Andersen GinnyGINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Tasman District Council (Waimea Water Augmentation Scheme) Bill. It's great to see this bill proceeding so quickly through the House as I know that there are some contracts in place in order for work to go ahead that need to be done by a certain date and it's important that we see the quick passage of this legislation in order to reach that time frame.There are some really clear economic and environmental benefits that need to be weighed up. Those have come through the submissions process and through the good advice that we've received during the select committee process that this bill is beneficial for New Zealand and very much beneficial for those people involved in horticulture in the area on the Waimea Plains. This bill will enable a secure water supply for the local community. While it does directly affect horticulture in the form of many forms of berries that are grown on the Waimea Plains as well as apples and other fruits it will also ensure water supply to residential households—and good quality water supply which is so important.The dam will ensure increased river flow and this will ensure that the water supply to those local households and to businesses will continue particularly in the summer months. No doubt members will remember that the region had a very extreme drought back in 2001 known as the big dry in which there were severe water restrictions put in place and it affected everybody in the region. So having in place this dam and having in place a scheme that will replenish those aquifers beneath the Waimea Plains will mean that there is security and protection against droughts that may well come in the climate change age we face more frequently in the future.A secure water supply is the lifeblood of any region so I'm pleased to see that the people in Nelson and the Tasman District area can benefit from having that security and that confidence. We know that there are some clear environmental benefits with this change as well. The scheme will minimise the risk of saltwater intrusion into the aquifers along the coast—so close to the sea along that way. While there are concerns that have been noted by environmentalists about the area of land being inundated by the dam the overall health of the Waimea River and its fish life depend on a good water supply and that's exactly what this will do.It is good to see that there has been good consultation and that this is supported by the Tasman District Council. There's been consultation and compromise through the course of this piece of legislation reaching this point in time. The main area and the main point of contention has been the cost of the dam and this has been revised in order to reach an agreement and a way forward. I will note that there are those that are still not happy with the cost that some ratepayers will bear with this process and we heard that loud and clear through the submissions process. Affordability has been a critical issue along the way and the new funding model represents a compromise between the parties involved including an increased contribution by the Tasman District Council's partner in the project Waimea Irrigators Limited.I would like to also as my final point flag that there's been consultation on rights of first refusal under the Treaty settlement legislation. The land that will be transferred from the Crown to the district council has rights of first refusal upon it which were put in place under the Treaty settlement negotiations with Te Tau Ihu iwi. The land must remain under the direct or indirect control of the council until that occurs and the riverbed land must be sold back to the Crown if the dam does not proceed or is removed for any reason to ensure that those rights are not infringed upon.Look I would just like to say that I've really enjoyed being a part of watching this piece of legislation come through seeing the differing points of view from a community and understanding the benefits of what a good water scheme can provide to a community. Labour supports this bill for the good and the well-being of the environment for the community and for local businesses which thrive off the security of water supply. I therefore commend this bill to the House.