Allan KiritapuSELF-CONTAINED MOTOR VEHICLES LEGISLATION BILLThird ReadingHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Justice) on behalf of the Minister of Tourism: I present a legislative statement on the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Bill.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: I move That the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Bill be now read a third time.Freedom camping is important to Aotearoa New Zealand for both our people and our manuhiri with many freedom campers travelling widely to experience our incredible taiao and spend money in our communities. However while the number of freedom campers has been steadily increasing over the last decade so too have the negative environmental and social impacts. Of particular concern is those who freedom camp in vehicles that do not contain fixed toilets and in disposing of human waste inappropriately polluting our environment and angering our communities. Kaitiakitanga is a responsibility that we all have; whether you're an overseas visitor or a New Zealander who likes to get out and explore our backyard on holiday we must all respect the whenua and preserve it for future generations to enjoy.Concerns about irresponsible freedom campers were raised in the 2021 Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment report which noted the negative impact to our environment occurring under the current system. This followed years of calls for regulatory reform particularly from local authorities and communities. The Government has responded with this bill.The bill will improve the management of vehicle-based freedom camping by creating a robust regulatory system that local government can rely on to reduce the negative impacts of freedom camping. The bill ensures that vehicle certification is consistent and to a high standard while giving local government more tools to address issues specific to their regions. It will also give our communities confidence in our freedom camping system. The bill supports our visitors in following the Tiaki Promise to protect nature keep New Zealand clean and show respect to others and the environment. This bill does not stop people enjoying the activity of freedom camping nor does it change the quintessential back-country experience that no doubt many of us grew up with. It is about protecting our environment and improving things for our communities not preventing people from freedom camping.I'd like to thank every person who made a submission on this bill especially those who took the time to speak to the Economic Development Science and Innovation Committee in person. I also want to thank the members of the committee for their consideration of the bill. Even before the select committee process the Government had undertaken extensive consultation receiving over 5000 submissions in response to the discussion document that informed the bill. Throughout the preparation of the bill officials worked closely with representatives from key freedom camping groups and local authorities. Their input has provided an important practical perspective in the development of this legislation.The select committee heard from around 750 submitters many of whom did oppose the bill because it will require self-contained vehicles that freedom camp to have a fixed toilet. However the views of this small minority of less than 1 percent of self-contained vehicle owners shouldn't be blown out of proportion. The Government has heard time and time again from local authorities and the communities that they represent about the challenges they face as a result of freedom camping citing instances of human waste litter and other antisocial behaviour at freedom camping sites. As such we saw the majority of local authorities support the bill on behalf of their communities. They are the ones currently picking up the tab for irresponsible freedom campers. The departmental report identified fixed toilets—they said that fixed toilets are a key aspect of building confidence in the freedom camping system and reducing the environmental impacts and costs caused by irresponsible freedom campers. It's estimated that there are 73000 self-contained vehicles in New Zealand and the research shows that for domestic freedom campers 85 percent of those already have a fixed or fitted toilet. Those who don't and are not able to fit one will be able to stay at any of the hundreds of private or Department of Conservation campsites around the motu.Some have argued that portable toilets are sufficient but the research shows that fixed toilets are approximately twice as likely to be used by freedom campers as portable toilets. For domestic freedom campers over 98 percent of those with fixed toilets did actually use them. The fixed toilet requirement is not designed to stop people from freedom camping but rather ensure that it is done responsibly. Requiring fixed toilets will encourage increased usage and help reduce the improper disposal of waste which currently incurs a cost borne by the local communities to repair the harm done to their natural environment by irresponsible freedom campers. It will also help to build trust in the regulatory system as these toilets can't be easily removed from vehicles after certification.The cost of freedom camping—the reality is it's never been free. And it's often ratepayers and taxpayers footing the bill. The Government has already provided $90 million of funding for tourism-related infrastructure since 2017 through the Tourism Infrastructure Fund and a further $24.5 million on freedom camping projects since 2018 through the responsible camping fund. Despite this funding our communities are still paying for the actions of a minority of those who behave irresponsibly. That is why we've chosen to take a regulation-based approach along with providing funding for local authorities to implement the new system. It is time that the cost of freedom camping is shifted away from our communities and our local authorities to those who choose to enjoy our beautiful environment in this way.I understand that there were concerns raised about the impact of the bill on homelessness. The intent of the bill is not to penalise those experiencing homelessness and my colleague the Hon Peeni Henare will look to ensure the legislation reflects this intent. My colleague Minister Henare has listened to feedback from submitters the Regulations Review Committee and recommendations from officials published in their departmental report. As the committee did not report back on the bill he is intending to take forward a comprehensive Supplementary Order Paper at the committee of the whole House stage to improve the bill's overall operation. Some of the changes I understand he intends to progress through the Supplementary Order Paper include lowering the default infringement fee from $1000 to $400 until the regulations come into effect amending the definition of a motor vehicle to include slide-on campers so these can be certified as self-contained and minor technical amendments to enhance the operation of bylaws. Kaitiakitanga is a responsibility that we all have now and into the future. Whether you're an overseas visitor or a New Zealander who likes to get out and explore our backyard on holiday we must all protect and respect our whenua and preserve it for future generations. This Government continues to promote tourism as we progressively open our borders support domestic tourism opportunities and maintain New Zealand's presence in the international markets. I note that concerns have been called for for many years and this bill responds to those concerns. I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The question is that the motion be agreed to.