Tirikatene Rino: Kaikōura (Te Tai-o-Marokura) Marine Management Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTirikatene Rino: Kaikōura (Te Tai-o-Marokura) Marine Management Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 22 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19373. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Tēnā koutou e ngā rangatira huri rauna i tō tātou Whare i roto i tēnei wiki o Te Reo Māori.[Greetings to you Mr Speaker and to you collectively the revered throughout our House in this the week of the Māori language.]I am very pleased to make my contribution at this second reading of the Kaikoura (Te Tai-o-Marokura) Marine Management Bill. I do also endorse the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that has been embodied in this bill right from its beginnings and through the hard work of Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura and all of the stakeholders who were involved in that process. Although I am not a member of the Local Government and Environment Committee as the member for Te Tai Tonga I also have deep connections to Kaikōura through whakapapa through Ngāti Kuri and I have also been able to enjoy all the various aspects of fishing that the whānau enjoys along that beautiful coastline.Hon Trevor Mallard: I’ve enjoyed the products.RINO TIRIKATENE: My colleague here Mr Mallard has enjoyed a good kai as well. I am happy to host my whanaunga Kelvin. Any time he wants to come down there we will make sure he has a good hākari.This has been a collaborative approach from the community. I was pleased to be involved with Te Korowai o Te Tai o Marokura in its early stages back in 2005 I think when I was working for our own iwi in our fisheries. I am familiar with a lot of the commercial stakeholders—the pāua management company the cray or lobster management company the wet fish stakeholders the customary fisheries groups and also the recreational groups. It is definitely great to see this work come to fruition and I know that the fisheries were just one of many stakeholders. We can add in the tourism industry which is flourishing and has totally transformed the Kaikōura township over the last—coming up to—30 years. There are also the environmental groups and of course the wider community. That spirit of cooperation has flowed on and I acknowledge the work of the local member Colin King—it is sad for him to be departing this House but I am sure I wish him well and I am looking forward to his valedictory speech—and also the cooperation that flowed through to the select committee. I also acknowledge the Minister for his amendments which he will be putting through in the Committee of the whole House stage.This is a great initiative in terms of management measures for the marine environment conservation and protection. I commend the select committee for some very practical amendments that it has made—specifically the place names. I acknowledge my colleague Mr Davis whose abilities in Te Reo far exceed my own and who gave very thoughtful and helpful translations for the names. The amendments that have been made to the names reflect more of the Ngāi Tahu mita or perhaps the Ngāi Tahu way they would phrase certain place names. Those changes have been made and acknowledged in the bill. That is quite appropriate being that this is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori—Māori Language Week.I do also commend the work of the committee for adding greater specificity to the actual boundaries of the marine sanctuary and reserve areas. By being more specific it has protected my very secret mark for bluenose. There are some really good fishing spots there. By adding greater specificity to the areas it is very good for the local fishermen as well so they know exactly where they can fish and where they are not allowed to fish. So it is great that the committee was able to hone in on those areas. Much has been mentioned about the size and the unusual shape of the reserve area. One marvels really at the aquatic life that is in such abundance through the Hikurangi Trench. It is obviously a feeding area and a navigation area for whales and much other aquatic life.We also know the fact that the boundaries did not include the sides of the trench or certain areas of the Hikurangi. I believe that this is a good thing because in certain instances there may be aquatic life or species that could actually be of benefit to New Zealand. I say that only to the extent that I am aware from my past experience working in fisheries that there is certain aquatic life such as certain sea sponges that is unique to that area. The research is ongoing but scientifically they have shown unique properties. One such property is cancer-fighting properties from certain sea sponges and other aquatic life—in this instance it was a sea sponge. We do not necessary want to close the door on what might aid research to aid the world. I know that the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research is doing a lot of research into understanding the particular sea sponge that comes from that particular part of the Kaikōura Coast. It is the only place in the world where this particular sea sponge is found. So we do not necessarily want to close the door on what might be very much groundbreaking research on unique attributes found in this particular species of sea sponge. So I can understand to that extent that a complete reserve status throughout all dimensions of the whole entire trench could indeed preclude what could be groundbreaking scientific discoveries.I would also like to touch on the regional development opportunities. Kaikōura itself as a township is a great example of regional economic development. We know the history of Whale Watch Kaikōura and the families of in particular the Kāti Kuri hapū who were involved in establishing the whale watching business. Through the establishment of that business it has transformed the economy of that whole township. I do acknowledge also the work of the late Hon Parekura Horomia. Yes there were five families who did mortgage their houses to actually set up that Whale Watch business but it was the good work of the Hon Parekura Horomia through the Community Employment Group—Hon Trevor Mallard: And do you know who helped a lot? The Minister in charge of regional development at the time Annette King—she gave the first grant.RINO TIRIKATENE: —and the very good Minister at that time the Hon Annette King who gave the first grant through the Community Employment Group that gave the tautoko to actually get that Whale Watch business established. So I do acknowledge that work which has aided in the regional economy. Of course everyone in the Kaikōura community wants to protect their coastline and they all support these measures. Just in closing I had a chat to a cousin of mine. I said: “What do you reckon about this bill cuz?”. He said to me that this bill is a great bill—just paraphrasing his words. He said: “Cuz it saves our kai moana.” We know how important to the taiāpure the mātaitai measures that are contained in this bill are. That is going to really strengthen protect and enhance the customary fisheries along the coast and so we support that. And finally I hope that this piece of legislation is a model that we can apply around the country. If we can go up to Tai Tokerau and further north to the Kermadecs and apply the same marine management reserves there all the best. Kia ora tātou.