Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (Leader of the House) on behalf of the Minister for Communications: I move That the Telecommunications (Property Access and Other Matters) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. The bill amends the Telecommunications Act 2001. The amendments in this bill ultimately will make it easier for more New Zealanders to realise the benefits of next-generation communications networks such as ultra-fast broadband. The approach taken will reduce the frustrations and time delays experienced by many New Zealanders who are seeking fibre connections. As well the companies that are installing the connections are also being alleviated of some of those frustrations. What I would say is that none of the granting of statutory rights of access to shared property for the purpose of installing ultra-fast broadband alleviates any of the need for the companies making the installation to behave in a reasonable fashion when dealing with property owners. The bill provides for regulatory requirements for ultra-fast broadband to be continued into the second phase of the programme and it makes improvements to the allocation of telecommunications development levy liability.Recently the Hon Simon Bridges announced that an additional investment will provide 85 percent of New Zealanders with access to ultra-fast broadband by the end of 2024. This bill will contribute to achieving this target which will put New Zealand among the leaders in the OECD for access to fibre.The bill creates a new consenting process that telecommunications companies must follow when installing modern telecommunications networks like ultra-fast broadband in instances where multiple parties have legal interests in shared property such as shared driveways and the common areas of multi-use complexes. These amendments are necessary to provide better outcomes for the estimated 71000 households that are currently unable to connect to fibre due to problems with obtaining consents for it to be installed. These problems can range from uncontactable neighbours to instances where consent may be withheld because of an unrelated conflict. As Mr Bridges has said before these provisions do not obfuscate the TELCOs from having to deal with property owners in a reasonable fashion but it will speed up things and allow more households to connect and the bill will also benefit homeowners in other ways. It incentivises telecommunications companies to use lower-impact methods for installation where possible resulting in less disruption to the property.The amendments also grant statutory rights of access to use existing electricity lines for deployment of fibre-optic cable in rural areas. Utilising existing infrastructure for this purpose provides an opportunity to improve the rural productivity in a low-cost effective way while also making progress towards connecting as many New Zealanders as possible to better telecommunications networks.The bill amends the requirement for the provision of financial information in the Commerce Commission's telecommunications development levy liability allocation process. The bill also extends the regulatory requirements relating to the first phase of the ultra-fast broadband programme to the extension of this programme which Mr Bridges announced at the end of January. This will ensure consistency with what Parliament has already enacted for the first phase of the programme. It means that the companies contracted to build and operate the ultra-fast broadband network in new areas will be subject to requirements of the Commerce Commission related to the cost and characterisation of their network services. What that all means is that it still pursues a fair pricing approach.On behalf of the Minister I want to thank the members of the Commerce Committee for their time and considerable effort in working through this bill. I would also on behalf of the Minister like to thank those who submitted on the bill for their useful and valued contributions.Access to faster more reliable internet is a vital part of our plan in developing a productive and competitive economy improving health and educational outcomes and creating more jobs for New Zealanders and their families. I commend this bill to the House.