O'Connor Damien; Dean JacquiHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister for Land Information): Thank you very much Madam Chair and I'll try and answer a few of the things. Regarding the exclusive possession I absolutely uphold that and the bill upholds their exclusive possession. What I referred to about quiet enjoyment I guess was the reality that many in their homes in central Auckland would enjoy that as well as we would anywhere. It's a bit of an ideal really in today's world be it of mobility and people coming in and around and on to these properties and of course I respect that. But this idea that all these high country farmers are the same is a little bit idealistic as well. Every single property is different as is every single farmer. There are some spectacular farmers there and there are a few who haven't always adhered to the laws and the conditions of the lease. One of the issues that we're trying to sort out is I guess all of the good work of the vast majority of those lessees is not undermined by I guess the failure of a few and the inability of Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) in a clear way other than—actually the only real threat they had was to take the lease because there were not infringement notices there weren't minor offences that could be imposed if there was a minor offence carried out.When we talk about minor consents—and there are a whole lot of things—you see the National Party legislation of 1998 required a consent for digging postholes required a consent for digging an offal pit required a consent for removing tree stumps and required a consent for the ongoing maintenance of tracks on these properties. That was National Party legislation. What we're wanting to do here is to offer more certainty and remove. Now what happened is a letter—a letter just like a letter you can write to your friends and family—went out from the commissioner to say that actually all those minor consent issues are approved. But it was only a letter. No legal standing at all; just a letter that could be withdrawn with another letter. What we're hoping to do is to ensure the people who will continue. I don't like to single out anyone but I know Jonathan Wallis' submission was quoted. I want to thank him for his participation through the accord and the leadership role that he's played and making that submission. Indeed I think that the property there will continue under a leasehold arrangement. What he seeks is some certainty. This legislation will offer him certainty where the boundaries are will give more regular connection with LINZ the landowner and I think will allow Jonathan and his kids and grandkids to carry on at Minaret Station and look after it in a spectacular way. But to imply that nothing has changed over a hundred years is again both wrong and naïve and romantic. Many of the farmers have mostly in a way that is in keeping with the environment intensified and developed their properties—centre-pivot irrigation different crops things that are quite alien to the high country environment. Now some have done it really well and protected the inherent values—but they are not themselves the inherent values of the land; they are new developments that are owned by the lessees and we respect that. We simply want to be able to work with them to ensure that the enthusiasm of perhaps a new lessee coming in seeing an opportunity doesn't push the boundaries on environmental management or doesn't undermine the inherent values that other New Zealanders see in the high country.So this legislation is designed to offer certainty to remove the threat that under the National Party's legislation a letter could've been sent from the commissioner to the lessee saying You have to apply for a consent for every single posthole that you need." How ridiculous. That was National Party legislation. This will mean that that never has to occur. The maintenance of tracks can be an approved and permitted activity. So we've moved through to "if you want to put in a centre pivot and develop an area on some of the flat area well you should sit down with the landowner and work through the mitigations and the intensification." because the landowner—Hon David Bennett: There's no chance in hell you're gonna let that happen.Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: Mr Bennett there I think he might be the landowner of a farm somewhere and I don't think—Hon Member: Several.Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR: —probably a couple of farms—he would allow a sharemilker to come on and change what happens in a drastic way on his property without at least talking to them. That's what we're asking for here that the Crown is the owner of the land respecting all of the rights and the investment and the heritage of those good people on the land just to say "Let's have a more productive and ongoing relationship." That's all we're asking. I think the 167 I think it is lessees will be able to continue with certainty with perpetual right to renewal with knowing where the boundaries are and being able to sit down and talk with an agency that is better resourced that is better engaged and that actually wants a genuine partnership; not one of hands-off disconnection and when something goes wrong or a lessee does something that is not in keeping with good management and most of the other lessees know it's not in keeping with good management there wasn't an ability for LINZ as the guardian on behalf of us all to step in and say "Look that's wrong. There should be some kind of penalty or some incentive not to do it again." The only penalty was "We'll take the lease from you." which was clearly ridiculous.So we're just trying to find the right balance here in a whole lot of different ways respecting the right not wanting to remove those rights but making sure that there is a good balance there.CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jacqui Dean): Before I take the next call and thanks to the members who are calling we are now 55 minutes into Part 1. There are five Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) which have been lodged for Part 1 of the bill. I am looking for targeted contributions and members seeking the call to speak on SOPs to keep Part 1 alive."