Utikere TangiTANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise to speak in support of the Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill and in doing so I'll just make the point that the Environment Committee which I am a member of decided at the start of this new term of the Parliament to reinstate this particular bill. It has been interesting as a new member of this House to be part of a process where submissions were still called for through to the hearings and through to second reading. So I just thought I'd indicate that.Like the speakers that have spoken before me I also want to acknowledge the submitters that took the time to submit and those also that took the extra effort to speak to the select committee. We did hear from submitters in person here in Wellington but also in Christchurch and in Queenstown. I agree with Stuart Smith the previous speaker in that yes we had an opportunity as a select committee to visit the high country—parts actually Madam Speaker of your own electorate in Queenstown—and yes Mr Smith and I along with another colleague shared a vehicle in terms of the trip and it was a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand a wonderful part of the country. However all things considered where we've landed is that this bill is the way forward. It is a stunning part of the country that actually all New Zealanders should be able to have access to experience.I want to acknowledge the hospitality from the High Country Accord and also the people from Land Information New Zealand their advisers and the committee staff who made sure that logistically things were able to move smoothly. Can I also acknowledge the deputy chair Rachel Brooking who chaired those hearings and also the chair the Hon Eugenie Sage who actually I think is able to contribute to the work of the Environment Committee and I want to acknowledge the role that she's continued to play there.There are a few things that I do want to just cover in my contribution to the House this afternoon. I was going to talk a little bit about public access considerations. And it was one thing when we were on site in the high country talking about the opportunity for members of the public recreational users to have free access to that part of Aotearoa New Zealand; however I note that the Minister has indicated that he has asked officials as part of the committee of the whole House process to come back with some options around that. So I'll wait until that particular point.But I do want to just indicate that what we did hear as a committee from interested parties was the importance of iwi representation and involvement in the process. I mean there are a number of additions to sections in the bill largely in new sections 22B and 22D that will allow for continued opportunities for iwi representation alongside lessee and leaseholder representatives as well to participate in the consultation process around the framework in the former new section and the strategic intentions document in the latter. So that's good. But there is also an opportunity—an obligation I guess—for those documents to be published and that aligns itself with in the committee report on the second page there the bill seeking to provide stronger and clearer accountability and transparency in the department's administration of Crown pastoral land with more public involvement.". So that is a fantastic step—this bill—and a change that has been introduced and that flows through to new sections 100N and 100O. I do think it is part of the Crown's responsibility to give effect to the principle of Te Tiriti and so in the bill you will see that that has been captured as well.There is no doubt a desire for transparency. Additions that have been made through the select committee process also ensure that that transparency by way of the commissioner and the decisions that he or she may make is publicly available as well.My colleague Rachel Brooking has already touched on farm plans and I know that through the select committee we did hear about farm plans and we heard about the journeys I guess that some submitters had embarked upon that they continue to be a work in progress that they are a tool I guess that is accepted by submitters and those within the industry. But the suggestion that they would form part of the primary legislation is actually not ideally placed; the better place for them is in the regulation so that there is some flux and flow and that they continue to be part of that wider tool kit within the legislative framework.I want to just also touch on the new emergency provisions because this was something that the select committee turned its mind to. In situations where a lessee or leaseholder an occupier may be required to undertake some emergency works in terms of clearing vegetation by a way of burning or perhaps disturbance of soil that instead of requiring them to go and obtain a consent through the commissioner that they could simply get on and do that work but not abrogate the responsibility to still achieve consent to do that albeit retrospectively. I think that is actually a fair balance between allowing this work to be undertaken and also the responsibility on occupiers or lessees to none the less ensure that there is consent achieved.The final point that I want to touch on is around the infringement process because we had a lot of discussion around this. Sure the Commissioner of Crown Lands still has an opportunity to take any alleged breaches by occupiers or lessees through to the District Court but this new introduction of an infringement process I think actually is a sensible way forward because it introduces a new section 100GA and I note from the National Party view in the select committee report that there was a suggestion that actually there should be a conversation first and that perhaps other options should be identified before an infringement is issued. What is proposed in the bill as it currently stands is no different to how other infringements would actually be issued. I don't see the distinction between the two. So I am supportive of the new reference to the infringement process noting that the commissioner still has an opportunity to directly go to the District Court if he or she chooses.I want to acknowledge the work of the select committee and I am delighted to commend this bill to the House."