Wagner Nicky: Third Readings — 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Wagner Nicky: Third Readings — 
[Sitting date: 11 May 2011. Volume:672;Page:18589. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 We have had a very wide-ranging debate in the House about the Environmental Protection Authority and we have had plenty of suggestions about what it should cover and what it could cover. This package of legislation allows for flexibility in the future but today we start the process of establishing a new stand-alone Environmental Protection Authority which will provide the country with technical and regulatory functions and independent environmental oversight. 
This legislation is significant because it allows the Government to provide stronger central government leadership on environmental issues. Combining technical and regulatory skills in one body will lead to better-informed environmental decisions and greater protection of our natural resources.  
Contrary to the debate that is going on in the House today the original bill the Environmental Protection Authority Bill was well supported by environmental groups and by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. Most of the 38 submitters supported the legislation with many suggesting further functions for the Environmental Protection Authority.  
We all understand that it is more efficient and more effective for a small country of just over 4.4 million people to regulate some environmental issues nationally. It is difficult to get consistency when 78 different councils can be involved in environmental decisions. We want to focus our personal energy and resources on conserving and enhancing the environment rather than on continually having to relitigate the same issues in different places.  
As New Zealanders we feel closely connected to our natural environment. We define ourselves by our mountains our rivers and lakes and our enjoyment of the great outdoors. Our economy depends on the environment. The two major drivers of our economy—tourism and agriculture—are absolutely underpinned by our clean green environmental image. No one wants to buy food from a country that is degraded or polluted. No one wants to visit a crowded dirty and neglected environment. We must work hard to be true to our image and the Environmental Protection Authority will help us make sure we are conserving our natural resources and enhancing our environment.  
The Environmental Protection Authority will be a Crown agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004 and it will bring together under one entity regulatory functions concerning the environment that are presently split between the Ministry for the Environment the Ministry of Economic Development and the Environmental Risk Management Authority. The Environmental Protection Authority will combine the functions of the Environmental Risk Management Authority under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act with a wide range of powers including national-level administration of the Resource Management Act with a focus on processing applications for proposals of national significance.  
The authority will contribute to providing greater central government direction on the administration of the environment. It will pick up all the administrative functions associated with the emissions trading scheme including the management of the unit registry. It will also have some other functions which include the administration of the Ozone Layer Protection Act restrictions on ozone-depleting chemicals and regulations for hazardous waste following our international obligations under the Stockholm and Rotterdam conventions.  
This legislation has been written to be flexible. It is designed to allow additional functions to be included as needed in the future. The Environmental Protection Authority will continue to develop and the Minister for the Environment the Hon Dr Nick Smith has already indicated that he would like to see the Environmental Protection Authority be responsible for regulation under the proposed exclusive economic zone—legislation that he hopes to bring into the House before long.  
The establishment of the Environmental Protection Authority was part of National’s election promise and it underpins our blue-green vision of protection for the environment while growing the economy. I believe that the Environmental Protection Authority will be positive for New Zealand. It will give us the technical information and the tools to help us protect and enhance our environment. I commend this bill to the House.