Wagner Nicky: Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWagner Nicky: Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 25 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18885. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon NICKY WAGNER (National—Christchurch Central):I move That the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Local Government and Environment Committee to consider this bill. I have been asked to be the member in charge of this bill and I am delighted because I can tell you that the Arts Centre holds a very special place in the hearts of my family but more important in the hearts of the people of Christchurch.The Arts Centre is a collection of historic buildings on a site previously occupied by the University of Canterbury and two of the city’s original secondary schools. It represents one of the largest clusters of heritage buildings in New Zealand and is a cultural asset of local national and international significance. As well as reflecting a unique part of our country’s architectural heritage the Arts Centre has a rich history of education of arts and of science. Nobel Prize - winning scientist Lord Rutherford completed his undergraduate degree and carried out most of his groundbreaking research at this site and his den has been restored to commemorate that.By the late 1970s the University of Canterbury had relocated to the suburb of Ilam and the buildings were transferred to the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Board. The trust was established in 1978. It was to provide a cultural centre and to preserve the architectural character and integrity of the historic stone buildings on the site. Since this time the Arts Centre played an important role as a community asset and it has been used for a variety of arts-related activities including art and artisan studio spaces cafes and restaurants theatres cinemas retail outdoor markets galleries and public performances. The Arts Centre became known as a key destination for visitors and for locals alike. An estimated 1.5 million people visited the Arts Centre every year with approximately half of them coming from outside the Christchurch region. But in 2010 and 2011 when the Canterbury region was struck by a series of devastating earthquakes all but one of the Arts Centre’s 23 heritage buildings sustained significant damage and were subsequently deemed unsafe. This forced the closure of the site in 2011 for the foreseeable future.Work is now under way on a path of transformation to restore and to reawaken one of New Zealand’s most significant heritage sites. The Arts Centre’s restoration programme is understood to be one of the largest of its kind to be undertaken in the world today. Piece by piece the Arts Centre is being strengthened and restored to its original form. It will be stronger more durable and safer than before the earthquakes and at the same time we are adding modern services to improve public access and the use of the buildings. Over the coming years there will be a phased reopening of the site. The first building in the programme has already been opened and that is the restored Registry Building. Such is the work that it has been recognised for excellence with a Christchurch Civic Trust award in late 2013. The commitment of the Arts Centre to the re-emergence of arts and culture in the city is also evident in its redevelopment and the gymnasium which opens in the coming months will be the new home of Free Theatre Christchurch in collaboration with the Arts Circus project.Significant planning and work is under way to enable the Arts Centre to achieve a vision for the future. This is about not just restoring the physical buildings but also providing a foundation for arts culture heritage and education in a much stronger way than has ever been done before. The goal is to create a hub of creative entrepreneurs in the heart of Christchurch that is undeniably 21st century. This is informed by the objects of the trust and the need for the Arts Centre to be financially sustainable. The activities at the Arts Centre will complement and support a broad range of cultural arts and education activities in Christchurch. Importantly the revitalised Arts Centre will bring people back into our city.This bill is a key part of protecting and preserving the Arts Centre of Christchurch for the future. It sets out the objects of the trust in legislation and reflects the cultural and heritage significance of the Arts Centre. It provides an opportunity for greater certainty around the original intentions of the trust deed to preserve the architectural and heritage values of the site and to provide a vibrant cultural centre for the people of Christchurch and visitors to the city. The bill will also enable the Arts Centre to modernise its governance arrangements. The new governance structure has been recommended by the Arts Centre’s trust board following a comprehensive review. This included the commissioning of an independent report with the support of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and also involved an extensive consultation process with stakeholders over the last couple of years.The bill provides for a skills-based board appointed by an appointments committee. Stakeholders including the broader community will have the opportunity to nominate candidates for trustee vacancies. This will provide trustees with the essential support of the community. It is vitally important that the trust maintains a strong set of skills during the restoration phase of the Arts Centre but also over the next few years and that an enduring governance structure is in place for the repopulation phase and beyond. In the unlikely event in the future that the trust is unable to carry out its charitable objects and is wound up the bill also provides for the site to be vested in the Crown on an interim basis until a new entity is put in place. This is to ensure that there is always a safe pair of hands in the short term if such circumstances would ever arise and that gives a level of certainty that the current trust deed cannot provide.This bill is about protecting the Arts Centre of Christchurch for the future. It reflects the local national and international heritage significance of the site. The bill will provide legal foundations for the trust board to continue to be able to recover from the impacts of the earthquakes. It is also appropriate for the governance structure to be adapted to account for changed circumstances and to better secure the protection of this important cultural asset into the future. In this way the future of the Arts Centre can be assured.The Arts Centre of Christchurch is an absolute treasure. It deserves to be respected and cared for. The trustees and the management at the Arts Centre are all highly committed and working incredibly hard on this project. My hope is that in years to come people will feel that a revitalised Arts Centre has really anchored them back into Christchurch. I strongly believe that the Arts Centre will be an inspiring public place that is recognised from the past and protected for the future. We will benefit from not only restoring our history and culture but also from the site being strengthened and improved for future generations. From the damaged buildings and the rubble there is a unique opportunity to create a new vibrant centre that will be a source of great pride for Christchurch and New Zealand as a whole.I am delighted to move the motion for the first reading of this bill today. I look forward to the select committee deliberations and the bill’s return to the House and its ultimate passage.