Baldock Larry: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Baldock Larry: Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:614;Page:10613] 
LARRY BALDOCK (United Future) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of United Future to speak on this bill. The first point I want to make in this debate is that United Future supports this first reading because unlike the honourable member Dr Nick Smith we understand the difference between fast tracking the process and fast tracking a project. It was clearly evidenced by the member’s questions in question time today that he was struggling to understand the difference between fast tracking a project and fast tracking the process which is something people all over this country have been asking for for years—that the Resource Management Act processes be speeded up in order to give greater certainty to business and communities in terms of the outcomes. We are able to do that through this legislation without giving any certainty to any particular project. It must go through its process and be subject to the community’s input but the process will be speeded up considerably. That is important for the people of New Zealand because we need to know whether projects such as this—energy projects that will deliver for the country—will be able to go forward. That is why United Future is keen to support the first reading of this legislation. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Is it fast-track? 
LARRY BALDOCK 
: It does not surprise me that Nick Smith has difficulty understanding that difference though because I have sat with him through most of this year on the “corngate” inquiry and he has had considerable difficulty all year in understanding the word “tolerance” although it has been explained to him on many many occasions by some of the best experts we have. He has still been unable to understand the difference there. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know the member is a new member but I understand we are debating the Resource Management (Waitaki Catchment) Amendment Bill but the member is debating the “corngate” inquiry. I would welcome the opportunity to debate that inquiry in Parliament and would be happy to seek leave to do so but I suggest he keeps to the topic of the bill. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Clem Simich) 
: I thank the member for pointing that out. I invite the member to come to the matter at hand. 
LARRY BALDOCK 
: I am happy to debate this legislation and I am also happy to mention that the Minister for the Environment announced in question time today significant reductions in the backlog of cases in the Environment Court and a great deal of improvement in the efficiency of cases being heard by the court and being processed. That is extremely good news for our country. It is good news for all of those who queue up to have their time in that court because they will get greater certainty as a result. But what is good news for us and good news for the people of New Zealand is clearly bad news for National members who have constantly harped on about the difficulties with the Resource Management Act. Once that issue is taken away from them I wonder what on earth they will find to complain about. 
United Future has continued to work with the Government to improve the Resource Management Act process and since we ensured the passage of the Resource Management Amendment Bill which had been stalled for 4 years in this House we have continued to discuss proposals and ideas to further improve and streamline the Resource Management Act consent process. We have constantly raised the need for a better process to enable projects of significant benefit to the nation and to regional economies to be given greater clarity and certainty regarding their outcomes. That is what this legislation is about. This bill will be somewhat of a test case for those proposals and United Future supports its first reading and referral to the Local Government and Environment Committee for that reason. 
I say again that this bill is not about fast tracking a particular proposal; it is about fast tracking a process. We expect to hear many submissions on this bill with a wide range of views. That will enable the committee to examine the benefits of this legislation and the process it seeks to put into place as well as to hear a balance of views from those who have raised potential concerns. United Future looks forward to that process in the select committee and we commend this bill to the House.