Katene Rahui: Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Katene Rahui: Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:670;Page:16904] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I am pleased to stand to take a call on the Crown Pastoral Land (Rent for Pastoral Leases) Amendment Bill. This bill will give effect to a new rent system for Crown pastoral leases and will amend the existing rent-setting provisions in the Land Act 1948 and the Crown Pastoral Land Act 1998. 
There has been widespread support for the introduction of these measures by high country farmers in the South Island where the majority of Crown pastoral leasehold land is located. As the member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga I will of course be listening to the views of those farmers and taking their support into consideration about how this bill impacts on Te Wai Pounamu. We know that this bill will deliver certainty to leaseholders by creating a more objective formula tied to the productivity potential of the land. Certainty is of great importance to the economic and social well-being of the primary production sector. 
The particular point of interest for the Maori Party in this bill is in relation to the fact that the leases will be set according to the earning capacity of the land at its highest and best use. Realising the highest and best use of land is an intergenerational priority for iwi and for Maori landowners. I would expect that every member of this House will be aware of just how important the concept of whenua is to the people we know as tangata whenua—literally: “the people of the land”. I would also expect every member of this House to know the tragic story associated with Maori land alienation. Maori lost land to the Crown and private owners through a wide variety of methods. Some was sold to the Government for very low prices; other areas were confiscated after the New Zealand Wars. The Native Land Court converted customary titles to freehold often leading to further losses of land. On top of this shameful history there is also a more recent history relating to the current condition of Maori land which may be affected by this bill. 
There have been many practical and statutory barriers to Maori land and iwi assets achieving productivity potential. It will therefore be important for the House to carefully assess whether the valuation formula successfully takes into account any barriers iwi and Maori may experience in achieving the earning capacity of the land. I think it has bearing on this legislation to consider the broader context in relation to the productivity of Maori land. We know from the local government rates inquiry in 2007 that the quality of Maori land is so variable that it would be inappropriate for valuations for rating purposes to be based on the market value of Maori land. It is important to the Maori Party that certainty is carefully partnered with fairness. 
All the evidence to date suggests that high country farming leaders are backing the system outlined in this bill for setting rents for pastoral leases administered by the Crown. Our particular interest as the Maori Party is to consider what if any impact this legislation will have for Maori land and for iwi and Maori landowners. It is also important that the potential precedent effect of this formula is recognised. The approach for Crown pastoral land is not necessarily suitable for private arrangements particularly those attaching to Maori land. 
At this point we will support the bill at its first reading to enable the korero to be had and for iwi and Maori landowners to have the time to consider the implications carefully. Tena tatou katoa.