Little AndrewMAORI COMMERCIAL AQUACULTURE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT AMENDMENT BILLThird ReadingHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) on behalf of the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries: I present to the House a legislative statement on the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I move That the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill be now read a third time. I would like to reiterate my thanks indeed on behalf of the Minister the Hon David Parker to the Māori Affairs Committee for their examination of the bill during the select committee stage and all submitters for their time and contribution to the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill.The Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill 2021 is an important bill that seeks to improve the allocation and transfer of process of aquaculture settlement sites. It does this by providing to Te Ohu Kaimoana the Māori trustee with limited discretionary power to make determinations on aquaculture settlement allocation entitlements. This provides practical steps to enable assets already allocated to iwi to be transferred to those iwi aquaculture organisations who wish to receive them. It also ensures assets will be preserved for those who do not wish to receive them at this time and seeks to prevent future delays for iwi receiving benefits from the aquaculture settlement.Māori have a significant presence in the aquaculture industry and the Government's aquaculture strategy and the growth of New Zealand's aquaculture industry and economy. Aquaculture is an industry in which many iwi already lead within their rohe and are invested in growing for the benefit of their iwi hapū whānau and community. This will increase over time as iwi acquire and develop their interests in the industry and realise their aquaculture settlement assets. It's important that the Maori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Amendment Bill enables iwi to access their settlement assets within an appropriate time frame so that iwi can realise their aquaculture aspirations. This bill will offer immediate benefit for those iwi facing delays in receiving their assets. Once Royal assent is given the bill's limited discretionary powers could be used immediately to resolve allocation issues currently faced in the Northland and Bay of Plenty regions. This would offer benefits to those iwi who have waited years to receive their aquaculture assets and prevent this from occurring in future as iwi acquire and develop their interest in the industry.There is broad support amongst iwi in the Bay of Plenty and Northland members of the Māori Affairs Committee and members of the House to progress this bill. This bill will provide long-term benefits for iwi to acquire and use their settlement assets to maximise aquaculture opportunities for Māori and in doing so that will be good not only for those iwi and for Māori but actually for all of Aotearoa New Zealand together. On that note I commend this bill to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): The question is that the motion be agreed to.