Sosene Lemauga LydiaLEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour): Mānawatia a Matariki. This bill which the Environment Committee—the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill. I rise to support this local bill that is before the House which member Tangi Utikere has sponsored as promoted by the Palmerston North City Council specifically to allow for the amendment of the legislation specific to this piece of land with the ability to be able to provide the option which may result in selling the piece of land. And that is where it is up to.As you've heard from my colleagues before me currently there are a number of Acts of Parliament—namely the Wellington Reserves Act 1876 Amendment Act 1877 the Palmerston North Reserves Act 1922 and the Reserves Act 1977—which hold this piece of land in Palmerston North held in trust. And whilst these Acts had good intentions it is still unable to rectify the current situation and hence why member Utikere has brought it to the House.It requires an amendment to that Act and as a territorial local authority the Palmerston North City Council has considered the decision in 2020 with a preferred option to enable a possible future development; or if it is supported this piece of land could be sold for the development in that consideration. As we understand the land spans 1.6 hectares and is overgrown and actually in the last number of years—probably 15 16 years—nothing has really happened to the reserve. So the amendment bill when passed provides the tool and corrective action as promoted by the Palmerston North City Council. We've heard from member Utikere that to move this forward they would be required to have a sale of a recreational reserve known as the Huia Street Reserve which currently is described as surplus to council requirements.The Palmerston North City Council under its current vision requires a mandate to be able to consider what their options are to provide necessary plan requirements for land-use outcomes. Those outcomes could be land for housing land for infrastructure proper town planning and built environment under the required legal processes. This could also include effective transport routes using district plan processes to achieve its all overall outcomes. But it has to find that balance and it has to ease the city's planning for the local housing stock. And for that it must have the legal mechanism in order to effect this.The location of the Huia Street Reserve is a real prime piece of land and in its current form a number of locals have opposed and utilised the processes. Under this select committee for which I was not at the time there the Palmerston North City Council continues to make informed decisions. But in order to do that legally it does require this bill to be passed. So what's important is that Palmerston North City Council strives to achieve the outcomes for the Palmerston North community in the balance of this housing shortage and future growth which is located amongst its wider infrastructure plan. We have heard that there are those who oppose this arrangement to move forward and then there are those who support this move as we have seen in media articles in February of this year. The land is situated in a prime location. We've also heard that some residents have access to other nearby green spaces in walking distance which is surrounding the current piece of land in question.This bill will allow the right process to be followed and is a transformative step to tidying up the various pieces of legislation. It also allows the correct process and for Palmerston North City Council to follow the consultation process to hear the wider views of local residents. It will be the progressive first step to allow the council to move forward in whatever its decision is around housing development. Currently there is no power of sale in the Palmerston North Reserves Act 1922 and at present we've heard Palmerston North City Council is promoting this local bill to amend the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act 1966.Empowering" is the key word. Over time the population in Aotearoa has really grown and the Labour Government is committed to ensuring it empowers local authorities to be able to have those mechanisms. For this particular reserve there's significant public space within the vicinity of Huia Street Reserve with surrounding reserves to support that space accessible to locals. We know that local government plays an important role in our democratic system giving people a voice in the leadership of their local communities and in the governance of services in publicly owned assets. Local councils are essential to maintaining and improving our wellbeing and we need the right settings for them to do this. The Labour Government prioritises local democracy and local governance to evolve to fit for the future. In Aotearoa it's growing with some significant challenges being presented to us right now like COVID-19 future population growth and climate change.In conclusion I would just like to thank the Environment Committee which I have joined recently but I also want to thank the officers for all of their work within the select committee in helping bring the work together. This process will allow consultation to enable community views to be expressed and to be heard. Labour supports this bill and I commend this bill to the House. Thank you."