Ardern Shane: West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third ReadingText is subject to correctionArdern Shane: West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading[Sitting date: 26 June 2014. Volume:702;Page:18941. Text is subject to correction.]SHANE ARDERN (National—Taranaki - King Country):It is a pleasure to rise in support of the West Coast Wind-blown Timber (Conservation Lands) Bill. Can I say that it was interesting to listen to the Hon Ruth Dyson and then Eugenie Sage putting forward their views particularly Ruth who raised the issue of the accord between Labour and National in 1987 pre-MMP days when it was agreed that the West Coast was able to continue logging in a sustainable way. What she did not say about that was that the Clark Government after it moved away from its traditional Labour roots which were steeped in working class people who ran sawmills and had a pragmatic and sensible approach to life to the ideology of the Auckland-based Helen Clark and trampled right over the top of the West Coast Accord in the early 2000s all forestry milling on the West Coast virtually came to a standstill. I am reminded of a chap by the name of Kit Richards. Anyone remember Kit Richards? He was quite a popular name at the time and is someone who potentially may have a view on this; I am not sure.Let us just have a look at what happened. Cyclone Ita came through the West Coast on 17 April 2014. It completely bowled over 20000 hectares of native forest—20000 hectares—and it damaged a further 200000 hectares. I can understand that the members opposite who live within the beltway would not know how big an area that is—I can understand that. It is an enormous amount of destruction by a single weather event. So to suggest that that timber beautiful podocarp—look at the building we are standing in. Look around you. I wonder what the timber on the walls in this building is. I wonder whether any of them on that side know what this is—what our desks are made of what our chairs are made of and what the wall panels are made of. I wonder whether they know. I bet they do not and I bet they do not know where it was milled. I bet they do not know where it came from. So look at where we are.All of that beautiful podocarp timber is lying there and they would suggest it is better to let that rot on the ground than to provide opportunity for employment for construction and actually for the timber to be used in a way that it will be there for generations to come. It is a beautiful beautiful asset and it would just be ridiculous stupid and absolutely ideologically driven to let it rot on the ground.So what is the purpose of doing this now? The Minister of Conservation the Hon Nick Smith who has a huge amount of experience in this area has clearly articulated why. It is because a large amount of that timber will waste if we do not get on with the job of its extraction—huge amounts of it. The value is unknown I suspect at this stage but for sure it will have a substantial value. To suggest that extracting it and using it in a sensible way is somehow going to distort the market to an extent that that will cause all sorts of different behaviours is about as ill-informed as can be. Once you have extracted it stabilised it and processed it into a product that is usable it is not necessary that that timber goes straight into the market. In fact anyone who was sensible in managing this would put the timber into the market over the next few years as and when the market could stand that being done. And obviously that is how you would get the highest commercial return from it. To suggest otherwise is to mislead about what is going on.It has been interesting to watch the member for the West Coast or the two members who represent the area dancing on the head of a pin here over this issue up until now. I know that the member for West Coast - Tasman was last time round dubbed the name “Chainsaw” in his own caucus because of course he supported sustainable milling on the West Coast. It is interesting to see the position he takes. So it is my pleasure to speak in support of this sensible piece of legislation and strengthen the arm of those who are going to salvage this wonderful asset. Thank you.