Tremain Chris: Unit Titles Bill — First Reading 
Tremain Chris: Unit Titles Bill — First Reading 
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CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier) 
: 
 I rise to take a call on the Unit Titles Bill. I will probably take a slightly different angle from the one the speakers before me this evening have taken in regard to this bill. Before I take this angle I acknowledge the member on the other side of the House Shane Jones—as Labour members have wanted us to do all night—and the work he put into this bill before it came to the House. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Lianne Dalziel actually did the work. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: I understand that Mr Jones as the previous Minister of Building and Construction put some work into it after Lianne Dalziel. It probably does not come as a surprise that he was unable to bring it to the House at the time. He got tied up in some issues around showers and water flow that prevented him from bringing this bill to the House at the time. It is along that line of showers water flow and the new green agenda that I really want to take this debate tonight. We see tonight the National Government following the new green agenda in bringing this Unit Titles Bill into the House. 
Hon Members 
: Ha ha! 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: Opposition members laugh but let me explain it clearly. Today in the Chamber Jeanette Fitzsimons stood up and asked the Minister of Finance how National is supporting this Green agenda and where National is taking the whole green agenda. Here is a concrete example of the new green agenda: the Unit Titles Bill. We are talking about legislation that modernises unit titles. Unit titles are about building high-rise housing comprehensively and closely together within cities. It stops the encroachment out into the rural boundaries and pushing them out which is something I know the Green Party has been very conscious of—the pushing out of the city limits. We have legislation that is very important in that regard. It modernises the unit titles legislation and encourages the construction of quality high-rise developments and the concentration of public services within more comprehensive cities. In that regard I think this is important legislation. 
I will move away from that topic and back to the city of Napier and to your own province of Hawke’s Bay Mr Assistant Speaker. We have seen significant changes in the real estate landscape over the last 5 to 10 years all around New Zealand but particularly in my own province and my home town of Napier. The Ahuriri environment was once a place for fishing boats—and it still has fishing boats—but we are now seeing the development of places like the Ahuriri Quadrant and West Quay apartments. They are significant-sized apartment complexes that have been built with real quality of design. They have allowed people to live in much closer proximity. We are again following the green agenda that we have been talking about which is something the National Government is following significantly by supporting this legislation. 
The developments are helping to provide green-collar jobs in the building and sustainable development of those townhouses. There has been fantastic development of the Ahuriri landscape. There are now literally hundreds of apartments there that have changed the whole landscape. In fact my own mother has purchased one of those properties which she will benefit from living in. 
New Zealanders have struggled over time with moving off the quarter acre section away from their gardens and into a high-rise complex building. I know that my mother has struggled with that. But there are significant benefits to moving in terms of increased security and a lack of having to focus on the garden. A whole raft of things have really helped her in her retirement years. I think we will see those benefits be significantly enhanced with this sort of bill. The bill will improve the legislation around unit titles and in that regard I think it will be excellent. 
Not only will the green economy benefit from this but so will Napier and other such provincial centres which will develop their real estate infrastructure through this bill. I think we may even see Hastings in the Tukituki electorate benefit from this type of legislation. 
Nikki Kaye 
: Auckland Central. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: Yes Auckland Central. There is a fine example of the green economy in action. The wonderful member from Auckland Central Nikki Kaye is driving the new green agenda for that part of New Zealand. It is great to be up here in the Chamber supporting her in that regard. 
This is wonderful legislation. It is excellent to see Phil Heatley doing an excellent job as the new housing Minister. He stepped up to the plate and delivered an outstanding speech today on the new Unit Titles Bill. He has been absolutely outstanding. 
Hon Dr Richard Worth 
: A much-loved Minister. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: He is a much-loved Minister. 
I will talk a little about some of the details of this bill. It makes changes to some of the current legislation and I just put it on the record that it will clarify the duties and powers of unit owners. It will also provide clarification for the bodies corporate and body corporate management developers in order to reduce disputes about rights and responsibilities which are a real issue. 
A significant issue arose with one of my constituents in respect of the development of the old Inland Revenue Department building in Napier when the development was changed from the Inland Revenue Department building into a unit title block of apartments. There was an issue with the lift shafts in the building whereby one of my constituents lived on the third floor and there was a whole drama about whether one of the— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What are you saying was going on in the lift then? 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: The lifts would not go Mr Mallard. My constituent was an older woman who had to walk up and down the stairs. It became a significant issue for the body corporate and for the manager of the body corporate. 
I hope this bill will lay the groundwork so that the disputes resolution process between tenants and the body corporate can make a significant difference which will ensure that constituents like mine in Napier benefit from this legislation. We are benefiting from the new green agenda that National is pushing through Parliament today with concrete examples of that agenda—no pun intended—to ensure that we look after the environment that we concentrate development in cities and that we do not encroach into our rural landscapes. This is very important so that our farmers can continue to farm their land. 
I ask members to remember that as the Greens tell us the population is exploding. Members may not know this but New Zealand currently feeds some 55 million people. We do not want to drive down that figure by continuing that rush to develop the cities out into those green spaces so this bill helps us to concentrate growth in the cities. If we are to grow in the cities the quality of design for these sorts of apartments is important. We do not want people to congregate in high-rise towers that are without an element of design and greenery; we want to ensure that we have a fine landscape and environment for our residents to live in. I think this bill will help to ensure that we do that. 
I have no hesitation in standing here tonight in support of the Unit Titles Bill. I have no hesitation in recommending it for the excellent bill that it is and for the excellent work that the Minister Phil Heatley has done in pushing the new green agenda through the House tonight. I think it is absolutely fantastic. Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Social Services Committee.