Dean Jacqui: Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 25 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18888. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki):I am very pleased to stand up in this first reading of the Hon Nicky Wagner’s private bill the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill. I am absolutely delighted that this bill has been referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee—Hon Ruth Dyson: Don’t rub it in.JACQUI DEAN: I am delighted that this bill has been referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee not least because it is a pretty damn good and hard-working committee with an excellent chair in Maggie Barry who will be taking a call on this bill in due course. We are dealing with some related matters that will help inform the discussion on this bill and no doubt that was in the mind of the Hon Nicky Wagner when she introduced this bill—that the Local Government and Environment Committee is dealing with the earthquake-prone buildings legislation and that in fact its members are travelling the length of New Zealand listening to submissions. That information will inform our consideration of this bill. So I want to congratulate the Hon Nicky Wagner on introducing this bill and undertaking to give it a pretty good working over in the committee.The Arts Centre in Christchurch is something that all of us New Zealanders who have travelled around New Zealand are very well aware of. It is the secondary magnet in Christchurch—is it? The first magnet is Cathedral Square and the secondary magnet is the Arts Centre for its vibrant wonderful centre of creativity and arts for a number of years—since I think about the mid to late 1970s when the trust was formed and it was recognised to be the future hub for arts and creativity. Unless you were there you cannot imagine the devastation caused by and the impact of the two earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Twenty-two of the 23 buildings were closed to the public pending a major restoration effort. Although it is one thing to restore the buildings it is a large project. It is a 7-year project and something like a $290 million restoration programme. It is one thing to undertake the physical works but what needs to go with that and the very reason for this bill which is why the Hon Nicky Wagner is so right to introduce it is that the governance arrangements need to be updated to enable the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Board to undertake this major major piece of work so that the Arts Centre once it is restored—in 7 years I hope—can return to being the exciting vibrant and thriving centre that it has been in the past.Actually we have been there several times since the earthquakes and there are little pockets of activity. It is still an exciting place to visit. Is there a wonderful cheesemaker’s there? Yes that is right. The Hon Nicky Wagner took us to the most wonderful little artisan boutique cheese shop Canterbury Cheesemongers—fantastic. I believe I bought some cheese to take home to North Otago but do not tell Whitestone Cheese—but never mind. It is still a vibrant part of Christchurch encapsulating all that is good about the recovery in Christchurch. Something devastating has happened. The board of the Arts Centre in Christchurch understands it needs to do the physical rebuild but it also understands very clearly that it needs to bring the governance structure in line with the responsibilities the aims and the purposes of that very rebuild.I do look forward to the scrutiny of this bill as it passes through the excellent Local Government and Environment Committee and I do commend the member for bringing it to the House. I commend the bill to the House.