Heatley Phil: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHeatley Phil: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 28 January 2014. Volume:696;Page:15577. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei): Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak in support of the second reading of the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill. I was interested in the comments of the previous speaker Moana Mackey that Labour may be opposing the Ruataniwha project there in the Tukituki. That is something I have not seen as a public statement by the leader but Hawke’s Bay listeners tonight will be interested in that information. I of course am pleased that the Minister of Conservation Nick Smith is bringing forward the legislation that we have got here before us. He did that before Christmas and we have looked at it in the Local Government and Environment Committee.It was 3 years ago today in fact that I as Minister of Fisheries and Kate Wilkinson the then Minister of Conservation announced that these three huge marine reserves totalling over 435000 hectares were to be established in the Subantarctic Islands. We were very proud of that at that time. A considerable amount of work has been done since because there has been a high level of public engagement which is usually the case when the National Government is doing environmental law. Then action occurs. There will be marine reserves after us.It is true that Labour and the Greens do like to consult more. They do; they go round and round and round again. They do not reach a conclusion. They do not make a decision. People are consulted with thoroughly. They do indeed run a very robust consultation process. We on the other hand prefer to have consultation and get better ideas from the community than we have at the current time once we have put something on paper. Then we make a decision and in this case of course we have. There will be marine reserves. We will not be going out for years and years of more cyclical conversations love-ins and hugs which the Green Party and the Labour Party seem to need. We have made a decision here and these marine reserves will be put in place.So we will see a marine reserve cover the entire territorial sea out to 12 nautical miles surrounding the Antipodes Island with two further marine reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island. At the time we made the original decision it was covering about 58 percent and 39 percent of those islands’ territorial seas respectively.There are prohibitions today in seining. They will be introduced in the remaining territorial sea. Of course these islands as a land mass boast World Heritage status in recognition of their international conservation importance; what we are essentially doing is extending this to the sea mass. I remember Kate Wilkinson at the time saying that some of the most biologically diverse marine communities in the world are found here and recent research shows that their diversity compares to locations such as the Galapagos Islands. So it is no wonder that we have good cross-party support for this legislation. I just thank the Minister Nick Smith for making sure that it is cemented in and for essentially carrying the ball I guess and doing the work to get this over the line and drive it through Parliament as is his habit. So as a previous Minister of Fisheries involved in this decision some years ago I would like to thank the Minister Nick Smith for taking this on and making sure that it happens.I do want to thank the Subantarctic Islands Marine Protection Planning Forum at that time chaired by Buddle Findlay partner Paul Beverley which conducted a tremendous amount of work consulting on and assessing the marine protection options.When complete the new marine protected areas will boost the area of New Zealand’s territorial sea that is protected to over 10 percent which is a wonderful record. I do know that Minister Nick Smith is very passionate about marine reserves. Before I was a member of Parliament I recall him bringing in the marine reserve out of the Poor Knights Islands off the Northland coast which was quite controversial at that time. I recall that the Green Party and the Labour Party had talked a lot about that too for many many years and consulted and talked and consulted and talked some more. They do like to talk. They do like to consult. We like to make decisions. Here is something again that is concrete and not just empty promises hot air and love-ins. Thank you Minister Nick Smith. I look forward to supporting this bill as it goes through the Committee stage and the third reading.