Lees-Galloway IainIAIN LEES-GALLOWAY (Labour—Palmerston North): Part 2 of the Regulatory Systems (Building and Housing) Amendment Bill makes a number of changes to the Unit Titles Act. In many cases they are more than simply cross-referencing changes which we have seen a lot of in this legislation. In many cases they are quite substantive changes.I particularly want to look at clause 16 which amends section 38 of the Unit Titles Act. This relates to ownership interest. Just reading the original wording of section 38 which is being amended here clause 16 replaces section 38(1) and (2). It relates to a unit plan being deposited under sections 17(1) 21(1) and 24(2)(a). None of those cross-references are changed as a result of the amendments made in this legislation but it does change the wording of section 38. Under the current wording before a unit plan is deposited under those sections: (a) every principal unit and every accessory unit must be assigned an ownership interest; and (b) every proposed principal unit and every proposed accessory unit must be assigned a proposed ownership interest." That is being amended under this legislation so before a unit plan is deposited under those sections the registered proprietor or owner as the case may be must assign: "(a) an ownership interest to every principal unit and every accessory unit; and (b) a proposed ownership interest to every proposed principal unit and every proposed accessory unit." Superficially that appears to be a fairly minor change—to require the registered proprietor or owner to assign the ownership interest rather than saying that the ownership interest must be assigned. It is shifting the language to more active language saying the proprietor or owner "must assign" rather than "it must be assigned". Again as a layperson I am trying to figure out whether this is now placing a responsibility on the proprietor or owner that did not exist or clarifying that there is a responsibility on the proprietor or owner that did not previously exist or whether it is reducing the number of people who are able to assign that ownership—exactly what is the improvement to the functioning of the legislation that is achieved by shifting that language? It is not entirely clear what benefit has been gained by making that change.The second change that is made by clause 16 is in relation to section 38(2) of the principal Act. That relates to the ownership interest or proposed interest and how that is fixed. In section 38(2) of the Unit Titles Act 2010 it is currently fixed "by a registered valuer on the basis of the relative value of the unit in relation to each of the other units and shown on any documentation required to be lodged with the unit plan: (b) in the case of a stage unit plan or complete unit plan deposited under section 24(2) the ownership interest is that fixed by a registered valuer on the basis of the relative value of the unit in relation to each of the other units and shown on any documentation required to be lodged with the proposed unit development plan."Now the wording in this bill changes that to: "(2) The ownership interest or proposed ownership interest assigned to a unit is that assessed by a registered valuer on the basis of the value of the unit relative to each other unit and shown on the documentation required to be lodged—(a) with the unit plan … or (b) with the proposed unit development plan (in the case of a stage unit plan or complete unit plan deposited under section 24(2)).""