Williams Andrew: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilliams Andrew: Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 29 January 2014. Volume:696;Page:15663. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ANDREW WILLIAMS (NZ First): Firstly in terms of the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill can I wish the Minister of Conservation all the very best for his cruise down to these islands on a naval vessel in the next coming weeks. In that respect it is interesting that the very first piece of legislation in this House this Parliament of 2014 is this particular bill. It is probably because the Minister tapped his Cabinet colleagues on the shoulder and said: “I am going down there in a couple of weeks. It would be very nice for the photo opportunity for the National Government for me to be able to go down to the Subantarctic Islands and be photographed announcing that this has become an Act through Parliament.” Anyway the Hon Nick Smith will be down there in a few weeks to look at this and we wish him well.Our Local Government and Environment Committee did wish to visit the same islands to look at this and the chairman Nicky Wagner said that that would be a lovely opportunity for us all to do that but 12 MPs going to the Subantarctic Islands was not possible. Therefore we are sending our delegate the Hon Nick Smith on our behalf who sat on our committee when he was in purgatory last year for 6 or 7 months and was being retrained by our committee. While he was being retrained by our committee helearnt that he would when he returned to being Minister of Conservation go on our behalf down to these islands and see what we have come up with.Dr Paul Hutchison: He will represent you well.ANDREW WILLIAMS: He will represent us well we hope. I would note in previous Governments under a more enlightened Labour Government supported by New Zealand First in previous years that such delegations with Ministers often included Opposition MPs who have travelled south with our Royal New Zealand Navy to such places. But under this less enlightened National Government it does not seem to include the Opposition to go to the same places. I think it is something that should be marked in this Parliament—that when we are going to outreaches of the greater New Zealand land mass which includes these special islands perhaps some consideration from the Government would be given to the Opposition to ensure that this is seen. Because this has been universally supported by all parties perhaps the Government could also include other parties who have supported it as well. It would be something that perhaps a National Government could take on board—to be a little bit more inclusive in the future.But in relation to this bill it was interesting sitting on the Local Government and Environment Committee. These three groups of islands include the Antipodes Island the Bounty Islands and the Campbell Island with Antipodes Island being the most extreme at 860 kilometres south-east of Stewart Island. It is a most interesting part of the extension of New Zealand’s control. The Antipodes Island was discovered in 1800 by Captain Henry Waterhouse on the British shipHMSReliance and it has remained there under the New Zealand coverage ever since. It is now a World Heritage site which adds to its uniqueness. It is in our most southern ocean. It is most interesting that between the South Island and this area there will be future exploration for offshore oil offshore gasses and all that sort of thing. So it is a most interesting area to now include a marine reserve while at the same time going into those great southern oceans to explore what minerals and what reserves are out there.In so saying New Zealand First is very pleased that there is a 3 to 5 -year review process in terms of what is happening in parts of this reserve. We believed that that was appropriate so that after 3 years or so the officials and all those involved in this would see how it is working and how it is being administered. That is very good.In terms of some of the comments that Gareth Hughes made in terms of the Green Party New Zealand First does have concerns in some of the areas in relation to responsible administration of our environment and the conservation estate. He mentioned for instance that the seabed mining on the Chatham Rise was of huge concern to the Green Party and should not be taking place.I think we all have to be aware as MPs as parliamentarians and as New Zealanders that we are sitting on the fifth-largest exclusive economic zone in the world. Out there there is potentially huge resource. We sat also on that Chatham Rise situation in terms of the exclusive economic zone—[Bell rung] Mr Chair.The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): Andrew Williams. You must go for the call. You do not continue speaking. You must go for the call.ANDREW WILLIAMS: Sorry Mr Chair. I was too busy thinking of the—The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): Well you have the call now.ANDREW WILLIAMS: Thank you. I was thinking of the debate on the Prime Minister’s statement where we had some minutes afterwards.In terms of that Chatham Rise they are proposing to take something like 1 percent in terms of the seabed mining for rock phosphate which will provide potentially 100 percent of New Zealand’s phosphate for our agricultural requirements to be brought onshore to the South Island and then distributed through New Zealand. At the momentall thatsuperphosphate for agriculture comes from Morocco Algeria and other sources of questionable future ability—depending on their political situation. It is interesting that we have to as a nation properly identify the environmental risks the sustainability and what is involved long term in terms of whether we should therefore actually say that 1 percent of the Chatham Rise is worth the risk to take that phosphate to provide 100 percent of our agricultural phosphate andsuperphosphate for our agriculture or say that that 1 percent is not worth the risk.Certainly in New Zealand First we are known as being the party very much in the centre. We believe that all those economic sustainability and environmental issues have to be properly balanced worked through and properly identified and properly scrutinised so that at the end of the day we do not leave New Zealand wanting for the sake of perhaps a very extreme Green Party element which would cut off opportunities for this economic development of New Zealand for the benefit of the whole nation. In that respect New Zealand First is looking at all these things such as marine reserves. We are very supportive—right back to 1976 with the Goat Island reserve through to the latest one in Akaroa Harbour the reserve that has been gazetted in the last few months and the 34 other reserves. We in New Zealand First want to see a very very clear balance between good economic development in this country but at the same time good environmental sustainable performance.This bill the Subantarctic Islands Marine Reserves Bill is another example. We see huge merit in this. We see merit in other areas of New Zealand getting marine reserve status but at the same time ensuring economic opportunities as well through our fishing industry through our aquaculture and through our other industries around the coastline of New Zealand making sure that they are also looked at in consideration. We have to look at a clear balance. We have to look at a balance that is good for all New Zealanders but at the same time always always try to give the environment the benefit of the doubt. If we always give the environment the first benefit of the doubt then I think as New Zealanders we can say we have done our very best. In this case I think as parliamentarians we can be very proud of what we have achieved through this bill. New Zealand First commends it to the House.