 of them in Auckland would deserve the right to have the Minister explain to them exactly why they should be left till after the report comes out—why they should find out after the annual report comes out and not be engaged in the process of actually making that annual report and what impact it will have on their local communities.So I think this is a really important amendment. I commend again the member for putting it forward. I think there's a range of amendments being put forward which make small but significant and sensible changes to this legislation to help improve it and which are actually I think well thought through. So once again thank you very much to the member Chris Penk for putting this forward and I very much look forward to the Minister answering my questions and explaining his thoughts on this issue. Thank you."