Guy Nathan: Franklin District Council (Contribution to Funding of Museums) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Guy Nathan: Franklin District Council (Contribution to Funding of Museums) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:652;Page:1675] 
NATHAN GUY (National—Otaki) 
: 
 Today I had the pleasure of visiting my electorate the Otaki electorate which encompasses the Kapiti Coast District Council and the Horowhenua District Council. I was fortunate to be there with the Minister of Local Government who spoke to the Kapiti Coast District Council in an open forum. A whole lot of issues were raised at that meeting that fit a little bit alongside the Franklin District Council (Contribution to Funding of Museums) Amendment Bill. I refer to the change to the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 and what that meant for local district councils. 
The Kapiti Coast District Council which the Minister visited today talked about the increased costs imposed on it not by this Government but by the previous Government—the Labour Government. We can prove that over the last 9 years 69 pieces of legislation have been shovelled down from central government to the local councils. I thank the Minister of Local Government for turning up in my patch today fronting up to my local council outlining his proposals for the future and giving the council very clear direction. 
My local council the Kapiti Coast District Council does not have any form of income apart from rates. If local councils incur Manhattan skyscraper - type cost increases then it comes out of the pockets of local ratepayers. That is a particular struggle in the case of my electorate as Kapiti has the highest number of over-65-year-olds on a fixed income in the whole of New Zealand. 
I now want to allude— 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I have not heard much reference to the bill before us in the House today and we would really appreciate some reference to it in the last National speech. 
NATHAN GUY 
: Speaking to the point of order I say to the member that I was just warming up with some opening remarks. We have had a very robust interchange this evening and now I am focusing on the Franklin District Council (Contribution to Funding of Museums) Amendment Bill. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Thank you. We would like to hear something about that. 
NATHAN GUY 
: This bill is particularly important. I need to acknowledge the member for the Hunua electorate Paul Hutchison for bringing this bill to the House this evening. I say “Well done!” to Mr Hutchison. It is very important for Mr Hutchison’s community to have this bill referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee. 
This bill tidies up an anomaly. It tidies up legislation that should have been tidied up some time ago. It is all about the residents living in part of the Waikato area who are paying double the amount of rates they should be paying. I say “Well done!” to Mr Hutchison for bringing this bill to the House. I believe that it pretty much has the widespread broad support of the House this evening. I have heard that the Franklin District Council has submitted to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance that it would prefer to be part of the Waikato region. Of course the outcome of that commission of inquiry will come to the House and I look forward to a robust debate on it when it arrives here. 
The Local Government and Environment Committee will be very busy. It will have this bill to deal with if it is passed this evening—and I believe that it will be. The committee will also have to deal with the important Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Bill which is heading off to that committee as well. With that I endorse this very very important bill for the electorate of Hunua and it is something that I am sure the select committee members look forward to getting their teeth into.