Woods MeganCHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL REINSTATEMENT BILLFirst ReadingHon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration): I move That the Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Bill be now read a first time. Leave has been granted for the bill to be referred to the Environment Committee and to be reported back by 18 December 2017.As a proud Cantabrian it is a privilege to bring this bill before this House. Reinstating the cathedral is an important milestone in Christchurch's recovery. It is a building critical to our colonial past and to our future and I am thrilled that this legislation will allow us to get on with the work of getting this local landmark reinstated and back open to the public. All Cantabrians want to see the situation sorted with a sense of urgency and momentum. This has been a long and often controversial process but what local people want to see is progress and a clear way forward. I believe that reinstating our cathedral is a vital part of our city's recovery. It provides a visible opportunity to heal the broken heart of our city. It is a symbol of our city both literally and figuratively. It sits at the centre of the social cultural and economic lifeblood of the city and the region. It is also a repository of memories for so many Cantabrians. I remember in the late 1970s on trips into town with my parents being convinced that it was where the Wizard of Christchurch lived and I think many Cantabrians have very vivid childhood memories of this place. I want to acknowledge and thank the people who have helped make this progress possible. I want to take a moment to recognise the Hon Nicky Wagner and the Hon Gerry Brownlee for the work that has been done to get us to this point. Both those former Ministers gave a lot of time and effort and I thank them for that today. I'd also like to thank Bishop Victoria Matthews the Church Property Trustees and the other members of the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch for voting to make progress on the cathedral.I'd also like to thank Mayor Lianne Dalziel and the people of Christchurch for their generous proposal to support the Crown's offer. I'd also like to acknowledge Jim Anderton and Philip Burdon for their spirited campaign to see this landmark reinstated. As someone who has campaigned alongside Jim for nearly 20 years I know firsthand the passion commitment and sheer determination that he brought to this project. Finally I'd like to thank the people who intend to contribute to the Christ Church Cathedral Restoration Trust for the support that they will provide to fund the restoration of our city's heritage.What we are intending to do with this bill is facilitate reinstatement of Christ Church Cathedral through legislation to ensure that the cathedral's restoration is not unnecessarily delayed any further. This is consistent with the offer of support made by my predecessor the Hon Nicky Wagner with majority cross-party support prior to the general election. As a category 1 historic place registered with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga the cathedral is recognised in statute as having special or outstanding historical or cultural significance or value. For many that value has increased due to the loss of so many other heritage buildings in our city.The cathedral suffered extensive damage in the earthquakes and until recently its future has been unclear and embattled. I recognise that different people may prefer different designs or options. A wide range of options has been put forward interrogated consulted and argued. However after almost seven years of delays it is now time for action. Furthermore after years of court action facilitation and negotiations we now have the opportunity to safeguard the cathedral's remaining historic and cultural significance for future generations while accepting that some significant and irretrievable loss has occurred.The proposal at hand is to restore and reinstate the cathedral to the greatest extent that is possible through a methodology that has been agreed by the previously opposing parties. This is the best possible and most pragmatic outcome in that context. It will deliver the progress that our central city needs. The Christ Church Cathedral Restoration Trust which is in the process of being established will raise funds for the restoration and enter into a joint venture with the Church Property Trustees the owners of the cathedral to undertake the delivery of the cathedral project.This is Parliament's opportunity to provide certainty for our city that the cathedral will be able to be restored without further unnecessary delay to give certainty to people looking to relocate into our central city in that it is coming alive again. It will also give certainty to tourism operators that one of the most beloved cultural landmarks in our city will be reinstated.The bill provides a mechanism to grant exemptions from modify or extend any provisions of two pieces of legislation that relate to the restoration: the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014. Specifically the bill sets out a proposal that would allow the two pieces of legislation to be amended by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the Minister by an Order in Council for the Christ Church Cathedral site where necessary or desirable to facilitate restoration of the cathedral. It is a flexible mechanism that allows us to ensure that delivery can be achieved after the detailed design work is completed.I recognise that these are extraordinary powers. However I think the House will agree that the bill is justified in the context of the damage to this unique and significant building previous litigation and the wider impacts these are having on the recovery and regeneration of central Christchurch. This approach epitomises the certainty viability and timelessness of the restoration project and reflects the high public interest in finding solutions for the building. It also recognises that this project is in an extraordinary situation. It is essentially a response and recovery project from the extensive damage caused by the earthquakes. I consider that it sits well within the response and recovery framework in which mechanisms of this kind have been considered appropriate.Similarly it is appropriate to have a number of limits and controls on the exercise of the power in the bill. The scope of an order is limited. It must be necessary or desirable for the purpose of facilitating restoration of the cathedral. The bill applies only to the cathedral area; this allows for work to take place on and around the site as necessary to restore the main building ancillary buildings and the tower. The provisions of this bill are time bound. The restoration of the cathedral is expected to take up to 10 years or more and consents or authorities are expected to be required in a staged manner over the life of this project. The sunset clause is included in the bill to provide for its repeal 15 years after commencement. This ensures that the extraordinary provisions are accessible for the delivery of the project and are repealed once they are no longer required.An independent review panel is a key part of the process proposed in the bill and the responsible Minister must have regard to its recommendations. The Minister will appoint a panel with knowledge of matters such as law Māori and tikanga Māori values and matters relevant to the restoration of the cathedral. There are certain fundamental rights and obligations that cannot be subject to the bill's Order in Council process—for example the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act and the Electoral Act cannot be amended. The Regulations Review Committee also plays an important role in the Minister's decision-making process as the Minister must have regard to any comments received. A disallowance provision has been built into the process so that orders are subject to the will of the House. The bill also proposes a truncated process for judicial review which will balance the right to review with the need for certainty that the cathedral will not continue to sit by the wayside for another seven years.This process is necessary. This bill facilitates restoration of the Christ Church Cathedral without unnecessary further delay. It is what we need to get progress in Christchurch. The bill balances the overwhelming desire to see progress in Cathedral Square with appropriate limits and controls. I commend this bill to the House.