Katene Rahui: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Katene Rahui: Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:672;Page:18665] 
RAHUI KATENE (Maori Party—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 I am very pleased to stand on behalf of the Maori Party to speak to the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services (Financial Assistance Package) Amendment Bill. There is little we could object to in this bill. The basic approach in establishing financial assistance measures for eligible owners of leaky buildings is one we endorse. It is about the basic right to adequate housing—not simply about a roof over one’s head but also about the right to live somewhere in security in peace and in dignity. The proposed assistance measures are the result of negotiations between the Government territorial authorities and banks. Under the terms of the bill the Government and local authorities would each contribute 25 percent of agreed repair costs with building owners paying the rest. Another approach within the bill is the push to improve owners’ access to finance to repair their buildings and divert litigation costs towards repair costs. Many of the members on the Local Government and Environment Committee were concerned that affected owners may not have the financial resources to opt into the scheme. The committee was told for instance that in the Greater Auckland area the Auckland Council estimates there are 3301 properties with active claims. The council stated that it expects that a maximum of 12000 new claims could be lodged. 
The issue of costs is fundamental to effective implementation. Submitters told the committee that the leaky home scheme is too costly for many victims and that owners are unable to raise the money to properly repair their homes. They were also concerned that rates may be bumped up to help fund the leaky homes bill. These are really deep-seated fears that must guide all parties in looking at the effectiveness of this bill. But it is good to see that the Government appears to be up to the challenge and when we think about it the challenge of a formidable budget blowout if the Government does not intervene is probably as good a reason as any to support this bill as a viable alternative. The scale of the problem is of course the biggest issue. More than 80000 people are living in leaky homes which were mostly built between 1992 and 2005 under relaxed building codes. The cost is approximately $11 billion to $50 billion. The Government’s 25 percent contribution towards agreed repair costs is expected to cost about $1 billion over 5 years. So for us the most important thing is being able to alleviate both the financial and health implications caused by leaky homes. 
The Maori Party supports a commitment to manaaki and awhi people affected by leaky homes as it supported the Weathertight Homes Resolution Services Bill passed into law in 2006 and related legislation since. By implication we also support the Government’s proposal to act as a guarantor to financial institutions so that the pressure of lending for the purposes of repairing leaky homes by these institutions can be eased and therefore money to fix leaky homes is more readily accessible. I want to also place on record our support for initiatives such as innovation in housing for Maori including the Housing Innovation Fund and social and affordable housing and the Heat Smart home insulation programme to warm up Aotearoa. In many ways this leaky homes initiative is merely another platform within this wider context of Whanau Ora. The Maori Party is also clear about our support for a form of a credit support facility. Under this bill the Crown will act as a guarantor to financial institutions such as banks so that the pressure of lending for the purposes of repairing leaky homes by those institutions can be eased and money to fix homes is more readily accessible as I said earlier. At its simplest form therefore the bill aims to provide owners of leaky homes access to cost-effective procedures for the assessment and resolution of claims. 
Finally the Maori Party supports a revised building code for builders and local councils. We do all this in pursuit of two very worthy goals articulated in the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 21 specifies that “Indigenous peoples have the right without discrimination to the improvement of their economic and social conditions including … in the areas of … housing”. Article 23 notes that “Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for exercising their right to development. In particular indigenous peoples have the right to be actively involved in developing and determining health housing and other economic and social programmes affecting them and … to administer such programmes through their own institutions.” We wonder whether this bill will enhance and expand upon those commitments and we hope the Minister might be able to give us some certainty in this context. But we are prepared to support the bill at this critical time.