Warren-Clark AngieANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to rise and take a call on the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Amendment Bill the second reading. It's one of those interesting pieces of legislation isn't it? It's a local bill which is different from a private bill and different from a member's bill.I'd just like to acknowledge the member and thank the member Tangi Utikere for his sponsorship of this local bill as the Labour elected MP for the community. Of note we all know and I think we've heard it in the House here tonight that he has done previous service on the Palmerston North City Council as the deputy mayor as well. So there's a nice synergy of him now as the member for the city bringing this bill to the House.I also want to note that the Palmerston North City Council are the promoter. As I think other members have said this essentially means that the bill has been progressed or asked to be passed on to the member in particular. However there is no doubt that the member is very aware of the issues for this community and he is sponsoring the bill on the basis that that is his job as the local member and the bill therefore is not in his name. Now having said all of that I know that the member is delighted to be doing this I just wanted to make that reference as well.I want to acknowledge the member the Hon Eugenie Sage our chairperson who is a really diligent chairperson and we did progress across the membership of the select committee lots of detail about this bill. We had 29 submissions and we heard from eight of those including from the sponsor himself and also from the promoter. So the bill came to the select committee on 8 December 2021 and submissions closed on 18 February. As I said we heard eight oral submissions and I think it's really important over that period of time that I want to recognise and acknowledge the officials from the Department of Conservation (DOC) who supported us and the Parliamentary Service and the Parliamentary Counsel Office as well.Really useful helpful submissions were given to us and DOC wrote a particularly useful briefing for us on the bill. I want to just acknowledge one of the things—because it's now been tabled in the House—for listeners out there no doubt everyone is listening from home from Palmerston North. There's a really useful appendix—appendix II—that talks specifically about the types of legislation that this particular piece of land refers to. And there are nine pieces of legislation over the years from as we have heard 1876 onwards that refer to this little piece of land that we are considering here today. I think it's really important to have a bit of a look at that because that gives us some really tremendous history around some of the land in our country. Of course this land became very simple land in 1876 but before that it also had a history and I'd just like to acknowledge that.So the former Palmerston North Reserves Act 1922 gave the initial protection to this land as a reserve so it could not be sold. This Act was superseded by the Palmerston North Reserves Empowering Act in 1966 which became the principal Act. This empowering amendment bill supports the aim of the Palmerston North City Council to be able to sell the land if it becomes surplus to their requirement. And I think the member the Hon Eugenie Sage made good point and good reference to the fact that this is a piece of land that is able to be sold but we here in the Environment Committee the select committee members we did not look into the decision as to whether that was right or wrong. We looked specifically at the process of moving that piece of land. There is a due process that needs to be followed in the city council process.So the particular area of land as we have heard is known as the Huia Street Reserve and it's located at the corner of Fitzherbert Avenue and Park Road in Palmerston North. To my shame the last time I was in Palmerston North the Fitzy Tavern" was still open. I think that was back in my student union days so it's been quite some time. However I was quite delighted—quite delighted—with the drone technology that we had to see what this particular site looked like. I thought "That's a place I might want to visit sometime soon." So the member Tangi Utikere has graciously invited us at any point to come to his fair city. And I think I will be taking that up. And I'm sure I will not be visiting the "Fitzy" because I think they closed many many years ago.During our deliberations we did struggle a bit to understand exactly where the reserve sat. And in fact even some of the submissions from some of the local people were quite confused about where that piece of land was. So it was very helpful to have the drones—it gave us the boundaries it gave us what the trees were and in fact whether they were indigenous trees or introduced trees what the amenities were what their location looked like—really useful. A little bit disappointed we didn't visit in person but certainly we did save a few thousand kilometres of petrol and travel etc.Of the submissions received no one spoke to the content of the bill. Unsurprisingly that is because it has six clauses and the two substantial clauses are clause 4(a) and clause 4(b). Now with your indulgence Madam Speaker I'll just read what they say. So clause 4(a) is: "vest in the Palmerston North City Council the land described in the Schedule; and (b) enable the Council to sell that land if the land becomes surplus to the Council's requirements." And then the Schedule gives the legal description. That's it. That is the entirety of this bill and that is why I raise it in the House because the bill is so simple but there is so much behind it. I think it's important to raise that.I also want to acknowledge that under the 1966 Act section 8 requires that when any land is sold under the Act the full proceeds must be used to acquire development land for public recreation reserves. So if the council decides to sell in the future they have to use the proceeds for other pieces of recreational property. And I think that that too is a very useful thing. We don't as a select committee express a view as to the merits of the sale or the development. I think it's been clear in this House tonight that we—some of us—sit in different positions and that sale or otherwise is a decision that is going to be made appropriately by the Palmerston North City councillors and those councillors will be politically accountable to the voters of Palmerston North City. Our job here quite simply is whether in fact the processes have been followed appropriately for us to ensure that this piece of land can be moved out of that reserve.So with that I think it's an interesting piece of legislation. It is an entry of good intent and I appreciate having worked on it. I commend this bill to the House."