Hauiti Claudette: Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHauiti Claudette: Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 07 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17635. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]CLAUDETTE HAUITI (National):Tēnā koe e te rangatira Mr Assistant Speaker. It is a privilege and an honour to stand to take a call on the second reading of the Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill. I am a member of the Local Government and Environment Committee. However this bill came in prior to my arrival in Parliament. But along with my colleagues I would like to congratulate the Green Party member Catherine Delahunty on bringing the bill into the House. I would like to remind our colleagues here in the House that CatherineDelahunty’s mahi amongst the Māori communities is extremely well known and the mahi that herwhānau have done too is also extremely well known and very much appreciated and quite revered. So mihi atu ki a koemōtō mahi me te mahi otōwhānau hoki.[So I acknowledge you and your work and that of your family as well.]It is however unfortunate that National will not be supporting this bill. I agree with my colleagues that the support for this bill is not forthcoming on a number of levels and those have been explained and clarified and reinforced by my colleagues. The purpose of the bill is to limit the time period for which a discharge permit or a coastal permit may be issued to 5 years when a permit to discharge is deemed necessary due to exceptional circumstances. However National knows how important the environment is to all New Zealanders. At present we have a very good working relationship with a number of iwi includingNgāiTahu and Tainui to name just two around this very issue and around the environment and around conservation. Therefore the policies that we currently have in place are very well suited for iwi in order for them to determine and to define what is relevant for them in their contextual areas and in their space and on their rohe.We are also delivering on our promise to make the Resource Management Act a law that better balances environmental protection with economic growth. Streamlining and simplifying the Resource Management Act is an important part of the Government’s programme. A key factor behind our ongoing Resource Management Act reform is the drive to achieve enduring outcomes while reducing the time cost and uncertainties involved in the process. We know that to be effective because of the feedback that we are getting from many of the iwi around the motu.The Local Government and Environment Committee as we have heard received and considered around 148 submissions from interestedrōpū and individuals as well as three submissions comprising 18 individuals. The committee heard 27 submissions and held hearings inWhakatāne and here in Whanganui-a-Tara—inPōneke. The select committee has examined the Resource Management (Restricted Duration of Certain Discharge and Coastal Permits) Amendment Bill and as my colleagues have said earlier we recommended that it not be passed. The committee was not persuaded that this bill is the most effective way of improving water quality. Rather initiatives at a national level such as the Land and Water Forum and the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011 are likely to be more effective vehicles.Section 107(2)(a) of the Resource Management Act has been used only a few times and in each case the Environment Court has applied a stringent test and considered time frames. Each case has also involved detailed discussions about what constitutes exceptional circumstances including the following considerations: something “out of the ordinary” or “unusual or not typical” a substantial investment projects that involve a regionally or nationally significant resource projects that out of their nature rely on using a waterway and projects that will contribute to resilience to natural hazards. The committee believed that a shorter duration for exceptional circumstances could adversely affect the ability of companies to raise capital and ensure adequate long-term investment. The Government’s resource management reforms are about ensuring that we manage our resources more effectively and more efficiently to deliver both economic and environmental benefits for future generations.The Government is currently in the second phase of Resource Management Act reform. Addressing whether this particular section needs to be amended should be part of the full well-thought-out Resource Management Act reform package. Section 107(2)(a) which this bill seeks to amend is rarely applied in discharge or coastal permits. There is no evidence that this section is being used inappropriately.Where section 107(2)(a) has been applied there have been only limited instances where permits issued under this section have resulted in appeals to the Environment Court. In each case the Environment Court has applied a rigorous test to validate the exceptional circumstances and reaffirmed conditions of the permits issued to minimise environmental effects. Limiting the time frame for consents issued where section107(2)(a) applies as proposed by this bill would have no effect on current consents. In addition it is not likely to affect many consents in the future given the current limited use of the section.I would also like to just reiterate here for some of our colleagues who come and champion on behalf of iwihapū andwhānau around the motu—could I just emphasise that iwihapū andwhānau are quite capable of championing their own issues their own take and their own kaupapa. We—and I say “we” meaning Māori—are more than capable of championing our own kaupapa within the parameters of legislation. In fact the Environment Court is very well represented by Māori interests. Therefore I think we should be very careful when we put ourselves forward as amāngai of those iwi when in actual fact iwi are quite capable of representing themselves. Therefore I stand to debate this bill; however we do not support this bill.