Simpson Scott; Tisch LindsaySCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): Notwithstanding the concluding comments of the Hon David Parker in his speech I would like to acknowledge as chair of the Local Government and Environment Committee the assistance he gave and work that he as Labour lead did on the select committee. I think actually much of his contribution at select committee was extremely useful and as a result we have produced at third reading a bill that is in better shape than it was when it was first introduced. We have made a couple of refinements and there are a number of points that I think have been well received firstly by the select committee but across the House. This bill as amended and back in the House for the third reading is not without its detractors. Actually it is a piece of legislation that needs to be updated to be modernised and to be brought into a regime that is more practical and more effective than the original legislation that was introduced all those years ago. In summary the real issue that we had to address as a committee and that this House really has to address is that since the introduction of the principal legislation child drownings in residential swimming pools have decreased from 100 in the 10 years before the legislation was introduced to 21 in the 10 years to 2014. That is all very good news and encouraging news particularly for the parents and young children who swim in pools but there are absolutely some aspects of that original legislation that created inconsistencies and that were cumbersome in terms of administration and in terms of application. What this bill seeks to do is to tidy up some of those aspects and to bring about I think a more useful but still important child safety regime to ensure that drownings are kept to an absolute minimum. The original legislation created a number of challenges for both owners and operators of swimming pools small hot tubs and spas—that sort of pool. It also created challenges for those who had to inspect and maintain the legislative regime that the Act set up. What we have acknowledged is that in the spa pool sector particularly the industry norm in relation to safety covers is that they exist. Spa pools actually create and impose a relatively small risk of drowning particularly to young children yet the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act required them all to be fenced. What we have done in this bill is make I think some sensible changes and that has been addressed by other speakers including the Minister for Building and Housing who I thought gave a very thorough and good analysis of the bill's progress through the House what its genesis was why it needed to be introduced what it hopes to achieve and what it will seek to do. Perhaps one of the most important changes that we made at select committee when we were considering this bill was around the monitoring and inspection of pools by local authorities. We were originally contemplating a 5-year inspection regime. We had a number of submitters—very good submitters—who made a point that a 3-yearly inspection was probably more appropriate. On the basis of those submissions and the sound logical arguments that were put forward to us we have decided to change that to require a 3-yearly inspection across the country because it became obvious to us that there were some local body jurisdictions that were inspecting every 3 years some were inspecting every 5 years and indeed some were not inspecting at all. That simply was not a tolerable position to be in. So there were a number of changes made in that regard. Another area that has been changed is that for those inspections where councils do not wish to undertake that work themselves there will be an opportunity for them—should they wish—to contract out that work to suitably qualified and approved inspectors organisations and individuals who have had approval from the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment to do that work. I think that will create some flexibility for maybe small local territorial authorities that are not wishing to partake of that kind of inspection work. The larger territorial authorities probably have some very good systems and structures in place to achieve that but we wanted to ensure that the element of choice was available not only to the inspecting authorities but ultimately also to the pool and spa owners. This is a good piece of legislation. It has been well thought through by the select committee. I commend it to the House. I think it is a very good piece of legislation and I think it is a piece of legislation that will stand the test of time. I thank the Minister for his attention to detail—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Lindsay Tisch): I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The time has come for me to leave the Chair.Debate interrupted.The House adjourned at 10 p.m.