Moroney Sue: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — Second Reading 
Moroney Sue: Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill — Second Reading 
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SUE MORONEY (Labour) 
: 
 It is my pleasure to rise to support the second reading of the Hamilton City Council (Parana Park) Land Vesting Bill 2010. I congratulate the member who has just resumed his seat Tim Macindoe on correctly anticipating that there will be support from Labour for this bill. I tell the member that that was well-anticipated. It could be the pinnacle of his career—great anticipation. I also congratulate David Bennett the MP in whose name this bill came forward. It may well be the pinnacle of his career to date to have brought this bill forward and sponsored it. I think the member opposite who spoke before me was correct in saying that David Bennett is the sponsor of this bill. It was drafted I would think by the Hamilton City Council and brought forward in David Bennett’s name so congratulations to David Bennett on doing that. 
Chester Borrows 
: A hardworking MP! 
SUE MORONEY 
: Well he is getting close to getting legislation through this House after his 5 years in Parliament; he really is getting somewhere now. I think it was also very gracious of David Bennett to allow his colleague Tim Macindoe to move the second reading of the bill in his absence. Obviously it was not quite important enough for him to be here for but it is important none the less. 
Parana Park is a really important asset in our city of Hamilton. It is widely used by all manner of people in all age groups. It has recently been used to host the city walks and the Hamilton half-marathon starts in Parana Park. Go By Bike Day was another recent event that started in Parana Park. We can see that the park is hosting all modes of transport and healthy modes at that. It is also annually the place where we hold the very important Anzac Day ceremony and commemoration. It hosts many Hamiltonians and people from the broader Waikato. I have certainly been to many other events there. I have been to weddings in Parana Park. One of my favourite events that I have attended in Parana Park was the celebration of May Day. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Was Macindoe at that? 
SUE MORONEY 
: I do not recall Tim Macindoe being there at the celebration of May Day. May Day is of course the day on which we celebrate workers’ rights right around the world. It is an international day that has been recognised by the local unions which host a family picnic to commemorate May Day and to think about how we are doing in this country on the issue of workers’ rights. On 1 May members might be able to imagine if they have visited Hamilton Parana Park resplendent in its autumn colours around that time. It would still probably be warm enough to get out and have a picnic as people have done on May Day and the park looks absolutely a picture nestled there beside the Waikato River and with the autumn leaves. It is quite a stunning environment to be in for such an event. 
The history of Parana Park is also incredibly interesting. I think it represents the type of history had by not only much of the Waikato but in fact much of New Zealand. The park sits on land that is raupatu—confiscated land. It is land that was confiscated from Tainui in the 1860s. In that regard it is quite similar to large tracts of land in the Waikato. So this prime land right beside the Waikato River which had been used as an entrance and exit spot for transporting goods up and down the river was confiscated from Tainui in the 1860s. In 1866 it was granted—quite a quaint word when one thinks about it—to a man by the name of William Moule. He was granted not just Parana Park but 400 acres. Part of those 400 acres is the land that has become known now as Parana Park. I say it “has become known now as Parana Park” but because of the work of the select committee it will now formally be known as Parana Park. So the legislation will reflect for the first time the name by which Hamiltonians have known this piece of land for decades. I congratulate the select committee on doing that. It may seem like quite a small step. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Isn’t that going over the top? 
SUE MORONEY 
: It is not going to change the course of history. It is not necessarily going to make anyone’s life better but we have a piece of land that we have traditionally known as Parana Park. It is now going to be formally recognised by that name in statute. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: What? That’s outrageous. I think I’m opposed to it now. 
SUE MORONEY 
: I do not think we can oppose it on those grounds I tell Mr Mallard. Really not to recognise it by the name it has been known by would not be correct and I do not think the people whom I represent would be in favour of that. The select committee members used the opportunity to make sure that the name is now recognised in statute and I thank them for that. 
Since the land was granted to William Moule in 1866 it has changed hands twice which again reminds us about the travesty of justice that occurred during that period of time. The land was taken from its lawful owners quite unlawfully in the 1860s and then sold twice—for private profit I would imagine—before it landed in the very kind hands of George Parr. George Parr gifted this land to Hamilton so he was a very visionary man. He was in his 60s when he made this decision. I can only imagine the type of man he was. We know he was a farmer. He was a son of a former mayor of Hamilton so he obviously felt strongly about civic duty. He was very involved in politics; he was involved in the liberal politics of the time. I imagine that although I may differ with George Parr on some of his views on many things I think there are many things we have in common. For example it is clear that he had a strong love of children because the very reason he gifted this land—this very special area—to Hamilton was to make sure that the welfare of children in the city was looked after. He actually left the land to be developed as a playground for children and he left the building to be developed as a convalescent home for children who were ill. So he clearly valued children and put children at the heart of his thinking. Although I may have differed with him on many other points of view valuing children is something I strongly believe in as well. 
Another thing I think we may have had in common is that he was a visionary when it came to issues about transport. George Parr was a visionary and he was a train enthusiast. Even back in those days and I am talking about the 1920s— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Remember them? 
SUE MORONEY 
: —no I do not remember them—George Parr was advocating for a train service between Kawhia Raglan and Hamilton. 
Phil Twyford 
: It’s an idea whose time has come. 
SUE MORONEY 
: It is an idea whose time has come and I wonder what he would think of the fact that one of the debates still raging in Hamilton today is whether we ought to have a passenger train service between Hamilton and Auckland. I think if George Parr were alive today he would say: “You’re debating what? Why don’t you just get on and do it?”. That is what I think the practical man in George Parr would have said. I am with him on that because I am the MP in Hamilton who is advocating for that service to be established against the wishes of the other local members. I think I know where George Parr would put his vote in that instance. 
I take this opportunity to congratulate the Hamilton City Council on pursuing this legislation because they have obviously seen a need to have more flexibility in their use of the land—in particular wanting to be able to lease the dwelling on that land. I am sure we will see that put to good use in future. Without any further ado I commend the second reading of this bill to the House.