Barry Maggie: Address in ReplyText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBarry Maggie: Address in Reply[Sitting date: 28 October 2014. Volume:701;Page:262. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon MAGGIE BARRY (Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage):E ngā mana e ngā reo e ngā tangata katoa tēnā koutou katoa. I am indeed honoured to be a member of the Cabinet and part of this Government under the leadership of John Key. It is a Government with a track record of delivering for New Zealanders and it will continue to deliver following the strong mandate at last month’s election.I acknowledge my predecessors in my three ministerial portfolios: the Hon Chris Finlayson the Hon Dr Nick Smith and the Hon Jo Goodhew. I am very reliably informed that I am the first Minister in Cabinet to simultaneously hold the portfolio of arts culture and heritage as well as conservation. This gives me as an individual the opportunity to engage in a wide range of issues around our unique national identity involving both our cultural and physical landscape as well as the historic events that have shaped us to become the nation that we are today.The WW100 commemorations have begun already and will be a major focus over the next 4 years. On 16 October we marked the departure of the New Zealand troops from Wellington 100 years ago. The waterfront of Wellington marks where the journey to Gallipoli and the Western Front began for many of our troops. Senator Michael Ronaldson the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs in Australia also spoke at the ceremony and we both reflected on the beginnings of that strong Anzac tradition which we are continuing to build on through our shared centenary relationships.The significance of Anzac Day 2015 will be looming large in the minds of New Zealanders next year. The Government has demonstrated a very firm commitment to the centenary commemorations through the construction of the Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington which will be opened in time on Anzac Day next year literally on top of the new Arras Tunnel which as I said a moment ago was completed ahead of schedule. This is going to become the national place for New Zealanders to remember and reflect on this country’s experience of war of military conflict and of peacekeeping and on how those experiences shaped our ideals and our sense of national identity.Pukeahu will also include an Australian memorial with additional memorials to be added over time from other nations that fought alongside us in those important battles. All of this highlights I think the international aspects of our centennial commemorations building on our long-held and valued relationships with other nations and a shared recognition of the First World War and the impact it had on us. Our ongoing relationships with France the United Kingdom Turkey and other nations during the centenary period will be a testament to the strength of these ties that bind. Lottery Grants Board funding of $17 million will also enable community and national projects as part of these commemorations with a further $5 million just allocated.Next year is also a very significant year for anniversaries of events that have shaped our nation specifically. Waitangi Day 2015 will mark 175 years since the signing of the Treaty while Wellington will have been the capital for 150 years. These events provide an opportunity for all of us to engage with the ideas of identity and nationhood and this includes the flag. The conversation about whether we want to change the flag or not and the binding referendum process will be coming through my office. Again it is an issue that will be left to the people to decide—whether we want to stay with what we have or whether we want to change. There will be very wide consultation and two binding referenda and no presumption of change.Brand New Zealand is very much about who we are and where we fit into the world. New Zealand’s creative sector is significant national and internationally. The growth and sustainability of the sector is essential to our future well-being. Within the arts culture and heritage portfolio I look forward to building positive relationships across a diverse range of organisations that represent the many dimensions of our cultures and their people. These providers of services make our New Zealand culture accessible whether in a performing arts environment or through content distributed online. These providers represent and preserve our collective past and our present but there are also funding organisations that futureproof and safeguard New Zealand’s cultural output whether it is in the form of music dance or film.I will be working with Heritage NZ on furthering progress on the National Historic Landmarks List. This will provide an appreciation of New Zealand’s most important heritage places and the conversation about them and the conservation of them. I would like to acknowledge Minister Chris Finlayson’s contribution to not only the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act but also of course the broader arts culture and heritage portfolio. It is an integral part of our national identity which informs another of my portfolios conservation.I have spent a lot of my spare time—and a lot of my working life for that matter—studying and being around the flora and fauna of New Zealand. It is something I enjoy very much. I speak with personal experience and sincerity to say that for me the national parks are some of the many jewels within our landscape. The New Zealand Conservation Authority has made a recommendation that a new national park be established in the Waipoua Forest and to include a visitor centre. I very much look forward to progressing discussions with Te Rōroa about the Kauri National Park. This Government has also committed $30 million to containing and controlling kauri dieback which is an extremely challenging disease to manage.I am a great believer in building strong partnerships and within conservation I believe that this is a key priority. By growing these partnerships we can improve our ability to protect biodiversity and help New Zealanders and visitors to this country further enjoy what our wonderful and unique environment has to offer. These partnerships involve collaboration across central and local government working with private landowners and businesses as well as individual benefactors. Kiwis for Kiwi partnerships with Air New Zealand and Fonterra and a huts maintenance project and arrangement with Federated Mountain Clubs and Predator Free New Zealand are all examples of developing these initiatives. Here I would like to acknowledge Rob Fenwich who is a visionary with energy and commitment and who has given a lot of his time and thought and the breadth of his philosophy and experience to these vital tasks. I would also like to acknowledge my erstwhile colleague Ruud Kleinpaste the “Bugman” for his unique contributions.Treaty settlements also offer further opportunities for strengthening relationships between the Department of Conservation and iwi as primary partners. This Government has created a record number of 10 marine reserves in this past year doubling the set-net protection for the Māui’s dolphin. We have introduced a ban on shark finning and we have created new whale and seal sanctuaries. The balance between marine protection and resource use is very important for all New Zealanders and as the Minister of Conservation I am absolutely mindful of that. Work on threatened marine species is also conducted collaboratively including working with the fishing industry and port authorities to find practical solutions to protect marine mammals and our seabirds.Improvements to New Zealand’s legislative framework for marine protection help ensure our protected status for marine areas in the exclusive economic zones and our territorial seas. The development of new marine protection legislation will address limitations in the Marine Reserves Act 1971. The current Act is I feel outdated and restrictive and it does not encourage collaborative planning. I think there is an opportunity for New Zealand to be a world leader in how we manage our oceans. There are also two new marine recreational parks planned in the Hauraki Gulf and Marlborough Sounds and an improved regulatory framework around those.We face ongoing threats to our biodiversity from predators and we will continue to take a practical science-based approach to dealing with these challenges. The use of 1080 is a cost-effective and scientifically verified method of managing these eco-invaders. Pest control will be extended to 1 million hectares to protect our native species. I would urge people to become up to date with the science on 1080. It is backed by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. This year the department’s Battle for our Birds predator-control programme will combine the use of 1080 and trapping to combat the increased threat to at-risk species from stoats and rodents. The Battle for our Birds programme has the potential not only to make huge improvements in natural landscape conservation but also to benefit agriculture.Economically the Department of Conservation plays a vital role in New Zealand’s $24 billion recreation and tourism industry. It is key that we work with the industry on the short medium and long-term actions to deliver benefits for tourism and recreation while benefiting conservation. Our natural heritage is a legacy to be handed on to future generations and the sound management of the natural environment is absolutely essential to this.My portfolio as Minister for Senior Citizens is one that I have a very strong interest in. This Government is committed to ensuring that older New Zealanders have security and well-being and are given very importantly the respect and the value that they deserve. They have contributed hugely to this country. This Government and me as Minister will continue to value our older New Zealanders in practical ways. People are living longer and are healthier into their old age more so than in any previous generation. The New Zealand population trends show that the number of people over the age of 65 is projected to double in the next 20 years to around 1.2 million in 2036. This means that older New Zealanders will contribute significantly more to the economy and also contribute to our society in unpaid and voluntary work. Thank you.