Peters Jim: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Peters Jim: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:619;Page:15357] 
JIM PETERS (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First is very pleased to support Part 4 for the very simple reason that in the first reading debate we believed then and say again now that this task could have been done by the Canterbury Regional Council. I have faith in the Canterbury Regional Council to be able to carry through the task that this legislation imposes upon it. I had faith then and I have faith now and I want to reiterate that. I have further faith because in the passage of time since the commencement of the thought in 2002 that there should be such a bill much has progressed with regard to the Canterbury region. 
I have already spoken about the natural resources plan that is before us and the expectancy that when that regional plan is developed it may not be able to be effective until 2009 at the earliest. Instead this legislation sets up a regional council ability to go ahead to plan exclusively for the Waitaki Catchment area and regrettable as it is for those who seek to have water upstream or downstream if there is to be a time delay it will be nothing more than would have been experienced under the provisions of the bill. However uppermost in the mind of the board would be the local concern about the river. 
The issue that existed when the bill came to the House for its first reading is still there. There does not appear to be sufficient water to meet the demands that are inherent in the applications that are in schedules 1 2 and 3. New Zealand First stands to support again this part of the bill. We believe that the Canterbury Regional Council is able to set a management regime for the Waitaki River. It will provide an adequate level of protection for all the in-stream values and will do it in a proper and appropriate way; the native life of the river fish in particular and recreational values will be uppermost in the minds of those who do the work. 
The allocation of water above the management flow regimes can be achieved. I know that there already has been work and some flow regimes set for the lower Waitaki River and that this time as well for the first time in this region the council will look at the effectiveness of water use which hitherto has not been one of the issues. While there will be some issues around that particularly if it goes beyond technical efficiency into the allocative issue that will bode well for the future life of the river. 
 So New Zealand First does support this part of the bill. It believes that this is an easier way to achieve by council negotiation what could have been achieved by the bill but it is done by the local council with its commissioners doing the job. Other councils throughout the country have done it. I say again that despite some of the reservations that have been expressed in the Chamber I have faith in the Canterbury Regional Council to do the job. I believe that the Ministry for the Environment will be able to provide some extra financial help and funding. It already has expertise with regard to this area and other Government ministries may have as well. The end result will be a sustainable management of the river and its resources for the betterment of the whole catchment. 
There are some thorny issues that the group will have to look at particularly with regard to those users now. One of the issues that still has to be faced is what happens to those who have consents and come to the end of their natural term. That is an issue I hope will be given some thought. If priority is given first and foremost to the health and the enhancement of the river then that will be a huge improvement and lift above what has been achieved in many of our rivers in past years. We support this part because with the substance and material that is before the would-be panel this could be a model for other rivers and for other councils to follow.