Patterson MarkMARK PATTERSON (NZ First): It's with much pleasure that I rise to offer New Zealand First's strong endorsement of this Tasman District Council (Waimea Water Augmentation Scheme) Bill. Of course we know this bill transfers or seeks to transfer 1.35 hectares of Crown stewardship land administered now by Land Information New Zealand in the Mount Richmond Forest Park. In doing so it will create an asset for the Tasman District that will secure town water supplies into the future and also allow us to irrigate up to 1200 hectares of land that is suitable for horticulture.We note that the resource consents have already been issued but we also—as the previous speaker Dr Russell has alluded to—know that this has been a robust local debate. It did get the speed wobbles at the last minute and the council of course originally voted it down. But I would actually commend those councillors who when the second vote came forward after new information was brought into the arena had the courage to change their votes for the greater good because these are 100-year decisions. These are not decisions about what the rate increase is going to look like on your next re-election pamphlet. This is a far-sighted visionary bill that does take some courage. These are big numbers: $102 million of which the Government is fronting in various forms with $42 million. Of course $35 million of that is a loan so that will be paid back by the farmers. And I think that's worth noting. It is not a grant; it is a loan.I just would like to give my own experience with irrigation. I grew up on an irrigated farm. I was one of the first farmers to drill a well in Canterbury and through my farming career—I spent four years farming in north Otago—I saw the transformation of the north Otago District when the north Otago irrigation scheme went through. If you go to Ōāmaru now you will see a thriving town—not only through the heritage that it has showcased but the economic impact of irrigation. The consistency of being able to guarantee production year on year has absolutely transformed this district. To any of those councillors who may have thought they'd made a decision that they may be uneasy with I'd encourage them to go to Ōāmaru and their fears will be allayed.It does allow for diversification into higher-value land uses and we do have measurements now or requirements and regulations around nutrient management. Our investment in the OVERSEER programme enhances our ability to do that. So there are some protections on the environment. Of course the minimum flows that we talked about are enhancing the recreational and environmental capability of the river. And we're talking about minimum flows—in the 2001 drought that was referenced earlier the river dried up completely. That is not a very environmental outcome is it? So we've got the ability to mitigate that.Of course there is massive economic benefit. The $932 million over 25 years that's been identified in the Northington report is real money flowing into the Tasman District and Nelson City and for the likes of the Alliance Group the meat plant—they're a big user of water—that will secure their supply. So just that economic benefit as well as the environmental benefits will be significant.These are intergenerational decisions. One thing I would say is that the farmers are often seen as the beneficiaries of this but it's actually the farmer's children that are the beneficiaries because the debt levels that are taken on are often generational investments. It's the towns and the service people that benefit directly initially but the farmers themselves are often taking on large portions of debt and risk and that takes some time to pay off. So the thought that farmers are going to get rich off the back of taxpayers is just not how it works at all. So I commend this to the House.