Prime Willow-JeanHAURAKI GULF / TĪKAPA MOANA MARINE PROTECTION BILLFirst ReadingHon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Minister of Conservation): I present a legislative statement on the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill.DEPUTY SPEAKER: That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.Hon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME: I move That the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Environment Committee to consider the bill. The purpose of this bill is to contribute to the restoration of the health and mauri of the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana. The bill is the product of years of effort from a wide range of people to restore the Hauraki Gulf. It establishes 19 new marine protection areas that in addition to existing marine reserves in the cable protection zones will nearly triple the protection in the gulf. These areas are a critical contribution to protecting biodiversity and reversing the decline we have seen in the gulf. While I am the Minister who has the pleasure of presenting this bill today many others have contributed to get us to where we are. I would like to acknowledge the work of my colleagues who have previously held both the conservation and oceans and fisheries portfolios in getting us to this point. I would also like to acknowledge the extensive mahi of the Sea Change Stakeholder Working Group for creating an important catalyst for change with the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Marine Spatial Plan. Integral to the development of the wider Revitalising the Gulf package in this bill is the advice feedback and contributions from tangata whenua the members of the ministerial advisory committee local communities in Auckland the gulf islands and Coromandel the Hauraki Gulf Forum recreational and commercial fishers and all the individuals whose work has contributed to this moment.We know how important the gulf is to Aucklanders and we have heard the call to protect it for future generations. This bill is a huge milestone for much-needed marine protection and will help to drive a coordinated approach to restoring the health and mauri of our collective taonga the Hauraki Gulf. Tangata whenua have a long enduring relationship with Tīkapa Moana - Te Moananui ā Toi and through mātauranga passed down over centuries have developed a deep understanding of the ebbs and flows of te taiao the environment. Our oceans are essential to New Zealanders' way of life. The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is where 1.8 million Kiwis in the region have some of their best experiences including weekends on the water exploring rock pools and picnics on the beach. The gulf is home to a diverse range of habitats and marine life that contributes to the area's rich biodiversity. This includes corals dog cockle beds anemones and seagrass meadows on the sea floor—supporting the wider food web including kōura rock lobster migratory tuna dolphins Bryde's Whale and more. It is also an essential and traditional source of food and a vital part of our economy for part of our economy for tourism sport and seafood sectors.It is clear as highlighted by successive State of our Gulf reports that the gulf is in trouble and needs our support. Kōura - rock lobster were once abundant and are now considered to be functionally extinct in the gulf. Kina barrens are rapidly expanding as their predators decline in numbers. Sustained action is required to prevent this ongoing decline and marine protection has a key role to play in this—and that is what this legislation delivers: the new marine protection. This bill will create 19 new marine protection areas including two marine reserve extensions five seafloor protection areas and 12 high protection areas. This bill will extend existing marine reserves: the first is Cape Rodney-Okakari Point Marine Reserve close to Leigh and commonly known as Goat Island—New Zealand's first marine reserve that has provided biodiversity benefits for nearly 50 years; so it is extra special that we can extend the protection here. The second is the iconic Te Whanganui-o-Hei / Cathedral Cove Marine Reserve. This extension will encompass the outer edge of the reef increasing its protection to these important habitats and the biodiversity they support.The bill also introduces two entirely new types of marine protection. The five seafloor protection areas created by the bill will restrict activities that have impacts on the seafloor such as mining and bottom trawling. These areas will protect sensitive habitats such as rocky reefs kelp forests and black coral assemblages. Activities that do not impact the seafloor such as purse seining and most recreational fishing will be able to continue in these areas. The bill will also create 12 high protection areas—or HPAs—that will enable protection of biodiversity while allowing for the customary practices of tangata whenua. These areas are no-take" and will prohibit activities such as recreational fishing and bottom trawling. The HPAs will provide crucial protection to some of the gulf's most biologically important ecosystems as well as contribute to a representative network of protection areas. We are creating protection that recognises the rights of tangata whenua. The way we manage our oceans must give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognise Te Ao Māori perspectives. This is an aspect of the bill of which I'm incredibly proud—particularly proud. The rights of tangata whenua throughout the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana are ensured supporting cultural practices and kaitiakitanga. The 12 high protection areas created by this bill enable the protection of biodiversity without compromising tangata whenua's ability to engage in important customary practices. This is protection of the environment which supports protection of culture. Customary fishing managed by the Fisheries Act 1996 can continue in the high protection areas if it aligns with biodiversity objectives of the sites. The Department of Conservation and tangata whenua will work together to set biodiversity objectives for these areas. These will inform how activities are managed within these areas so they align with conservation aims. The new legislation to implement the new tools: the bill enables the creation of a network of marine protection areas and new protection tools to maximise conservation benefits for the gulf. Marine reserves are a critical tool to protect biodiversity and that is why we have chosen to extend the existing reserves—they are effective for protecting marine biodiversity and remain an important part of the marine management system. The high protection areas and seafloor protection areas are new tools and they do not currently exist in legislation so this bill is required to establish them as a package with the marine reserves. The seafloor protection areas provide vital protection for seafloor habitats including seagrass beds and rocky reef systems. These ecosystems can be incredibly sensitive to destructive fishing and industrial processes. This is why activities such as bottom contact trawling mining and aquaculture are prohibited. However seafloor protection areas still allow activities that don't impact the seafloor including most recreational fishing—which means that people will still be able to go fishing with their families and friends in these areas. High protection areas like marine reserves are designed to safeguard biodiversity with a high level of restrictions. High protection areas differ in that they allow certain Māori customary practices to take place and for restoration activities to improve the marine area. Restoration activities will be carefully managed through a permitting regime outlined in the bill. What we are protecting: the areas being protected have been carefully selected to contribute an effective network of marine protection in the gulf while minimising—where possible—the impact on people. These areas will help to care for at-risk high-value and representative habitats which host a range of different plants and animal life. Many act as nurseries to juvenile fish that support a thriving and diverse ecosystem. Some of the most biodiverse regions in the gulf will be protected including areas such as the coastal waters around Kawau Bay and Te Hautoru-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island and the deep reefs around Cape Colville at the top of the Coromandel—for example the high protection area at Slipper Island / Whakahau is one of the few remaining areas that has seagrass in the gulf. Seagrass beds are an important habitat as they support biodiversity improve water quality and absorb carbon dioxide. Protecting these areas—they will improve the resilience of ecosystems to other pressures like marine pollution sedimentation and climate change. Protecting our ocean for future generations this bill will provide relief to the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana and will help us to ensure that our tamariki and mokopuna—and in turn their mokopuna—will enjoy Tīkapa Moana as we and the generations before us have done. We announced the bill earlier this month. We spoke about how New Zealanders recognised the Hauraki Gulf as a national jewel—treasured for its beauty and biodiversity its cultural significance and as a place where so many Kiwis play and work. We noted how health and wellbeing are intrinsically linked to the natural world around us and for a significant number of New Zealanders they see the Hauraki Gulf as their beautiful blue back yard. I am proud to say that this legislation today signifies a chapter for that special back yard. I look forward to the Environment Committee considering this bill and I want to thank them again and the many people who have already contributed to this process through Sea Change and Revitalising the Gulf. I commend this bill to the House.DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to."