Mallard Trevor; Simpson ScottEnvironment SectorThe ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Members we come first to the votes in the Environment Sector volume B5 volume 3. The question is that Vote Conservation Vote Environment and Vote Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment stand part of the schedules.SCOTT SIMPSON (Chairperson of the Local Government and Environment Committee): It is a pleasure as chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee to lead off this Environment Sector portion of the 2016-17 Estimates debate. The Local Government and Environment Committee produced three reports two of which I wish to refer to today in this debate. The pro forma report on the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment was exactly that—a pro forma report. So it is my intention today to concentrate on Vote Environment and Vote Conservation. We heard from three Ministers in this area: the Minister for the Environment the Hon Dr Nick Smith; the Minister for Climate Change Issues the Hon Paula Bennett; and of course the Minister of Conservation the Hon Maggie Barry. The committee was I think very interested to hear on a wide range of issues that the Ministers were able to bring to the attention of the committee in terms of the Budget Estimates that have been allocated in this year's Budget. But overarching all three presentations from the Ministers and our deliberations as a select committee was a clear indication that this is a range of Ministers who within their portfolios bring to the Parliament of New Zealand a clear definitive concise approach to managing protecting and enhancing the environment of New Zealand which we are all very concerned for and very appreciative of. Underlying their messages to the committee and detailed in the reports was essentially the Government's blue-green agenda which seeks to ensure that economic growth and improving the environment can and should go hand in hand. Those are matters that were a constant theme as the Ministers presented to us and submitted themselves to questioning on the Budget allocations for their various portfolio responsibilities. The Minister for the Environment the Hon Nick Smith I thought was particularly keen to highlight to the committee—it is featured in the report back to the House—the importance of the resource legislation that is currently before the Local Government and Environment Committee for consideration. He was keen to point out that this is phase two of the Resource Management Act reforms that the Government has been working its way through. He was able to present to the committee an implementation of a work programme that related to the implementation of that legislation. The committee was very keen to hear about that. One of the other areas that I was particularly interested in as chair was the achievements to date in terms of our marine protected areas and further developments both legislative and regulatory that will enable us as a nation to further extend the range and options for the preservation of marine reserves around our exclusive economic zone. Of particular interest to the committee was the matter of the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill which is also before the committee for consideration. This proposed marine protected areas bill which will likely come to the House later in the year was a matter that the Minister was keen to draw our attention to. The Minister of Conservation made a number of valid points. Other speakers in this debate will cover those off I am sure. But there were two that I was particularly keen on and again they are referred to in the report back to the House. I was particularly interested in the matters relating to conservation partnerships both commercial and community partnerships. We heard from the Minister that for every dollar invested there was a payback of somewhere between $2 and $3 in terms of enhancing the conservation objectives of the Government. There have been nine significant national commercial conservation partnerships and the Minister went through those in some detail during the hearing. They included organisations such as the NEXT Foundation through its Project Janszoon; the Fonterra Living Water programme; the NEXT Foundation's programme in Taranaki; the relationship with Air New Zealand; the relationship with Genesis Energy; and the relationship with Toyota. All of these organisations are adding their commercial weight to improving and preserving and protecting our environment with conservation initiatives. Another area that I thought was of particular interest was this area of community partnerships. We know and we heard from the Minister that there are now some 600 community volunteer organisations involved in working towards further protection—