Williams Andrew: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilliams Andrew: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 28 January 2014. Volume:696;Page:15583. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ANDREW WILLIAMS (NZ First): Can I just extend my greetings to all members of this House at the beginning of 2014 and also to all those out there who may be listening to this broadcast. It is great to start the parliamentary year at the end of January with already so much on the agenda.The Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill is a very interesting bill. I have had the great pleasure in the last couple of weeks to be down in what you would say is as close as you can possibly get on mainland New Zealand to this area. I visited Stewart Island Fiordland and Queenstown. When you go down there and you see what has been done in terms of the—Hon Ruth Dyson: You’re not going to stand in Clutha-Southland are you?ANDREW WILLIAMS: No no I am not going to stand in Southland no. When going down into your area Mr Deputy Speaker into Eric Roy country and seeing what is being done on the likes of Stewart Island with Ulva Island and the marine reserve there and seeing what is being done in Fiordland in the World Heritage status area and throughout that whole area of Southland and Stewart Island it does make you reflect on where New Zealand is in the world in terms of our nature and our flora and fauna and the special place that we have within world global status. This Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill is an extra addition to that in that the islands are some 860 kilometres south-west of the extent of this area of Stewart Island and they are again a very special area of the greater part of New Zealand Inc. that we have.The Local Government and Environment Committee was very privileged last year to sit on the exclusive economic zone bill that looked at that huge area of water around New Zealand. I am told that it is the fifth-largest exclusive economic zone in the world—Hon Dr Nick Smith: That’s right.ANDREW WILLIAMS: —others say it is the fourth-largest and others say it is not. I am told it is the fifth-largest and the Minister of Conservation confirms it is the fifth-largest. In terms of the size of our country it really does show how important that exclusive economic zone is to our country. Therefore the Subantarctic Islands as part of that and these islands that are out there the Bounty Islands the Antipodes Islands and Campbell Island are a very important part of that outreach of the New Zealand land mass to show our presence in the South Pacific and into the subantarctic ocean.These islands were first discovered in the 1800s by Captain Henry Waterhouse on the British ship HMS Reliance so this goes back a long way in New Zealand’s history in terms of that we are now talking several hundreds years ago when these islands were discovered. It is most important that they are now given this level of protection and it isimportant that these marine reserves are put through in terms of also supporting the World Heritage site situation that they have been accredited.The islands are a very long way away—as I said 860 kilometres south-west of Stewart Island. When you think about the distance that New Zealand has it is very important in terms of our impact in this part of the world. Many people around the world do recognise the fact that although New Zealand is a very very small land mass we do have a great presence in this part of the Pacific Ocean and the Tasman Sea in this part of the world. We are the guardians. It is interesting that many submitters who came to our Local Government and Environment Committee have said and have reiterated the fact that this generation and every generation are the guardians of the environment. We are the guardians of what we are given. We are very fortunate to live in a place like New Zealand where we are given this enormous beautiful natural resource out there and we are the guardians of that.All parties are supporting this bill. We support the National Government in terms of what it is bringing through in this bill. We think it is important to provide these additional safeguards. When I was on Stewart Island I was told by some locals that the Minister is visiting these islands in the near future coming on a naval frigate apparently or something to that effect. Are you visiting the Hon Nick Smith in the near future? Is that the case or not? Can you confirm that?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Maybe.ANDREW WILLIAMS: Maybe. Again I think it is a good thing that a Minister is going down there to show interest in this particular area. I know that our Local Government and Environment Committee suggested that the whole committee should go to the Subantarctic Islands to personally check out these islands and make sure that they are legitimate—that we should all go. But it was determined—Hon Dr Nick Smith: No just the New Zealand First caucus for a long time.ANDREW WILLIAMS: No no I am sorry Minister. No no we cannot let you get away with that. Our chairman said that it was not appropriate for the whole select committee to go to visit these islands even though we were receiving the submissions on this particular bill in relation to this important area off the southern coast of New Zealand.But it was very interesting and I would like to thank all those who submitted on this bill and also the Department of Conservation with all the work that it is doing down there. I was greatly impressed with what the Department of Conservation is doing in the likes of Stewart Island and in Fiordland and was talking with many of the Department of Conservation rangers down there during my visit to both those areas and seeing what the Department of Conservation is doing. This bill is another extension of that whole conservation area which is most important.New Zealand First does continue to have concerns about the level of funding to the Department of Conservation. We have constantly said that we feel that with the growing demands on the natural resources of New Zealand we cannot be short-changing our conservation measures. In this area there certainly are concerns out there within Department of Conservation circles that it is having to tighten its belt all the time to provide for what is required.When you look at the level of tourists and when you look at the level of New Zealand domestic visitors to many of these areas around New Zealand there is huge pressure on our natural resources on our national parks and on our natural environment. Therefore I think that every New Zealander can say that the more out of every taxpayer dollar that we can provide to support our natural environment the better. We would recommend to the Minister that please Minister we cannot be short-changing our Department of Conservation when it is so vital.When I was tramping the Routeburn Track last week we were the only Kiwis in the Falls Hut on the Routeburn. Every other tramper was from overseas—from Europe from Australia from Asia and other places. They recognise the fact that this is a very very very special part of the world that we have in all these areas like Fiordland like the Routeburn like the Milford Track and like Stewart Island and they come to New Zealand for a reason. In many cases they come to New Zealand because we offer a special part of the world. We cannot cut back in terms of what resources we provide to these areas because it is most important for New Zealand to maintain its world image in terms of the importance of New Zealand as a protector of nature and as a protector of the environment and we must ensure that those resources are provided and that we do not cut back on them.Also in terms of marine reserves this area is another addition. We heard from Jacqui Dean that there are now something like 34 A class reserves around the country. I was in Akaroa Harbour with a lot of eminent scientists in December for Dolphin Day in New Zealand. Again that was a recent and new addition to another marine reserve which the Minister approved last year. It is increasingly important that these marine reserves are recognised and the importance of them to New Zealand. Although in the scheme of things it is a small percentage of the overall ocean and it is a small percentage of the overall area that New Zealand covers they individually and cumulatively add up to a significant factor in terms of protecting our marine life around our shores in very very critically important areas such as Akaroa Harbour.These latest marine reserves in the Subantarctic Islands are yet another example of this. It stands New Zealand in great stead on the international global stage that we do this and New Zealand First supports it in every way so that New Zealand can stand on the global stage and say that we do support the environment.