Hughes Darren: Wellington Regional Council (Water Board Functions) Bill — Second Reading 
Hughes Darren: Wellington Regional Council (Water Board Functions) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:623;Page:18504] 
DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) 
 on behalf of the  
Hon Marian Hobbs (Labour—Wellington Central) 
: I move  
That the Wellington Regional Council (Water Board Functions) Bill be now read a second time 
. The bill has been reported back from the Local Government and Environment Committee with five amendments which I am advised are accepted by the Wellington Regional Council. My thanks go to the members of the select committee for their careful consideration of the bill and unanimous recommendations. 
This bill is a local bill. It directly affects only the Wellington Regional Council and applies only to land under the Wellington Regional Water Board Act 1972. Under that Act the regional council is responsible for the supply of bulk water to the metropolitan territorial authorities within the Wellington region. It is also empowered to carry out forestry operations. For those purposes certain lands are owned by the council as water collection or forestry areas. The bill will allow the council to use the land in question for a third purpose—that is the production of renewable energy. The council is investigating a small number of sites to determine their feasibility for wind generation. The purpose of the council’s study is to determine whether those sites are feasible from an economic environmental and social perspective. 
Some submitters were concerned about the management planning and tenure arrangements for the various parcels of land covered by the bill. In particular submitters were concerned that some parts of this land which is held for water supply and forestry purposes have high botanical biodiversity and recreational values that are not protected by the original 1972 Act. The committee considered that those concerns fell outside the scope of this particular bill but it has urged the council to review the land administered under the Act and to assess the appropriate legal status and the need for legal protection of ecological and recreational values. The council already has an active biodiversity programme on its own lands including land covered by the bill and recognises in its policies and practices the value of indigenous vegetation. Nevertheless the council has confirmed that it is committed to ensuring that its lands are held for the appropriate purposes and that those purposes are reflected in the lands’ tenure status and management. 
The select committee has recommended that clause 4 be amended so that it is clear that the bill provides for the construction of electrical installations or works for renewable energy. Clause 5 is to be changed so that the functions conferred on the council by the bill may be performed by another person provided that the council agrees and subject to any conditions that the council might impose. That will allow the council to enter into partnership arrangements if it wishes to pursue the development of wind generation on its lands. A new clause 5A is recommended to ensure there is a clear link between the 1972 Act and the bill currently under consideration. The committee has also recommended that a new clause 6 be included in the bill. The purpose of that clause is to clarify that the bill is to be read subject to other enactments and ensures that the protections that exist in legislation such as the very good Resource Management Act and the Local Government Act continue to apply in respect of the council’s lands. 
These are constructive changes and they are welcomed by the Wellington Regional Council. I would like once again to thank the committee for its consideration of this bill which I warmly commend to the House.