Tirikatene RinoRINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga): Tēnā koe Mr Chair. Mānawatia a Matariki. Tēnā koutou e te Whare. I'm delighted to speak as the member in charge of this bill at its committee stage Te Pire Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha. (Whakakanohitanga o Ngāi Tahu) the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill. This bill is a local bill. It has been brought to this House and promoted by Environment Canterbury the regional council for the vast areas of lands from north of Kaikōura all the way south to the Waitaki River. It is the largest geographic area of any regional council in Aotearoa and it encompasses a population second only to Auckland a population of some 600000 citizens.This is a local bill. It has the wide support of the communities at large in the Canterbury regional district because this bill hasn't just come along in the last five minutes. This bill is about reinstating Ngāi Tahu representation to Environment Canterbury. It is an arrangement that was put in place and it evolved over time. It started in 2010 when commissioners were appointed over the Canterbury region. Through that arrangement it evolved to where in 2016 when a transitional council was in place the legislation which gave effect to that arrangement included the appointment by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to two representatives on Environment Canterbury. The National Party supported that arrangement—those provisions. It had broad support. I encourage National to actually put their support behind this bill once again put their support behind the people of Canterbury and the Canterbury Regional Council with the reinstatement of Ngāi Tahu representation.Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is not just any other group within the South Island. Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu are the iwi they are the prominent iwi and mana whenua of the whole of the district of Environment Canterbury. It has been recognised through past legislation that having that special status and that special association with the environment and having representation of Ngāi Tahu members on Environment Canterbury adds and enhances the quality of the decision making the representation and the good work of the council.So the council has come here with this bill which will make permanent the ability for Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu to add those two representatives to Environment Canterbury. I want to just state that elections at large for the 14 councillors of Environment Canterbury will still continue. There will still be 14 councillors from North Canterbury; all the way down to South Canterbury; and all of the north south east and west in Christchurch. Fourteen councillors will continue to be elected at large will continue to represent the people of Canterbury. What this bill does is it reinstates that those two Ngāi Tahu members that are appointed by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu add their knowledge and expertise to the decision making and the good work that Environment Canterbury does.This is about enhanced representation. This is about democracy-plus. This is an innovation which has worked which the National Party implemented—it worked for nearly a decade. The quality of the decision making that occurred in the complex work that they undertook—whether it was fresh-water planning some very complex works—having the mana whenua voice at the council table made a world of difference and enhanced the ability so much so that Environment Canterbury has come in here to make this a permanent arrangement. So I'm delighted to be the member in charge of this bill and I'm happy as we examine it further to further justify the great reasons in support of this bill. Kia ora.