McClay ToddHon TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua): Madam Speaker thank you very much. It gives me pleasure and it is a privilege to speak on this piece of legislation as all of the area that we're talking about in this settlement for Ngāti Rangitihi either is in my electorate or previously—before boundary changes—has been. I've had an opportunity over the period of time that I've been the elected member of Parliament for Rotorua to talk at great length with many of the leaders of this iwi about the land the history and what it means to them. And indeed I remember—it might have been in my first term which feels a little while ago now—I had an opportunity with Ken Raureti who lives down the road from me to visit Mount Tarawera together. I'd been talking to Ken about why public access had been taken away many years ago. I remember as a child having an opportunity as many people in New Zealand did to just drive on up the mountain and wander around at will. In fact I think I went there with a Scout group or something where we slid in the scoria down into the volcano mouth on a number of occasions—the very first adventure tourism I suppose in Rotorua.Hon Simon Bridges: That doesn't sound very health and safety!Hon TODD McCLAY: That was the day when health and safety was: if they didn't come back then there was one less in the Scout group that's correct. However the point of this was I said to Ken Well why do people not have access now? There's a great concern in the community. So he said "Why don't we go up and wander round and we'll talk about it?" I arrived at his house and he decided he wanted to go in my freshly painted blue National Party truck—we were in Government at the time—and we drove south towards Taupō we went round past Rerewhakaaitu and then drove up towards the mountain. It stopped at a very large gate that was double locked and I said to Ken "If you open the gate we can drive all the way to the top." He said "Well I will"—but the keys are in the glovebox in his car back at his house in Rotorua. So we got out and we walked all the way which is probably an hour to an hour and a half walk to get to the landing area where there were young men and a few women camping and I learnt a lot that day. In fact it wasn't a decision on the part of iwi to close the mountain when it was open—and Mr Bridges talked about health and safety. Somebody went up riding mountain bikes late at night and landed in the crater and was badly injured and the owners of the land at the time Ngāti Rangitihi were held to account so they had to close it as a result if health and safety. The point of this is over time there has been less than enough understanding about the claim of Ngāti Rangitihi and largely this goes a long way to address that. I'm very pleased that they have recognition over the Central North Island forest. Much of that land as with others in the area falls within their responsibility previously and Mount Tarawera its reserves and many other areas including where the Pink and White Terraces were and the Waimangu Valley and tourism volcanic area also form part of this. Can I say and I don't want to speak for too long because the actual member of Parliament for the Wairakei electorate that all this falls in I think is—well the Māori Party are speaking after me—Rawiri Waititi and I would leave it to him as the elected member of Parliament to talk much more about this. But can I recognise the work of Leith Comer with whom I had the opportunity to go up on the mountain a few elections ago and talk about settlement and what access would mean for others who also might like to go and understand much much more. To Ken Raureti who gratefully gave much of his time to me Merepeka who also is there and the other trust members for their diligence their hard work and commitment over many many years to create greater understanding to move forward for their people and to find a settlement with the Crown.Mr Bridges says that these settlements don't go all the way to meeting the injustices of the past but this is an opportunity to draw a line under those and then look forward together to an area of New Zealand that we can develop together. I would finish by saying—not to be at all political—but to the member of the Green Party that spoke earlier Eugenie Sage they are forever talking about the bottom of the Tarawera River. It's good that there is a joint effort to continue to make sure that the bottom of the Tarawera River is healthy but she along with others knows that the regional council with local iwi and local people have worked very very hard over many many years through continual consents to make sure it meets the standards that are required. It no longer has the term that she gave it it is no longer a drain it is healthier than it has been for many many years and there is wide-ranging commitment to continue to improve it. I commend this bill to the House and look forward to it passing fully."