Scott Alastair: Wellington Town Belt Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeScott Alastair: Wellington Town Belt Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 04 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10789. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALASTAIR SCOTT (National—Wairarapa): It gives me great pleasure to speak for the first time on this bill. I am very pleased to support it. Like the previous speaker Meka Whaitiri I will also reflect on some of the experiences that I have had in the town belt. But first of all I would like to reflect on the aesthetics of the town belt. We all fly into Wellington regularly and on a blue-sky day coming across the—is it a horseshoe-shaped harbour or is it a lagoon-shaped harbour? What is the shape of the harbour? It is a beautiful round harbour.Scott Simpson: A crescent moon.ALASTAIR SCOTT: It is a crescent moon harbour. It is framed by a U-shaped rather than horseshoe-shaped—Dr Megan Woods: This is a debating point surely.ALASTAIR SCOTT: It must be a debating point. I am going to call it a U-shaped green belt. You are absolutely right—it is a debatable point. When one looks at a map it is not quite U-shaped. It is a bit of a mishmash. But let us just agree—Scott Simpson: A horseshoe shape.ALASTAIR SCOTT: It is more or less a horseshoe shape. Coming across and landing at Wellington Airport is always a pleasure on a blue-sky day and as we know on a windy day which is often the case it is maybe not such a pleasure.Can I say that the aesthetics of the town belt are something to be cherished. I would also like to reflect on the fact that this is maybe not a unique situation but certainly an unusual situation where a community can add green space to an already green space—the addition of 120-odd hectares in a capital city of the world. It must be quite an unusual situation that we find ourselves in.I would also like to reflect on and acknowledge a few people. To start with I would just like to mention John Ward who was the secretary of New Zealand Company and who had the foresight to set up what was a 1500-odd acre town belt. He said at the time that it should be “public property on condition that no buildings be ever erected upon it”. Of course with hindsight we now know that that was not the case. Nevertheless that man had huge foresight really in understanding that this was going to be a major city—not the capital at the time but a significant city—and that green space was important. Green space was important for the social make-up and benefit of the community.So reflecting on that man’s foresight at this point I would like to acknowledge Grant Robertson’s foresight and acknowledge his initiative to ensure that the Wellington town belt is protected managed and enhanced. That is what this bill does—it secures the town belt. I suggest that that foresight is similar to and reflects the same sort of foresight that John Ward had so long ago back in the day—there is no date; you will have to help me out here—probably in 1871 or so. So it is a very unique and unusual situation that we have and thanks to Mr Robertson’s foresight we are here today at the third reading of this bill.I did not really appreciate the town belt as a teenager. I was a student at Wellington College back in the day and was using that town belt regularly—Grant Robertson: What for?ALASTAIR SCOTT: Well we had an unusual physical education teacher. His name—Grant Robertson: It’s getting better.ALASTAIR SCOTT: Well he was unusual in that he created a whole lot of cross-country champions out of Wellington College and believe me I was not one of those cross-country champions. His name was Brien McCrea. He was also unusual in that he was a founding member of the Bulldogs Allstar Goodtime Band.Hon Jo Goodhew: Really?ALASTAIR SCOTT: Absolutely. He was a tough guy—he always carried a cane around with him. He made us run from Wellington College down to the Basin Reserve all the way along Adelaide Road and up Riddiford Street and Constable Street—which meant that we were then back in the green belt of Mount Victoria—and then along Alexandra Park and back down what we called the gut-buster. It was called the gut-buster and it cut through right between Wellington College and Wellington East Girls’ College. If you know the place it is a really steep climb going in reverse—which is what you got if you argued with the guy. You had to climb this thing called the gut-buster.Of course I did not know that I was walking across quite a unique green piece of dirt—this piece of dirt this town belt—which until today was at risk. It was at risk of continuing to be eroded by those people who had managed the town belt since the early days of John Ward. So that is one of the things that I participated in in the town belt.Of course there is always the top of Mount Victoria. How many of you are going to admit to being parked up in a car at the top of Mount Victoria at sunset? How many people are going to admit to that? It is beautiful sight and with a special person in a car at the top of Mount Victoria looking out across Wellington City at sunset you cannot beat it. Again this whole experience is now protected because of the actions and initiative of Mr Robertson. So for generations people can continue to enjoy the Mount Victoria green belt whether it is in the day when running or whether it is in the evening in a special place with a special person—Todd Muller: In a special car.ALASTAIR SCOTT: —in a special car. The other part that is often used—it is not part of the town belt but it may as well be—is of course Wellington Botanic Garden. That is a place where a lot of people get a lot of use—not the same use but a lot of use—a lot of cultural use a lot of reflection and a lot of exercise. I am not going to ask for a show of hands of those who go running through any part of the green belt at a regular time but Meka Whaitiri has mentioned that she uses it a lot. I use the botanical gardens and the Thorndon hill. It is a fantastic place to exercise and it is really not very far from here members. Let us hope that this bill encourages us all to participate and use the facility that is right on our doorsteps.It is a wonderful place—it is a wonderful place—and I will continue to use the time that I have to promote it and to exude the enthusiasm that I have for this fabulous place this fabulous town belt and this fabulous city. The framing of it does accentuate it—I mean just imagine. It is a beautiful colour when you are looking from here. How many of us have sat somewhere in this building looking out across the Thorndon hill and seen the contrasting deep green colours of the native trees and the darker colour of the pine with the beautiful blue of Wellington’s sky which only Wellington—only Wellington—can produce on one of those blue-sky days.It seems that we have had endless days like this—is it endless days—when one has been able to enjoy this town belt. I cannot count on two hands—it is more than two hands’ worth—the times that I have enjoyed the town belt this summer and this early autumn going into winter. On a winter’s day it is tough to enjoy but I will continue to use it and on the back of that final comment thank you Mr Robertson for your contribution. I commend this bill to the House.