Wagner Nicky: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Bill — First Reading 
Wagner Nicky: Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Bill — First Reading 
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NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 As someone who has lived in Christchurch all my life I fully support the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Bill. The earthquake of 4 September rattled and damaged our province but it was the violent shake of 22 February that completely shattered Christchurch its people the central business district and our suburbs. We have to fix our city. We need to restore rebuild and recover our province. We want to revitalise our towns our streets and our neighbourhoods. After all we have been through we want and we need to build a better safer and more beautiful place to live. We need to repair the land we need to fix the roads we need to rebuild our communities and we need to restore our buildings. 
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority legislation is about response and recovery. It provides a balance between the need for community participation in the decision-making process and the need for a timely and coordinated recovery process. After the worst disaster that New Zealand has ever seen Canterbury people are determined to rebuild their lives. We want to work quickly efficiently and smartly to make this happen. To do that this bill establishes the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Forgive me I apologise for interrupting the member. I do not do it for any vexatious means. I just raise this with you Mr Assistant Speaker for some advice. The reason I do this is that we are in a very cramped time frame. I am advised by parties outside this House that the bill is not available online. The reason I raise this is that as I understand it having taken advice in the normal course of events the Parliamentary Counsel Office is instructed by the Minister and as soon as the bill is tabled it is placed online. Forgive me for interrupting the member. The reason I raise this is that we have a select committee process happening tomorrow and key submitters around the country cannot get hold of this bill. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Eric Roy) 
: The point is well made and I shall direct someone to attend to that matter. 
NICKY WAGNER 
: After the worst disaster that New Zealand has ever seen Canterbury people are absolutely determined to rebuild their lives and we want to do it quickly efficiently and smartly. To do this the bill establishes the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. Its chief executive officer will coordinate the recovery and it will report to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery. 
Everyone in Canterbury is very keen to be involved in this process so the authority and the Minister will work alongside the Christchurch City Council Environment Canterbury the Waimakariri District Council the Selwyn District Council Ngai Tahu the community and business interests. Furthermore Cantabs can have their say via a community forum made up of community leaders and a cross-party forum of Canterbury members of Parliament. There will also be public consultation processes. 
The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority is tasked with developing the long-term recovery strategy. That will set the overall direction for recovery efforts and must be produced within 9 months of the Act coming into force. Underneath that long-term recovery strategy detailed recovery plans will be developed. They can cover things like social economic cultural and environmental matters and infrastructural issues. They will be more detailed and relevant to specific areas. They are the what the where and the how of the recovery. 
There is keen interest in the rebuilding of the Christchurch central business district and that recovery plan will be led by the Christchurch City Council. Its mayor has already indicated that everyone in Christchurch will have the opportunity to have input into this process and the central business district plan will also need to be produced within 9 months. 
The Act creates powers to ensure that the recovery is well coordinated and effective but they are mainly reserve powers and are to be used only when necessary. There are numerous checks and balances in place and the Minister must present a quarterly report to the House on the operation of the Act. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority and the Act itself also must be reviewed every year and that report must be presented to the House. 
I believe that the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority as established by this Act will enable Christchurch and Canterbury to rebuild effectively and efficiently. It is an enabling framework that provides a set of powers for the authority and the Minister if those powers are necessary. They may never be used but they are there to ensure that the authority can act for the greater good of the Canterbury community and for the recovery from this earthquake so that Christchurch and Canterbury can be rebuilt sooner safer and better.