Parata Hekia: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Forestry Sector) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Parata Hekia: Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Forestry Sector) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:655;Page:4762] 
HEKIA PARATA (National) 
: 
 Tena koe e te Mana Whakawa. Huri noa i te Whare tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings to you Mr Assistant Speaker and to you all throughout the House. 
] 
I rise to speak on the third reading of the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Forestry Sector) Amendment Bill. I would like to reiterate some of the points that I made earlier this evening about the complexity by which this issue is characterised and the opportunity afforded me as a member of the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee which has a number of members who have dealt with these issues one time before and have brought that experience to the table this time. 
One of the abiding features of the process this time round as mentioned by Mr Chauvel was the fact that the select committee agreed by and large on the science. That allowed us to move forward to the set of policy responses that this Government might settle upon in dealing with an emissions trading scheme for New Zealand. A lot of hard work has been done in the select committee and more has yet to be done before that work is finally reported back. 
In the meantime a number of issues have to be dealt with prior to the conclusion of that work. One of those issues relates to technical matters that are the substance of the bill before us tonight. It is noteworthy that New Zealand is the first country in the world to attempt to bring the forestry sector into an emissions trading scheme. Therefore it is important that we provide certainty to a very big player in our economy. The bill provides for a deferral of up to 1 year. This amendment was brought to the select committee by Charles Chauvel and it was supported by the select committee. It allows the allocation plan for pre-1990 forests to be made by 1 July 2010. This allows the forestry sector the opportunity to be more certain about the kinds of proposals that it wants to have considered as part of the allocation plan. 
A second element of the bill is that the tens of thousands of small forest owners people who own forests of 50 hectares or less are required to put their proposals before the Minister for Climate Change Issues. In the Budget this year we made provision for moneys to allow for advice and information to be made available to those small forest owners so that they are able to comply with the bill. The bill before us this evening provides for those two technicalities of timing. None of the rules have changed but the time in which these rules can be met has been extended and it has been done in a way that provides certainty for all those players. 
I do not have a lot to say this evening because much has been said already. But I want to comment a little on some of the concerns that have been raised in the House this evening and to say that I am confident that our Minister is seized of both the science and the range of policy responses that are available to us. He is aware of the many variables that must be weighed and balanced. Contrary to the previous speaker’s view we have to find some balance between our environmental challenges and our economic challenges. This Government is set upon a course of finding that balance. Our Minister is navigating us through the complexities that characterise this area. However it is a challenge that confronts us all whatever side of the House we sit on. In the end we all need to sit on the same side to ensure that what happens is best for New Zealand as a responsible global player. 
This bill is but one small facet. It is one that comes before us now because of timing issues. We are concerned to see that players in the market are able to comply with the law. This bill gives them greater time in which to do that. I am pleased to rise to speak on the third reading of this bill. I commend to the House the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Forestry Sector) Amendment Bill. Kia ora tatou.