Sosene Lemauga LydiaLEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour): Tēnā koe Madam Speaker and thank you that I am able to rise to add to the contribution for this local bill. I also want to acknowledge and congratulate Tangi Utikere the MP for Palmerston North and also in his previous role and I acknowledge the extensive work that he would have done in terms of the previous former role.As we've heard from other submitters before the House this land this bill of the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill is land that is surplus to requirements. The Palmerston North City Council have advised the complexities and as to why this matter has been brought to the Environment Committee and before the House. To enable the council to proceed with looking at its district plan of that area—probably post - local government elections 2022—it requires this bill to pass that amendment and for an option of the land to be put up for sale.Previously I was able to and had the opportunity with other members to put forward a contribution in the first reading. I was also able to learn a bit more because not able to do a site visit I've had to rely on Google and IT for specifications and the characteristic of this land. So as part of my research I saw online that it is a prime location. I would have to describe it as one of those pieces of land that has had a huge use in past history because what we do know is that in the last century it was the Wellington Reserves Act 1876 and the amendment Act of 1877 and it's governed by the Reserves Act 1977.In my former life as a locally elected council member right across the motu there are a number of pieces of land that when the public or the council don't have further use for it it actually becomes quite unloved and it becomes an eyesore and then it becomes actually a tug of war with the public and community groups and the council.The issues that it presents is that if it becomes unloved—the eyesore part of it—it's quite sad and for this piece of land to be in a prime location it's actually important with Kiwis right across Aotearoa requiring accommodation. It then goes back to the council—what are you going to actually do in terms of investment? So as part of the process and understanding how it fits into current legislation and the non-ability of the council to sell the land it makes it really difficult in terms of planning requirements.The position of my contribution is when you don't have the mechanism when you don't have the Act that doesn't allow the council to realise its plans it actually becomes quite difficult and really hard for the elected members because you're stuck between—sorry for the phrase—a rock and a hard place. What is important though is that it's in a prime location. It's in a location—from what I saw on Google—that could actually be developed.One of the requirements post this process is that in planning requirements as typology of housing is going upwards councils and communities want really good options for housing close to amenities and—I understand and I saw that part of the urban sprawl time—we have to move forward. This bill will enable that.So I do want to congratulate and thank the Palmerston North City Council who have submitted this before the Environment Committee. I wasn't a member of the Environment Committee but I do understand that because of the way Aotearoa is moving forward Kiwis need accessibility to housing and the Palmerston North City Council would have viewed that and required the legal tools and then to go back and allow through its processes the normal steps particularly around consultation.I would like to thank the submitters. I understand that those who were for probably had a strong intent to have good housing options that are close to amenities recreation reserves shopping centres and the like and they want options that are affordable which is what this Government supports.I also want to point out that I wasn't a member of the Environment Committee but I am really pleased that I'm part of the process at this point in time and just for the residents who aren't supporting the bill one of the things with local government elections and local councils is it's really important for local councils to help the residents and businesses and the youth understand why they make decisions and how they make decisions. I think to empower the Palmerston North City Council it requires this bill and as many of my colleagues know local councils are really focused on making planning decisions around infrastructure around community facilities and around assets like stormwater.But one of the things that residents always want is they want to understand: how do they get involved and who is going to listen to them through that particular process—specifically if they're not happy. So part of the consultation process that Palmerston North City Council will undertake is post this process as the bill goes through the House and is supported and I thank the colleagues on that side of the House. It's really understanding that local authority's framework.So I haven't visited the site but I'm very pleased that a number of my colleagues have clearly spelt out how valuable this land is and also the close proximity that it has in terms of the information about its location and the attractiveness of this land.The bill in its current form is pretty straightforward as we've heard in other contributions and it's also been nearly two years—since November 2020 I understand—when the council put forward their option of the Huia Street Reserve. What is important is as we work across the motu and as we build our communities we want our communities to be resilient. We want to look after our old people we want to look after our young people and we want to be in part of the community that actually is not an eyesore.This legislation provision is needed. It is the first step in the process and I'm very pleased to hear that the Environment Committee agreed unanimously. Then when the bill is passed it goes back to Palmerston North City Council and I think that they really have to look at this and really understand what the communities both for and against are requiring for their community through the consultative process.My last point is just that COVID has really challenged all of us across the motu. We have seen those who can afford and those who cannot afford housing. So as part of the empowering of the council this bill when it goes through the House the members of that community can be empowered in terms of the council really wanting to listen—so not pre-empting—but that it allows the mechanism to be there as the bill is passed and then the next steps post - local government elections 2022.I just want to conclude by thanking the members of the Environment Committee. I also thank the submitters and say thank you to the officials that enabled this work and especially my colleague the MP Tangi Utikere for his work. I commend this bill to the House.