Luxton JoJO LUXTON (Labour): It is a pleasure to stand and take a call on the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill. It has been over seven years since the devastating earthquake in Christchurch in February of 2011. I can recall exactly where I was when the earthquake hit: at preschool in the nursery rocking a baby. I will not forget the screams of the frightened children and the teachers. Then upon hearing that there were deaths as a result of this earthquake I recall the feeling of numbness that overcame all of us for the rest of that day and many days to come. For seven long years the beautiful cathedral has stood in ruins its future uncertain like many other homes and buildings in Christchurch. It stands as a constant reminder to the people of Christchurch of that horrible day and it is also a reminder of the slow pace of recovery and a constant reminder of all that has been lost.The cathedral was once the core symbol of Christchurch. I clearly remember my first visit to the Garden City. The highlight for me was the opportunity to see close-up the building that was on the front of so many postcards and brochures. It certainly didn't disappoint and it was truly a breathtaking amazing building and piece of architecture. The city of Christchurch is literally built around the cathedral so one could say it symbolises the heart of the city. When the earthquake struck the heart was broken—a sentiment shared by many Cantabrians. It is truly heartbreaking to see how in an instant the cathedral was brought to its knees in a cloud of dust and crumbling rubble. Whilst the cathedral was once the core symbol of the city which stood tall and proud and so did the people of Christchurch it now lies in partial ruins a sad shell of the truly majestic building it once was—somewhat representative of the way people felt about their own homes and lives as a result of that fateful day. It is now time to move forward and this bill will allow for that happen. The people of Canterbury need to see progress. This has been a very long drawn-out process and at times a controversial process. I believe that this legislation will deliver some much-needed certainty for Cantabrians. We know that there is some irreparable damage to the building but it is important to restore and reinstate the cathedral to the greatest extent possible. So much of Christchurch's history has been lost as a result of this earthquake which makes this legislation all the more important. It is important to acknowledge the Hon Nicky Wagner and the Hon Gerry Brownlee for the work that has been done to this point. With this legislation we will see the opportunity for resource management and consenting to be fast tracked. It will allow for the creation of a reinstatement trust that will provide governance and oversee fundraising. This bill allows for the opportunity to safeguard the cathedral's remaining historic and cultural significance which in turn will ensure future generations will be able to appreciate it.It is great to see so much cross-party support for this bill. It will show the people of Canterbury that we can all work together on matters of such significance. I believe they will be heartened to see this. It shows them that we truly care and are prepared to work together to progress the reinstatement of the cathedral. They can certainly take heart from that that we are really serious about delivering the progress the city needs. So I am proud to stand in support of this bill going to select committee stage and I am sure there will be many submissions made on this. After all it is a very emotive issue for some. I truly believe we need to get the heart of the city beating again. Thank you.