Huo Raymond: Antarctica (Environmental Protection: Liability Annex) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHuo Raymond: Antarctica (Environmental Protection: Liability Annex) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading[Sitting date: 04 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7093. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]RAYMOND HUO (Labour): I rise to take a call to support this bill the Antarctica (Environmental Protection: Liability Annex) Amendment Bill. I am delighted to support this bill from the Parliament of “100% Pure New Zealand” aiming at protecting the 100 percent pure Antarctic.As my colleagues noted earlier this bill has been languishing on the Order Paper for more than 3 years and during those 3 years the “100% Pure New Zealand” image has been seriously undermined under this National-ACT Government. New Zealand has slipped from first to 14th on the Yale Environmental Performance Index and for our performance trend in recent years we rank 50th as our environment is on the decline. Simply look at our rivers. Simply look at our emissions trading scheme policy initiatives. It is not about only our “100% Pure New Zealand” clean and green image; it is also about our obligations both domestically and internationally.The main purpose of this bill is to implement New Zealand’s international treaty obligations regarding the liability of environmental agencies in Antarctica. New Zealand is one of the 12 original signatories to the Antarctic Treaty which was signed on 1 December 1959 in Washington DC. We have had a close relationship with the Antarctic. We are geographically close to the Antarctic and since 1923 we have maintained our right of sovereignty over the Ross Dependency. New Zealand’s claim to the region was formalised in 1923 when the Governor-General of New Zealand was appointed as Governor of the Ross Dependency by an imperial Order in Council made in London in the United Kingdom.At 14 million square kilometres the Antarctic is the fifth largest continent in area. According toWikipedia there are more than 10 million penguins residing there. This is one of the reasons why this bill is important. It is also important because of the amazing environment that exists there that supports research and exploration and therefore the need for environmental protection.New Zealand first became party to the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty signed by the treaty parties in Madrid Spain in 1991. This protocol provides for a comprehensive regime for the protection of the Antarctic environment as well as dependent and associated ecosystems. Under the protocol the Antarctic is designated as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science.A key aspect of this bill is that it requires New Zealand operators to notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade if they cause or discover an environmental emergency. The bill requires operators in the Antarctic to take prompt effective response actions when environmental emergencies arise from their activities. If they fail to do so they will be required to reimburse any second party that reports the emergency or may be ordered by the High Court to pay the costs to the environmental protection fund administered by the Antarctic Treaty secretariat.Approving the liability annex is an opportunity to highlight and promote New Zealand’s support for a strong environmental protection regime for the Antarctic both domestically and internationally. Thank you.