Kanongata'a-Suisuiki AnahilaANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to stand to make a contribution to the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill which is a local bill and promoted by the Palmerston North City Council. Of course I'd like to acknowledge the sponsor of this bill the MP for Palmerston North Tangi Utikere.In my journey in this bill I found out that Palmerston North has actually got a beautiful Māori name referred to as Papaioea—Papai-oea; look how beautiful it is—which refers to the Manawatū.Hon Member: Oh so true. ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI: Oh so true yeah. So I just want to acknowledge the member for sponsoring this very important bill to Palmerston North.Also want to acknowledge the chair—the leadership of our chair the Hon Eugenie Sage; I've always had to tip my hat to her in the way that she conducts herself in our committee—and of course the members of our select committee. I want to acknowledge the member that has just stood down in terms of their support of this bill the Hon Scott Simpson. I want to thank the submitters: the 29 individuals and organisations who made a submission to the bill and it gave us an insight into what locals are thinking in Palmerston North about this bill.So as we've heard from the member—what is this bill all about? So the Palmerston North City Council currently holds certain land under the Palmerston North Reserves Act 1922. That's 100 years so this Act is 100 years old. Land that's held under that Act cannot be sold.So the council are the promoter—the Palmerston North council wishes to be able to sell the land for development if it becomes surplus to council's requirements. As we've heard from both our two speakers it's been vacant for about 15 years. So this bill as we are talking on the second reading it is the mechanism for this by amending the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act 1966—gives the mechanism for the council to be able to do that.The bill would amend the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act 1966 to enable the Palmerston North City Council to sell 1.6 hectares of land that currently serves as a recreation reserve which I can see from the Manawatū Standard that it used to be the former bowling club. I'm not a local—a former bowling club that I've noticed here.I know that there were attempts for us to visit personally Palmerston North to view the area but through technology we were able to do that on our screens.The last time that I was in Palmerston North it will always be memorable for me. I was in Levin; my daughter is allergic to peanuts. The member for Ōtaki keeps going on and on how there is no emergency hospital in Ōtaki—in Levin—but I wasn't really listening. So my daughter ate peanuts in Levin so I needed to get to a doctor immediately. I rang the ambulance and they said You either have to drive to Palmerston North or wait there and we'll send the ambulance." So of course I drove to Palmerston North. So that's why Palmerston North will always linger in my heart: they did a really good job and saved my daughter on that night.Locals know this reserve as the Huia Street Reserve—located at the corner of Fitzherbert Ave and Park Road in Palmerston North. The submitters that we heard from: the submitters that opposed the bill were concerned about preserving green spaces for the future generations—as I've said before that Act is 100 years old—the suitability of Huia Street as compared to other options in the city so that they did say that there are other options in the city.Those submissions that submitted in support of the bill—in favour of the bill—noted a pressing need for more housing in the area in Palmerston North. They told us that the Huia Street Reserve has had limited recreation use for some years—and as we've heard over 15 years. They told us that there were other reserves close by that the council could use for recreational activities that it has.We heard from the promoter which is as we've heard from the Palmerston North City Council that it has engaged closely with Rangitāne o Manawatū which is its tangata whenua partner about the bill's progress. Furthermore the Palmerston North City Council—and I quote what they have reported to us as a select committee—that "Rangitāne o Manawatū are satisfied with the process which they have full knowledge of in terms of this process." So we also heard from the sponsor Tangi Utikere and of course as I said the promoter. Just want to remind that the promoter is the Palmerston North City Council.So I just want to remind the House what the bill does and why we support it. In November 2020 the Palmerston North City Council approved a preferred option for future use of huia reserve to enable the development of Huia Street Reserve for housing including the potential for a mixed housing development supporting recreational and small commercial activity.From the report from the library they did show us an artist's impression of what it could look like in terms of medium-density homes. [Holds up piece of paper] I don't know whether people at home can see it but it's beautiful. It will have a mix—medium-density homes with a lot of warm housing.So the council have directed the chief executive to engage with the relevant Government agencies and of course the office of the Palmerston North member of Parliament which is Tangi Utikere to initiate the amendments to the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act 1966. Today we are at its second reading.So this is the first step that potentially allowed development for land for housing. The reason why I go into this depth: because as a select committee we learnt a lot about this local bill and we've learnt a lot on how diligent the promoter the Palmerston North City Council is in engaging locals in a conversation on what to do with this land.We heard that there are a variety of housing development scenarios proposed including options of multi-unit detached apartment-style housing. The decision to initiate this followed a formal council consultation process and the community is broadly supportive of the development.Palmerston North locals also had the opportunity to submit their views which we've all heard so far. The sponsor of the bill Tangi Utikere referred to 2007 in terms—this is not new; the member Steve Maharey who spoke in the Palmerston North local bill. I think it's important that we hear the voices of the locals and that's what I've learnt from this bill. But I'd like to refer back to Steve Maharey and what he stated in this House in 2007—which is 15 years ago: "It is parliamentary convention that local MPs sponsor bills of this nature through the House. It provides a mechanism whereby people can make sure that legislation is passed from a local point of view. In this case it is Palmerston North City Council that wants this legislation to be passed and it is my duty to ensure that it is advanced so it can be discussed." That was the member Steve Maharey. I want to congratulate the member—the current member Tangi Utikere—and one day I will take up the option of visiting or look at how beautiful this place Palmerston North is without being a choice of an ill child but actually a choice because I want to. So I look forward to visiting this. I look forward to the third reading of this bill and I look forward to seeing what the Huia Street Reserve will look like in Palmerston North.I also learnt a little something about Palmerston North. There's conversations about naming of the Square—of the Square in Palmerston North. Perhaps that's for a later time. Te Marae o Hine. Isn't that a beautiful name? Daughter of Peace. Yeah so I have been studying up—the member of Palmerston North often accuses me of not being well informed about Palmerston North but this was an opportunity to do so.I want to thank all the 29 submitters that submitted on this bill and I again congratulate you Tangi Utikere for being the second MP from Palmerston North to bring this to Parliament. In that I'd like to commend the local bill the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill to the House. Mālō."