Power Simon: Manfeild Park Bill — First Reading 
Power Simon: Manfeild Park Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:628;Page:636] 
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 I move  
That the Manfeild Park Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Local Government and Environment Committee and that the committee report finally to the House on or before 27 March 2006. 
The Manfeild Park Bill a local bill has as its aim to facilitate the transfer of Manfeild Park in Feilding to the Manfeild Park Trust and to make other provisions in respect of that trust which I will come to shortly. Prior to giving a bit of background to the bill I take the opportunity to thank Steve Maharey who has in effect co-sponsored this bill with me. Had the Standing Orders allowed for two members to be responsible for a bill I am sure this would have been one of the instances where that would be the case. Feilding is the largest town in my electorate. As a result I am moving the reading of the bill and I have been nominated to do that in discussions with Mr Maharey. 
Historically Manfeild Park in Feilding has been owned by three separate entities: the Manawatu District Council the Feilding Industrial Agricultural and Pastoral Association and the Manawatu Car Club Inc. But in order to allow for future development and the expansion of Manfeild Park in what the trust has described as an integrated manner ownership of Manfeild Park is to be retained by the trust itself. The bill provides for the transfer of ownership by the association in particular for ongoing use of the land rights for the association and for other mechanical matters to do with the appointment and removal of trustees of the trust. The trust deed that associates itself with the industrial agricultural and pastoral association is the document that proves to have sufficient inflexibility to require a local bill to come to the House in order to facilitate those changes of ownership. 
The bill requires that the owners of the land comprising Manfeild Park transfer the land to the Manfeild Park Trust for the consideration specified in respect of each owner. The bill goes on to outline the different amounts concerned and then it also requires the three owners to apply the consideration received for the transfer by way of limited recourse loans back to the trust at the home-loan lending rate offered by the BNZ as at 24 September each year. The loans themselves are repayable only if the trust is placed into liquidation. The bill also provides for exclusive and non-exclusive use of parts of the park by the association to allow it to continue to hold the Feilding A and P show sheep and ram sales an open day for mohair producers shearing championships cattle shows and other events all of which form an historic part of the Feilding community. Members will be aware—in particular I see Jim Sutton is sitting in the House and he will certainly be aware—of the impact that the Feilding saleyards have on the Feilding community and those other events are closely associated with the agricultural basis Feilding provides for the wider rural hinterland. 
The bill also establishes interestingly an electoral college to appoint and remove trustees of the Manfeild Park Trust. The electoral college in general terms regulates its own procedure. 
Originally when I discussed this matter with the Labour Government we were keen to see the bill expedited through the select committee procedure swiftly with a report-back date of 27 February 2006. Since that time members of the local iwi have been in touch with both Mr Maharey and me and they have indicated that they are concerned about one or two outstanding issues relating to the land. Having discussed some of those points with Mr Dennis Emery on behalf of local iwi and having discussed the matter further with Mr Maharey it was considered that a report-back date of late March would allow a further month for the iwi representatives to be able to make submissions to the select committee in a considered and timely way and also to make any representations they may wish to make to Mr Maharey or me directly. I think that is absolutely fair and proper. 
It seems that the interest claim relates to some part of the Kawakawa Block which has been owned by the Ngati Kauwhata people. That is an issue that will need resolution as the bill progresses and I understand that the Maori Party has determined that it will vote against the bill on that basis. My understanding is that no other party in Parliament will be voting against the bill. The other parties will be voting for the bill which means that hopefully extending the time to the end of March will enable sufficient time for iwi to engage in a way that is productive. We hope that the outcome of those discussions submissions and the like proves to be satisfactory for all parties. 
I do not intend to say any more than that. I look forward to the swift and constructive contributions that will be made by other parties leading to my very short reply at the conclusion of this debate.