Salesa JennyHon JENNY SALESA (Minister for Building and Construction): Talofa lava Madam Chair and happy Samoan Language Week. I'd like to first of all thank the chair of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee Darroch Ball and all the members of the select committee for all of the work that they've done in getting this Building Amendment Bill to this stage. I'd also like to thank the Hon Dr Nick Smith the previous Minister for his work as well as the National Party's work on this. The history of this particular amendment bill is that it began in 2013 so there's been a lot of work that has gone into this and mostly by the previous Government. Cabinet at that time agreed in principle with the recommendations that were made by the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission about the management of buildings after an emergency event. In mid-2015 the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) released a consultation document so I'd also like to thank my MBIE officials who have done a whole lot of work over a number of years to get us to this stage with this particular legislation. In late 2016 Cabinet made decisions on the emergency management aspect of this proposed bill and in early 2017 Cabinet made decisions on the building investigation powers of the Building Amendment Bill. Mid last year 2018 I introduced this bill to the House. It had its first reading and then it was referred to the Transport and Infrastructure Committee.The bill proposes new powers that aim to address the risks to people and to property from buildings during and after an emergency. Some of the comments from the previous speakers questioning whether or not we have the powers between property owners as well as MBIE or whoever it is that actually takes control after an emergency for instance like an earthquake be it the Christchurch earthquake or the Kaikōura earthquake—what comes to mind is what happened in the CTV Building. So right now we've got two pieces of legislation and after that first earthquake what became clear was that we didn't actually have one piece of legislation that would take control especially if buildings are dangerous to people's lives—and as we saw right there in the Canterbury earthquakes some of those buildings were indeed dangerous to people and unfortunately there were quite a number of fatalities. This particular legislation that we are putting through the House tonight is really to ensure that we learn the lessons of what happened in the Canterbury earthquakes and that we ensure that buildings are made safe. So yes these building owners have rights but at the same time we also need to ensure that buildings are safe not only for people that work in those particular buildings but for people that walk around on the outside of those particular buildings.So especially in an urgent event like that like an earthquake it is especially important that we ensure that a Building Amendment Bill like this one allows MBIE or the territorial authority to be able to inspect and place notices in buildings if they are deemed unsafe and unsanitary; evacuate and restrict those buildings; close the roads and cordon off streets so that the public are not walking past these particular buildings; require further information from our building owners; and demolish and carry out work to buildings that pose risk of injury or death to people or buildings that are at risk of disruption to neighbouring buildings critical infrastructure as well as to public thoroughfare. We are also requiring building owners to remove or reduce the risks that are posed by the buildings on a case-by-case basis. These powers can be used when no State emergency or transition period is in force; however if such powers are enforced when the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Act is in force if it is a building this bill actually ensures is that this particular bill is the one that applies with regards to buildings. So one of the questions asked before was in terms of timing: can we make sure that officials say that things are going to be done really efficiently? For us the most important thing is we ensure that the public is safe. So yes our officials will ensure as well as the territorial authorities that things are done efficiently; however what is most important here is that we ensure that buildings are not posing injury or death risks to our people.The other question that was posed was with regards to section 133BV in terms of balancing the risks and looking after the interests of building owners especially when there is vacant land. That is actually one of the things that was traversed in the select committee and I am confident that the clauses in the bill right now actually address some of those issues that were raised at the select committee. This is an amendment bill that's been many years in the making and as I said earlier on it was one that has been introduced since 2013. I have the honour of introducing it to the House and hopefully seeing it introduced at the third reading and becoming law but it is one that we've actually worked on cross-party with the National Party. Thank you Madam Chair. The question was put that the amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 234 in the name of the Hon Jenny Salesa be agreed to.Amendment agreed to.Parts 1 and 2 the Schedule and clauses 1 and 2 as amended agreed to.Bill to be reported with amendment presently.