Lotu-Iiga SamHon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie): I rise to support this second reading of the Point England Development Enabling Bill. I want to support the Minister because he is hard-working. He is delivering results not just in Auckland but around the country around housing and this is a bill that will enable the development of housing in just over 11.5 hectares of land around the Point England Reserve. This piece of land is situated in my electorate of Maungakiekie and for me this legislation represents an opportunity to use the land for one of the key priorities of our Government and indeed one of the important priorities facing the people that I represent in Maungakiekie and that is housing. That is the overwhelming feedback that I get from constituents in my electorate: that the Government should prioritise housing needs alongside jobs infrastructure health and education.Our Government has taken that feedback when setting policy and passing laws—Phil Twyford: You should be ashamed of yourself.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —as you will see this Thursday Mr Twyford when budgets are delivered for the people of New Zealand. Of course we have had to balance these needs with other competing needs of our community and these include the need for green space—yes we acknowledge that—recreational facilities the environment and the preservation of reserves.I have met with many local groups and iwi including Ngāti Paoa. I do want to acknowledge one of our leaders up in the gallery Hau; it is good to see you sir. I have met with groups like the local iwi and the Tamaki Estuary Protection Society who I think raise some valid points—because I am there to listen as their local MP. They talk about the enhancement of the environment they talk about the degradation in the local area and they also talk about the importance of the ecological site. I respect those points made about preserving reserve status for land and people's enjoyment of the wildlife.However for me on balance there is a more pressing need to build 300 more homes for families and especially for our kids—people who are in need of shelter warm homes and clean and modern facilities. That is right—clean and modern facilities. This bill will enable Ngāti Paoa to develop the land as part of its Treaty settlement and improve the recreational and cultural facilities in our local area. We have already heard tonight about how a marae is planned for the land. Ngāti Paoa for its part has undertaken to protect local birdlife and any development will of course be subject to the scrutiny of the Resource Management Act through routine resource consenting processes. Auckland Council will also play a role alongside the local board to ensure that the appropriate conditions are applied. Most importantly local people will also get their chance to feed back into that process.Although the final details of the housing plan for the area have not been finalised we understand that there is an expectation that a good portion of those homes—contrary to Mr Twyford's misrepresentations here tonight—will be for social housing and affordable homes. That should help some first-home buyers in our local area get into their first home.In summary as the Minister has already stated 11.5 hectares will be developed for housing leaving almost 33 hectares remaining on the reserve for recreational purposes. Crucially as the Minister has pointed out 100 percent of the proceeds from the land will be reinvested into the local community. That is no reduction in fields as Mr Twyford again misrepresents the facts here tonight. It is about getting local input from local people that those funds will be used to improve the environmental integrity in places like Ōmaru Creek. The funds could also be used to improve the recreational facilities and the green space in the local area and we want to make those spaces more amenable and more usable going forward.On balance this bill improves the overall well-being of my local people providing more livable homes better recreational facilities and as the Minister for the Environment has already said it will improve environmental outcomes locally. We welcome the feedback from local people. Those voices in our community have been heard they have been respected and they have been acknowledged and as a consequence I commend this bill to the House.