Bennett GlenGLEN BENNETT (Labour—New Plymouth): Kia ora Madam Speaker and thank you for this opportunity to speak on this local bill. And congratulations Tangi Utikere MP for Palmerston North. Who would have thought Palmerston North would get talked about so much in this House on this afternoon but here we are chatting away.Now I've said this before and I'll say it again my 21 years living in New Plymouth and now being the MP for New Plymouth Tangi Utikere and I have some similarities. We get confused quite regularly. I know we look very similar. But being MPs often Palmerston North and New Plymouth do get mixed up but they're both beautiful wonderful cities. One has a mountain and a beautiful ocean; the other's Palmerston North. But it is a beautiful place and I really do love it. In fact trying to sort of connect to Palmerston North as people have this afternoon my mother actually is from Foxton and she used to bus every day to Palmerston North to go to Palmerston North Girls' High School right next to this piece of land. So suddenly I am connected to this place. Now I trust Mr Utikere. I trust him as he was a councillor and deputy mayor of Palmerston North City so he knows this piece of land. He knows this piece of legislation. He knows what this local bill will do in terms of housing in terms of development in terms of easing some of the challenges that face the people of Palmerston North. And just like me as a local MP we're doing work in New Plymouth around our housing situation and our council is working hard with local providers with iwi and also within their own selves in terms of what land they have that potentially could be available for the development of houses to ensure that our growing beautiful cities continue to be beautiful and cared for. Now the question I do often ask is around green spaces because the last thing we want is for our cities to become clogged and jammed and too full. So I was encouraged to hear Mr Utikere talk about the fact that around that space around that green space there's a mass of hectares of area that is already green space is already beautiful and so this will not impact on the beauty of Palmerston North City in its CBD area. I'm also aware that it's been 16 years—16 years since anything happened on that land. So if we talk about green space and the loss of it it's actually just sitting there. It's actually growing weeds I'm guessing. I did do the Google search and saw it. It is just sitting there and not being used. So therefore let's use it and let's get on with it and let's ensure that some houses can be built.Now what I like about a progressive council like Palmerston North City Council is that they are looking at all the options. They're not looking at just building what you always build and they're not just looking at doing what's always been done; they're being innovative. Also I'm really proud of the Palmerston North City Council to see that the majority of councillors when I was reading up about this said that they need to take leadership in this space. They need to provide land for housing and showing how more homes could be provided by moving away from traditional-style subdivisions. So they realise that as a council they have a leadership role to play and they will play that. And this piece of legislation will ensure that that happens. I'm also glad that democracy is a wonderful thing in how it works. And back in 2007 when the Hon Steve Maharey did bring this to the House there were conversations had in the consultation space. There were concerns there hadn't been enough discussion and so it was put on hold. And here we are again 15 years 14 years later and those conversations have been had and this is ready for development and ready to be done. But my final thought around the Palmerston North City Council and you know feeling like I need to also encourage my local council as well—but the fact is that this isn't just a fait accompli if this piece of legislation goes through the plans are drawn up go the houses; it actually has to go back through council through process. In a public meeting decisions will be made around what happens on this piece of land. So again democracy in action. Palmerston North City Council is doing some good things. They'll continue to do more good things. I congratulate Tangi Utikere MP for Palmerston North and I commend this bill to the House.