O'Connor DamienHon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Agriculture): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. It will be useful I think to bring some facts to the debate. The South Island high country is iconic. It's iconic New Zealand. It's a landscape and an environment that is unique and inspiring to most of us who go down and enjoy it.Crown pastoral leases make up almost 5 percent of New Zealand's total land area and I want to start by acknowledging the leaseholders who have cared for and nurtured this precious land over generations. Since 1851 leaseholders have invested time and resources into protecting and enhancing the high country and its biodiversity. This includes controlling wilding pines gorse broom briar Hieracium along with managing rabbits stoats rats and wallabies. Not perfect but they've done a huge amount.I'm pleased to have worked with the Minister for Land Information on developing aspects of this Crown Pastoral Land Reform Bill. My primary focus has been to ensure the bill recognises that Crown pastoral lands supports a prosperous high country pastoral farming industry and I'm confident that this new regime proposed by the Minister will ensure that sustainable pastoral farming on Crown land will continue to thrive.The bill will ensure that the Crown and leaseholders work together so that firstly pastoral farming on Crown land continues to benefit surrounding communities and the wider economy. Secondly that low-impact business-as-usual pastoral farming is subject to fewer restrictions from Land Information New Zealand (LINZ). Thirdly the regime is practical and makes sense on the ground and lastly that leaseholders can continue to take advantage of innovation in sustainable pastoral farming practices.The Government has agreed to end tenure review and I have to say that most of the lessees that I speak to now agree with that decision. The tenure review process has more lately been slow and costly to both leaseholders and the Crown and has not achieved the desired outcome. While tenure review was introduced over 20 years ago—1998—which allowed a lot of the tops to be retired contrary to the views of the previous speaker it was intended to see the Crown exiting its role as lessor ultimately. However this has not been the case and approximately 1.2 million hectares of the Crown pastoral estate remains in Crown ownership. While tenure review has enabled the creation of new conservation parks it's also resulted in about 350000 hectares of high country land moving from Crown ownership into freehold private hands. Once the land is freeholded special values—whether ecological cultural or scientific—can be lost and can be compromised as we've seen from time to time. But the public can be reassured that this bill will enable the land to remain in Crown ownership with Crown and leaseholders working together in enduring stewardship towards the desired outcomes and that's the sustainability of the high country and its people.I have worked with the Minister for Land Information on developing a clear outcome for pastoral land and I am confident that we have found the right balance between protecting the land and ensuring that sustainable pastoral farming continues. The bill proposes that the key outcome for the Crown pastoral land regulatory system is To maintain or enhance the inherent values across the Crown pastoral estate for present and future generations while providing for ongoing pastoral farming of Crown pastoral land." This outcomes-based approach will allow LINZ to recognise and focus on activities that are high risk to the inherent landscape cultural and biodiversity values while making it easier for leaseholders to undertake sensible low-risk activities.I think it is appropriate that the Commissioner of Crown Lands will need to consider both maintaining or enhancing inherent values and providing for ongoing pastoral farming as an integrated whole to best achieve both aspects. That is the outcome that the bill seeks does not prioritise inherent values above pastoral farming nor does it prioritise pastoral farming above inherent values. This outcome will encourage sustainable pastoral farming. Our domestic and overseas consumers want greater assurances that the high quality food and fibre they buy is produced in a sustainable way without wasteful use of resources or harm to our unique environments.The bill is not intended to change the lessee's exclusive right to pasturage and quiet enjoyment of their leaseholder properties. The proposed new system will acknowledge these rights and enable leaseholders to carry out the pastoral farming activities under their lease agreement in accordance with good husbandry of the land and other obligations. The system will also enable leaseholders to undertake other uses on the land where these uses are consistent with the overall outcomes.I've also worked with the Minister to enable some greater flexibility for leaseholders to make decisions on sensible sustainable activities without the need for a consent from the Commissioner of Crown Lands within reason. The bill proposes that activities on Crown pastoral land are classified as permitted discretionary or prohibited. The addition of permitted activities which have no more than a minor impact on the inherent values of Crown pastoral land means leaseholders can undertake many pastoral farming activities without having to apply for a consent. Currently leaseholders need to apply to the commissioner to undertake many business-as-usual pastoral farming activities such as undertaking pest control or maintaining existing drains roads or fences. These permitted activities have low impact and are necessary for sustainable farming. This new approach will give clarity to both leaseholders and the Commissioner of Crown Lands about the activities that can occur on Crown pastoral land rather than the commissioner being involved in every farm management decision. This change will reduce the administrative burden currently imposed on leaseholders and I'm pleased that leaseholders will no longer have to go through a LINZ consenting process before undertaking these activities.The bill also classifies discretionary pastoral activities which will need to be submitted to the Commissioner of Crown Lands who may consent or may decline. The commissioner will grant consent to discretionary activities that are necessary to enable the leaseholder to exercise their rights and obligations under the lease. Again this provides clarity to leaseholders the commissioner and the public about the types of activities that can be undertaken on Crown pastoral land. Some farming activities in the high country need to be carefully managed by the Crown such as burning or cultivating new land. It is appropriate that leaseholders go through a consenting process before undertaking these discretionary activities and many many high country lessees understand the need to do this. The process for considering discretionary consent applications also ensures that the ability for leaseholders to carry out pastoral farming in accordance with their lease is respected.The introduction of this bill complements our work on action for healthy waterways another policy package which acknowledges the long-term sustainability of our environment as being essential. Not just high country farmers but all farmers in New Zealand appreciate the importance of freshwater health and many have done a huge amount of work to improve their practices over the last 20 years or more. Many are leading the way in restoring our waterways. The Government is delivering on its commitment to clean up our waterways with reforms that deliver environmental gains jobs and benefits to our economy while recognising of course the impact on our rural sector.In addition to the significant funding that we've committed to these programmes I have to say that the Government has provided $1.1 billion to create 11000 environmental jobs in regional New Zealand doing meaningful work that will complement the initiatives and the progress that will be made through this bill. I like many other New Zealanders love the high country. It is indeed inspiring and I have to acknowledge the tenacity of the people who live in it. I have many cherished memories and indeed plan to—over the next summer—spend a bit of time in the high country riding through and enjoying it. I know the outcomes of this bill will ensure that for many generations to come leaseholders can continue to sustainably farm this land and continue to make their valued contribution to the New Zealand primary sector and our economy. All New Zealanders enjoy the high country. They will have greater certainty that our unique cultural landscape and the biodiversity features in it will be protected and enduring."