Gallagher Martin: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
Gallagher Martin: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:675;Page:14429] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 Speaking to the preamble I first of all say that I believe that the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill has clear historic significance. I am going to refrain from personal jibes across the Chamber because I believe that the debate on this bill through this Committee stage and through the remaining readings is profoundly significant. We have to see it in context as debates are being held on iconic areas abutting urban landscapes such as the English Peak District and the Sheffield and Manchester conurbations Table Mountain and Cape Town the Blue Mountains and Sydney and the Dandenong Ranges and Melbourne—those iconic areas define those urban landscapes. 
A member opposite talked about—shock horror—socialism by stealth. I say that if we do nothing we will have the destruction of this heritage by stealth. 
Mark Blumsky 
: You’re joking! 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I am not hearing the interjections from the National side of the Chamber because history will record the interjections of the narrow-minded and the short-sighted. History will record the West Auckland members Lynne Pillay David Cunliffe and Chris Carter and the Mayor of Waitakere City Council Bob Harvey and his team as the visionaries. I doubt very much whether the Rt Hon Jonathan Hunt is listening to the Parliamentary feed on the Internet—I am not quite sure of the time zone difference it will be about 5.55 a.m. in morning—but if he is he would be delighted because we are now on our way to protecting one of New Zealand’s major iconic landscapes. That is what this bill is all about. 
I refer members to the notion in the preamble that “Local statutory guidance”—statutory guidance those are the words—“is considered desirable to better protect the Waitakere Ranges and their foothills and coasts in particular in relation to—(a) managing the cumulative and precedent effects of development on the landscape the desired future character and amenity of the area and the ecological and biological environment:”. This is about maintaining heritage. If we do nothing year by year month by month drip by drip there will be cases like the submitter who said he really wanted the right to do what he likes because it was his sort of superannuation fund. I am sorry but the superannuation fund that counts is the superannuation fund of heritage for our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. That is the fund that counts and that is the future that counts. 
That is why this country will see the Waitakere Ranges as an iconic landscape just as the people of Sydney look upon their Blue Mountains in a similar way the people of Melbourne look upon the Dandenong Ranges in a similar way and the people of Cape Town look upon the Table Mountain and its environs in a similar way. That is why we are having quite a significant debate and discussion even on the preamble. I acknowledge the contribution that Taito Phillip Field made previously and I express appreciation from members on this side for his considered support. I acknowledge if I may that he has done some soul-searching and a lot of consultation and I think that is very valuable. 
I hope to take more calls on this bill during its readings but it is a moment of pride when we can stand up in this Chamber and actually have a very clear look at the future and frankly look beyond the horizon in terms of expediency and say that this is a very critical heritage area to be protected. What we do tonight and in the subsequent sessions is going to be reflected upon by grandchildren who live now by great-grandchildren and by history. In the future people will look back on this moment and on this Parliament and say that this bill was another significant step in saving what is absolutely a vital heritage area of national significance.