Pillay Lynne: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
Pillay Lynne: Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:645;Page:14881] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
: 
 I will talk briefly about the title of this bill the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Area Bill. The Local Government and Environment Committee when we sat as a group and talked about this bill and its drafting talked about the title. A decision was made to call it the “Heritage Area”. The reason we did not call it a park was that we did not want to presume in any way that the area included area within the park itself; we wanted to differentiate between the regional park and the area. 
But in terms of heritage we felt that it was a really important name in order to recognise the heritage of the area and its people—the tangata whenua the Croatian settlers the Pakeha settlers and all of the cultures that today celebrate the absolute wondrous beauty of the Waitakere Ranges. This history is part of the heritage—the tangata whenua the Croatian settlers gumdiggers farmers winemakers fisher people and so on. If we look at the culture that is associated with heritage we see that this extraordinary landscape has been such an inspiration to the many artists who live in and absolutely love the area and who produce so much amazing art. People have done amazingly beautiful carvings that celebrate the area. Those things make the area so special. 
Nick Smith asked what is so special about the Waitakere Ranges and what about Queenstown. I had a great conversation with Sam Neill who had a battle in Queenstown about inappropriate development and Sam Neill said we were doing wonderful things in the Waitakere Ranges. I say “we” collectively. I would ask Nick Smith where else in the world we would find such wondrous nature as the Waitakere Ranges right on a city’s doorstep just 20 minutes’ drive from the centre of a city. 
It has been said that this bill will make lawyers happy but I tell Paula Bennett Nick Smith and Dail Jones to talk to the residents of Henderson Valley who had to gather together $50000 to fight an inappropriate decision and go to the Environment Court. They won their case but it cost them. We do not want our people to have to fight those sorts of cases. 
I acknowledge my good friend David Cunliffe and all the people whom he acknowledged today. The third reading will be the next stage of the bill and that is the time to really celebrate all the people who have worked so hard to bring this bill to fruition. I want to mention one person today—Jack Colmar. Jack Colmar is a resident of Bethells Beach. He went throughout New Zealand and talked to almost every celebrity and hero and got them to sign the petition to ask for protection for the Waitakere Ranges. I guess the most wonderful hero who put his name to those petitions was Sir Edmund Hillary and I know that Sir Edmund Hillary would feel very proud to know that the bill was at this stage in the Committee today and would warmly welcome this move. 
I have heard the Opposition criticise the bill and fuddle people but I have never heard the member opposite who lives in the west the leader of the National Party take one call on this bill—not one. He knows that it is not a popular thing to do. He leaves those other poor members opposite to do it. 
This is a local bill. It was arrived at after so much consultation commitment and a common vision for a fantastic future for this generation and for generations to come. I acknowledge the Waitakere City Council the Rodney District Council and the Auckland Regional Council for promoting this bill. This is not the Labour Party’s bill. I say to Nick Smith: “Read my lips: this is not a Labour Party bill.” This bill was promoted by those councils with a mandate from the people. It has been brought to the House so as to protect what I know is a most beautiful if not the most beautiful part of New Zealand.