Smith Nick: Resource Management (Requiring Authorities) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Smith Nick: Resource Management (Requiring Authorities) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:661;Page:9607] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 The Resource Management (Requiring Authorities) Amendment Bill speaks volumes about the difference between the Opposition and the Government in approaching the Resource Management Act. All this bill does is change three words. How many members of this House really believe that the complex issues about improving the Resource Management Act an Act that comes to over 600 pages can be solved by changing three words? It is quite a commentary of where Labour was for its 9 years in Government. Despite all the problems with the Resource Management Act during its 9 years it did so little that the three words Ruth Dyson wants to change in this bill really sum up Labour’s pathetic contribution to the challenges facing this nation on the effective management of our natural resources and the effective delivery of infrastructure. 
The part I found most galling in this debate was hearing Labour’s spokesperson on water issues deride the deterioration of water quality in Canterbury. I ask the member opposite Brendon Burns to tell me one single thing that that Labour Ministers did in their 9 long years in Government that made a difference to water management and quality. 
Even more extraordinary is the very specific issue that is dealt with in this bill: the requiring authority status that was given to Central Plains Water. I ask members what Labour said in Government when Central Plains Water acquired that power granted by David Benson-Pope. I would be happy to show members opposite the correspondence. Firstly the Labour Government’s view at that time was that the Act was fine that it worked well and that requiring authority status for Central Plains Water was entirely appropriate. Nowhere did Labour ever initiate any review of these provisions that it is now crying foul about. 
It is the view of this Government that we should have a fresh look at the requiring authority designations and the way in which they work under the Resource Management Act. That is why this Government established as part of the second phase of our Resource Management Act reforms an expert advisory group not just to look at three words for goodness’ sake but to take a comprehensive look at the way those mechanisms work. I have no confidence that changing these three words which is nothing more than a political branding statement and not any practical solution to these issues will answer those substantive questions. 
The last point I would like to make is this: if there was anything that developed during the course of Labour’s 9 years it was a crisis around infrastructure. It does not matter if it was roading infrastructure water infrastructure or electricity infrastructure—which is the problem of my colleague Gerry Brownlee—in every one of those areas including telecommunications and the problems with broadband the previous Government failed. Members opposite need to understand that if they are going to change these legal tests they need to think through what that means for getting broadband for New Zealanders in every corner of the country including rural communities. Have members opposite thought about what these provisions mean for keeping the lights on in New Zealand? Have members opposite thought about what this bill means in terms of providing the transmission network that we need for our system? I did not hear a single word from members opposite about those issues. 
Members on this side of the House say that this is not a job that can be done with three cheap words. It needs a comprehensive approach and that is what this Government is taking. The members opposite had 9 years but they did nothing. Members on this side of the House want to do the job properly. That is why we have a technical advisory group working in the infrastructure area. It is providing comprehensive advice and that is the correct way to deal with these complex issues.