Robertson Grant: Wellington Town Belt Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Wellington Town Belt Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 04 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10770. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central): I move That the Wellington Town Belt Bill be now read a third time. At the outset can I please thank all those involved with the progress of this legislation through the House. In particular I want to acknowledge the Wellington City Council Mayor Celia Wade-Brown and councillors particularly Councillor Helene Ritchie who has led this work in recent times. I do want to acknowledge the staff of the Wellington City Council who have done extensive work over the years to ensure that the Wellington town belt continues to be the jewel in the crown of Wellington’s environment. But in particular I acknowledge Michael Oates from the Wellington City Council who has been the person who has led the work on this piece of legislation and indeed on the advancement of the Wellington Town Belt Management Plan. Mr Oates has done a huge amount of work and deserves a lot of credit for this legislation. Can I also acknowledge the role of a large number of Wellingtonians who have acted as guardians effectively of the Wellington town belt over many many decades.The history of the Wellington town belt is such that from time to time there has been tension and controversy over its protection and its use. There have been a number of individuals and organisations that have worked hard to protect the original intent of the town belt which is that it be a public recreation ground for the use of all Wellingtonians. I want to particularly acknowledge the Friends of the Wellington Town Belt. I want to acknowledge today one member of the Friends of the Wellington Town Belt who cannot be here and that is Joan Quinn. Joan has done an enormous amount of work on protecting the town belt and on documenting the history of the town belt and I know she would very much like to be here today. She has been here during previous readings. But I want to put it on record that she exemplifies the commitment of a number of other Wellingtonians to this important part of our city.I also want to thank MPs from across the House for their support for this legislation. Fingers crossed touch wood they will continue with their universal support across the House for this piece of legislation. I want to acknowledge the Local Government and Environment Committee and its chair Scott Simpson for the good work that the committee did on this legislation and all MPs who have supported it through to this stage.The Wellington Town Belt Bill has been a long time coming. For me as somebody who raised this in my maiden speech in Parliament about 8 years ago it is great to finally be here today seeing it pass into legislation. But there were many people who came before me who saw the need to clarify and to make sure for generations to come that we protect and enhance the town belt. I want to acknowledge my predecessor as the MP for Wellington Central Marian Hobbs who began the process of drafting legislation and there are some words still remaining from that legislation that was put forward about 15 or so years ago. This legislation comes with a long history to it.The history of the town belt itself goes back a very long way. In 1839 John Ward who was the New Zealand Company secretary instructed the company surveyor who was responsible for the laying out of Wellington thus: “It is indeed desirable that the whole outside of the Town inland should be separated from the country by a broad belt of land which you will declare that the Company intends to be public property on condition that no buildings be ever erected upon it.” That was the instruction given to the surveyor.From the very foundation of Wellington the importance of open space and green space has been recognised. It is worth noting that the New Zealand Company’s motives were not entirely about having green space. It was quite interested in pushing up the value of the land that could be developed for housing as well. But whatever its motivation the end result has benefited generations of Wellingtonians.It is important to note that the provision of public parklands was a welcome novelty for those emerging from the stratified class system of Britain where such parklands were privately owned by the wealthy. From its earliest days the Wellington town belt has been about giving all citizens and inhabitants of Wellington the same rights to enjoy the great outdoors. It is also fair to say that from its earliest days there have been tensions between keeping that town belt land free of development and the practical uses that it might be put to if there were development.By the time the town belt deed was signed in 1873 around 190 hectares had been lost from the original town belt that was proposed and over the years there have been some comings and goings in terms of land—more goings unfortunately than comings—and it has reduced in size by about one-third since 1873. For the most part this has been for public purposes such as educational facilities hospitals prisons and roads.While on that note one thing I would urge in the passing of this legislation today is that the current Government and future Governments think about why this legislation is being put up today and how significant the town belt is to Wellingtonians and that if there are proposals to use the town belt for public works that is done only when it absolutely has to be done and where other alternatives are looked at closely so that the respect that this House is showing for the town belt is shown by those future Governments if they do believe there is a public work that they need to undertake.One of the things I am most proud of today is that when this legislation passes 120 hectares of land will immediately get added to the town belt—the most substantial addition of land to the protections provided by the town belt since 1873. For Wellingtonians listening that consists mainly of what is called the old Telecom land on Tinakori Hill Polhill Gully the former chest hospital and Vice Regal Park which is part of the Government House land. They all return to the town belt today and Wellingtonians should be proud and happy that that has occurred today.I want to make clear that the purposes of this bill are largely around bringing together all of the legislation and the rules and regulations on the management of the town belt into one place that everybody can understand and see as the way to guide the future use of the town belt. We also wanted to make sure that we were making clear for the Wellington City Council what its responsibilities and powers were to protect manage and enhance the town belt.Although it would be true to say that many people involved in the management of the town belt over the years have understood the primary purpose of the town belt—to for ever use it as a public recreation ground—the definition of what public recreation is under clause 8 of the bill has not always been clear. That is defined today in this legislation.The bill defines “public recreation ground” as an area for “(a) recreation sporting activities and the enjoyment of the public with an emphasis on the retention of public access open spaces and outdoor activities; and (b) the protection of the natural environment and historic heritage.” That is important. It is important because the primary focus must be on giving access to the greatest number of Wellingtonians to the use of the town belt.In the select committee process and then in the Committee of the whole House process we were able to clarify that the maximum amount of land to be available in the town belt for leasing or licensing at any time will be 8 hectares. I understand from the city council that at the moment and on average over the last few years it has been around about 6½ hectares of land that has been used. Eight hectares with the exclusion of the zoo and the chest hospital is a limited part of what will now be over 500 hectares of land. Again the Wellington City Council is aware from the submissions that have been made that it does need to ensure that the granting of leases and licences is temporary and does in no way undermine the ability of Wellingtonians to use the town belt for the purpose that it was intended.The third and final element of the purposes of the bill that I want to mention is around the importance of the town belt to mana whenua and the inhabitants of the city. The town belt through its management plan will be managed in consultation with tangata whenua. That is appropriate because it is important to acknowledge that when the town belt was established there were iwi groups that had control of lands that are contained within it particularly those from Te Ātiawa Ngāti Ruanui Taranaki and Ngāti Tama—the group collectively known as the Taranaki Whānui—and also Ngāti Toa Rangatira. The Treaty settlement process for both Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira has recognised the breaches of the Treaty in relation to the Crown acquisition of lands within the town belt. Part of acknowledging those breaches is to recognise the status of tangata whenua in this legislation and in the management of the town belt and I know the Wellington City Council takes that seriously.I am delighted that we will finally pass this legislation today. It will immediately see the town belt increase in size. I also believe it will have the effect over time of raising its status and of ensuring that the Wellington City Council manages it in accordance with its original intention. The Wellington town belt is a jewel in the crown of Wellington City and today we take major steps to protect and enhance it.