Calder Cam: Marine Legislation Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCalder Cam: Marine Legislation Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 24 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13624. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Dr CAM CALDER (National): It is an absolute delight to take a short call on this omnibus bill the Marine Legislation Bill. Part 1 as we have heard amends the Maritime Transport Act and Part 2 amends the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012. We as a Government are committed to building a more competitive and productive economy and this bill highlights our commitment to creating strong and sensible legislation that works. It aims to improve the clarity consistency and effectiveness of the Maritime Transport Act as we heard earlier and it will also provide more certainty around the laws involved as well as improving safety enforcement practices and environmental protection. We know that successful economic and environmental policy can and must go hand in hand. This is why we are putting in place policies to help local economies that rely on their ports and harbours and to ensure that our unique environment is protected.As we have heard the reforms will provide greater certainty and reduce compliance costs for industry increase efficiency by avoiding the duplication of processes enhance environmental effects management—this is dear to all our hearts—and of course provide the opportunity as we heard earlier for improved public and iwi participation. This is a decisive piece of legislation that highlights our commitment to building a more competitive and productive economy. We strongly believe that the natural environment is our greatest asset. That is why the bill places significant focus on addressing gaps in our current legislation and better aligning regional and national interests.I have made no secret in the past of being a “Naki” boy and I am proud of coming from “Taradise”—I am proud of coming from “Taradise”. I have grown up with the oil industry. From my earliest years I can remember a “nodding donkey” down onNgāmotu Beach which at one stage was the longest-producing oil well in the world—the longest-producing oil well in the world. As we would go there—we would go swimming occasionally—we would see oil actually coming up from the sand because it does that such is the richness of “Taradise”. That oil industry which is worth $2 billion—Chris Auchinvole: How much?Dr CAM CALDER: —$2 billion—to our country is the third or fourth leg of our economic prosperity and it coexists with an outstanding world-leading dairy industry and of course a wonderful tourism industry for those New Zealanders and world travellers who see the joy and delights to be found in that blessed province of Taranaki.Of course this would not be the case were it not for an incredible concentration by the major players in the industry on health security environmental and safety issues within the industry. That is why it gladdens my heart to see clause 90 in Part 2 which I understand the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee in a unanimous display of good faith and good fellowship recommended be amended so that it could insert definitions related to the discharge of harmful substances and the dumping and incineration of waste and other matter at sea and insert a new definition of “mining activity” that would ensure that this term covered prospecting as well as other events so that the new definition of “mining discharge” would ensure that hydraulic fracturing—a very worthwhile technique used to improve the productivity of our fields there and used with due respect to the environment—would be subject to the legislation.So as a proud boy from “theNaki” and someone who is determined to see New Zealand achieve its best economic potential with due regard to the environment I commend this bill to the Committee.