Young JonathanNEW PLYMOUTH DISTRICT COUNCIL (WAITARA LANDS) BILLFirst ReadingJONATHAN YOUNG (National—New Plymouth): I move That the New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Local Government and Environment Committee to consider the bill.E ngā mana e ngā reo e ngā hau e whā tēnā tātau e Te Whare tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.[To the powers languages and the four winds acknowledgments to us the House greetings salutations and accolades to us all.]I welcome the people of New Plymouth and Waitara to this House today whether you are here in person or whether you are watching via television. It is a journey that is of some distance not just from North Taranaki but through the difficult history that the people from North Taranaki have travelled. I acknowledge those who have gone before and cannot be here—I acknowledge you. This is a local bill and I acknowledge the New Plymouth District Council. I acknowledge Mayor Andrew Judd who is present today and councillors Craig McFarlane and Colin Johnston representing Waitara. I acknowledge the people of Te Atiawa—Liana Poutu chair of Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa Trust. I acknowledge the leaseholder residents of the town of Waitara. The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill seeks to provide a new future for the town of Waitara in North Taranaki. Waitara has just under 7000 residents. It is a beautiful town with the Waitara River passing through it. The views of Taranaki maunga are stunning. There are rugged surf beaches and excellent fishing and a climate second to none in the Taranaki region. It is a classic New Zealand town in many respects. It has a strong community. However it has seen some challenging times with a difficult and dark history. There are those with a strong sense that it has been held back by legislation of the past in more ways than one. The challenges for Waitara arise from its role in a pivotal moment of our country's history. Waitara was originally a Te Atiawa settlement. The Crown first attempted to purchase Waitara in 1859 against the wishes of many of the iwi ultimately leading to the outbreak of the first Taranaki War in Waitara in 1860—a war that then spread throughout New Zealand. Waitara was then confiscated along with much of Te Atiawa's homelands in 1865 by the Crown as retribution for the wars. The Crown has acknowledged and apologised for this grievous wrongdoing and this House is currently considering settlement legislation for Te Atiawa in a separate piece of work and legislation. Some of that confiscated land was vested by law in the predecessors of New Plymouth District Council as endowment land. These endowments were made to enable the town to develop. Endowments were a common way of financing local authorities and public institutions in those days. The endowment land is now largely leasehold land subject to perpetual leases. Just under one-quarter of all residential houses in Waitara have these Glasgow leases and leaseholders have long sought to buy the land under their houses. The council is restricted to using the endowment income for a short list of outdated purposes such as reconstructing the town's bridge if it were to fail. Even from this short summary of the history it is clear that there are various and competing interests in the land held in Waitara by the council. Te Atiawa seek the return of their lands leaseholders seek to freehold their houses and the community is not able to best use the proceeds from the land. The council caught in the middle has attempted to resolve the issue each way in the past. Firstly the council tried to enable leaseholders to freehold by introducing a bill into this House in 1992. That bill was stalled in select committee because of concerns for Te Atiawa's Treaty settlement. The bill was finally withdrawn in 2004 after the council agreed to sell the leasehold land to the Crown for the Crown to include it in Te Atiawa's Treaty settlement. Following 6 years of court cases brought by the leaseholders challenging that change of direction the Crown and the council entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement in 2010. Ultimately Te Atiawa negotiators decided against accepting the land in 2014. Since then the council has worked with Te Atiawa and the community to present us with a new resolution of these issues for us to enact. The council and Te Atiawa entered into a heads of agreement on the broad principles of the bill. The council then developed the bill and consulted with the wider Waitara community. The council listened and changed aspects of its original proposal as a result of feedback and has provided us with the bill. Because of this heads of agreement and the tripartite discussion I entreat parties in this House to support this bill at least through to select committee where the Local Government and Environment Committee can call for submissions and the views of different groups can be heard before this Parliament. The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill provides a way forward that benefits leaseholders Te Atiawa and the Waitara community. It is for this House to decide whether to enable Waitara to move forward or to continue with the problems of the past. There are three main policy drivers in this bill. Firstly the council will vest over 40 hectares of land in Te Atiawa. This includes about 13 hectares of vacant land zoned residential in the district plan and by the coastline. Te Atiawa can use this to develop a new base in their Waitara homelands. Te Atiawa will also be acknowledged as the owner of three pieces of reserve land with the council providing day-to-day administration. There will be joint decision-making on strategic issues for these reserves and Te Atiawa will also have the opportunity to purchase over 30 hectares of land in Waitara in the future through rights of first refusal if the council decides to sell.Secondly leaseholders will have a right to freehold. They will finally be able to buy the land underneath their family homes. Rather than being bound by 21-year rent cycles and the difficulties that brings with the banks leaseholders will be able to become part of the normal property market. This has been long sought after by leaseholders. Those who want to continue to rent can do so safe in the knowledge that they have a statutory right to freehold at a later point. Thirdly the proceeds from the leasehold land will be invested back into Waitara. Proceeds from about 80 percent of the land will be split evenly between New Plymouth District Council and the Taranaki Regional Council and proceeds from the rest of the land will go solely to New Plymouth District Council. This reflects existing statutory provisions. New Plymouth District Council will create a dedicated fund administered through a new statutory board. An equal number of appointees from New Plymouth District Council and Te Atiawa will decide how the annual releases from the funds are allocated within Waitara. Taranaki Regional Council will prioritise its funds for Waitara and Te Atiawa will have representation on its standing committees under the Te Atiawa Claims Settlement Bill. Waitara will have two local authorities holding significant funds to put back into the township. Although the size of the funding will depend on many things—freeholding rates interest rates and so forth—New Plymouth District Council and Te Atiawa could be releasing half a million dollars a year by 2020 rising to $2 million a year by 2040. This is a significant boost to a community of 7000 people. Waitara can be progressed positively with these funds. New Plymouth District Council and Te Atiawa will be equal partners in spending these funds for the benefit of the Waitara community. These funds could be used for a wide range of social economic environmental and cultural purposes perhaps including commemorating Waitara's pivotal role in New Zealand's early history. This bill enables the competing interests in the Waitara endowment lands to be resolved to varying degrees. It is a compromise and there remain unfulfilled dreams and aspirations. However this bill provides a way forward to benefit Waitara Te Atiawa and leaseholders. I look forward to the day when Waitara becomes the jewel in the crown of North Taranaki. This bill will play a pivotal role in that journey. I commend this bill to the House.