Bennett GlenCROWN MINERALS (PROHIBITION OF MINING) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingDebate resumed from 7 June.GLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Mr Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity this evening to speak on the Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill. This is significant; as I've read through and looked at this legislation it's a challenge for us as we look and approach our commitment to ensuring no new mining as we look at our conservation spaces and places.I just want to reflect really briefly because I think for myself as the member for New Plymouth and with Egmont conservation space on my doorstep it's significant to reflect briefly on what's going on for me in my part of Aoteroa and what is happening. Earlier this year we had the Taranaki maunga deed of redress ratification that was signed and now has gone out to all eight iwi around Taranaki to look at what it means in terms of redress of this piece of conservation land of this significant landmark of this maunga of this ancestor that sits in the centre of the region that I am part of that for all New Zealanders no matter what ancestry you are plays a significant role and connects people deeply to that space and the conservation space that there is. So we have Egmont National Park.In terms of the back story of that and what minerals are there and what it is we look back a number of years ago back to the 19th century when this piece of land was confiscated and was taken. There are a lot of reasons around why that was taken from Māori in the confiscation of that land with the Taranaki wars. And this piece of land is so so so significant to tangata whenua but it is also so significant to myself and others who reside in this part of Aotearoa. That's why we need to look at what it means in terms of this Crown Minerals (Prohibition of Mining) Amendment Bill. When I look at Taranaki and I look at what we are looking to do there not only is it a change of name it is reclaiming the name that never was it as once this is agreed to and people sign it it will be Te Papakura o Taranaki in terms of returning it to what was theirs.But we look at this legislation—and it's to prohibit new exploration prospecting and mining activity on conservation land and waters to protect the landscape's natural features indigenous plants and wildlife and scientific cultural and recreational values on public conservation land. That is a good drive and purpose for what we should be doing and could look at doing. But also I am aware that there is some overreach that is here. When I look at Treaty settlements when I look at what we're doing in Taranaki and what it means for their eight iwi I've reflected on the South Island and the conservation estates down there and around pounamu and what it means for indigenous gathering and mining of certain cultural taonga and what that looks like and how do we actually protect what it means for Māori in terms of finding the ways and abilities to actually find and connect with what is rightfully theirs but also the cultural experience that goes along with it.We are serious as a Government around ensuring mining only occurs when and where it's appropriate. At this point in time we don't feel comfortable to support this legislation. We are doing work and work is being done right through to ensure that we get the balance right. We believe that the beauty of our conservation estate—it's one of our ancestors who have created these spaces for us to enjoy—is important and is key. But at this point we aren't in a position to support this legislation. For that reason I'm unable to support this legislation to the next reading.