Williams ArenaARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa): Mr Speaker thank you. May I start by thanking the Rotorua Lakes Council for their work in carefully assessing the representation required by their community and the service of bringing together a piece of legislation which captures those hopes and aspirations which they heard from the people of Rotorua. I also offer my congratulations to that council in its adoption of Māori wards in May 2021 which as my colleague who made a contribution before me noted was a major step forward in the ability of Māori around the country to be represented at the governance table locally in all councils. That's important because these towns these cities these local environments whether it's the river or the maunga these iwi are kaitiaki of those and they must be at the table to represent the interests of those areas as well as the people for whom they are guardians.May I make some quick comments before my speech on the governance arrangements that we're talking about today which acknowledge iwi and Māori around that governance table. We need a mechanism for shared discussions between Māori and Government at all levels in order to achieve what was guaranteed to all New Zealanders under Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840. It's important that we have those voices—whether they are Māori whether they are Pākehā—coming together as equals to be able to have those discussions that we need.National and Labour Governments have supported co-governance arrangements around the country. These arrangements bring us closer together; they don't pull us apart. At a local level they are particularly important for empowering iwi to look after not only their own people but the people in the area who share the whenua who have a historical connection with the land as they do and who share those goals of looking after it like they do.Now let me turn to why this bill is necessary: because it creates that meaningful partnership the sort that Ngāti Whakaue envisioned in this city of Rotorua when it was founded. It gives effect to the outcome of the local council's review of the representation needs. It would apply to the next two elections and be able to give changes which would otherwise be prevented by the Local Electoral Act 2001. The ideal representation structure that Rotorua council came to is not currently enabled by that Act. Instead the council has adopted this makeshift position; as my colleague Tāmati Coffey pointed out this is not the ideal structure. It has a number of setbacks for iwi who are represented as well as those sharing the council table in order to make decisions for everyone involved.Why I do I support it? Well this local bill which has come to Tāmati Coffey to take to Parliament embodies all of those decisions that have been made at a local level already. It only applies to this Rotorua District Council at their request and doesn't reflect what happens all around the country; instead it's a bespoke arrangement and it's important that it's considered within that lens: to effect the particular outcomes that are needed in Rotorua for those iwi who hold mana whenua for the region.It is an important step because it would allow iwi who have been working very well with the council to be represented at the table in a way which they choose and other councillors and members of the community want for them. It's important that we give effect to those aspirations so that they are able to do that.With this reading there is a lot of water under the bridge for the Māori Affairs Committee to inquire into. There will be an opportunity for me and my colleagues in the committee to hear from those local groups. We heard that there had been some 150 submissions to the council and I anticipate a number of other submissions at the committee. It will be a pleasure to hear from people of Rotorua about how this will affect them but also what they hope for their city in the future; not only those technical mechanisms that the council can give effect to for these decision makings but what they want out of having Māori and an empowered iwi around the governance table. What can we achieve with iwi working hand in hand with local government? Things like Eat Streat in Rotorua which makes the best of the beautiful lakefront along with the geothermal power and the Māori art and design principles; those things which make the city better are inherently going hand in hand with iwi involvement. It's that kind of future that I want to see for Rotorua and that kind of future that I want to see for New Zealand. That's why I support it.