Logie Jan: Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLogie Jan: Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee[Sitting date: 17 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:8277. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAN LOGIE (Green): I rise to take another short call this evening—in this alternate universe of urgency—on the second reading of the Local Government (Auckland Transitional Provisions) Amendment Bill. Of course in the normal progression of legislation we would be in this speech reading sections of people’s submissions to the select committee and using departmental advice to support our presentations and potentially supporting presenting and explaining the amendments we might be making to this bill. But we cannot do that today because the use of urgency by the Government has again denied people that ability to participate in this decision-making process and has thus removed the depth from this discussion in this House. We do not even have a regulatory impact statement to support this piece of legislationto be able to add even a little bit more depth. So we have been given this legislation—as was the previous piece of legislation under discussion the Social Security (Commencement of Benefits) Amendment Bill—under urgency with no clear rationale for the urgency.I have looked and I have listened to try to understand where the urgency is in this and I cannot see how the changes that are in this piece of legislation could not have been anticipated and brought to this House in time for at least a truncated select committee process to have happened. One of the provisions in this bill seeks to validate 28 February 2014 as the closing date for submissions so that submissions received between 14 January and 28 February can actually still be considered as they have been. The need to do that surely could have been anticipated fairly early last year. It also I understand validates a practice of hearings panels holding concurrent sessions which has been common for quite a while. So I again cannot see how the Government could not have recognised that earlier and brought it to the House to enable submissions.There is even the fact that Minister Nick Smith announced his intent to introduce this legislation back in September and now we are in mid-November rushing this through under urgency. If the key provisions of this bill were identifiable early last year and announced in September—only in September but still—I cannot see why this is happening under urgency and that is a key reason that the Green Party is unable to support this piece of legislation.We feel as if we need to actually make a principled stand in support of people’s ability to participate in the decision-making process. This at the heart refers to the Auckland Unitary Plan and the process for developing that and that plan is no small thing. That plan is responsible for the future shape of Auckland.The Auckland Unitary Plan covers building regulations for mixed housing zones where public open space is and what it looks like building height and the character of our houses in the different areas—the very very heart of what makes a city. It defines the urban boundaries. It puts the rules around sustainable urban design. It puts in protections for fresh water and significant ecological areas. It covers the heritage nature and protections for Auckland the provisions for mana whenua and then as well—something so close to the heart of Aucklanders—all of the transport infrastructure around where transport corridors are the air quality provisions and the parking spaces which is something very dear to my colleague Julie Anne Genter’s heart.This is such a significant plan with such deep meaning for Aucklanders. It is the future of the economic powerhouse of our country and this is legislation that relates to the delivery of that plan. It is no small matter and the bill should not be passed through under urgency.