Pham LanLAN PHAM (Green): Tēnā koe Madam Speaker. This Government's gone-by-Christmas approach is a recipe for continuing with short-term ad hoc development determined by the whims of individual property developers and companies instead of true community consensus where tangata whenua had a stronger voice in an integrated ki uta ki tai or mountains to sea planning framework—one that while imperfect actually had a chance of delivering positive outcomes for all New Zealanders.And I do want to reflect that with all the huff and puff of the debate of this repeal it can be really easy to lose sight of what everyone's really even talking about and why it all even matters. But I want to assure the Government that the repeal of this bill matters. It matters to the 3000 submitters who gave their time energy and expertise contributing to this fit for purpose environmental management system that—although it went nowhere far enough in recognition of the tino rangatiratanga of tangata whenua—was a step in the right direction. It matters to every New Zealander—tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti—who has ever turned up to their usual swimming fishing or mahinga kai spot to find themselves risking their own or their loved ones' health from simply drinking swimming or coming into contact with contaminated rivers lakes and oceans and will have to wait years longer for any improvements. It matters to ratepayers who welcomed the ability of their councils to actually claim the costs of monitoring investigation or prosecution from the person or company responsible for any non-compliance instead of this coming from ratepayer funds. It matters to those growers—and actually literally anyone who consumes food who wanted better protection of high-quality rural land and elite soils from urban sprawl; improvements to ensure our environmental laws were better monitored enforced and complied with; and a built environment that actually reduces the risks from natural hazards and climate change. It matters to the thousands of consent holders who are already going above and beyond to protect and restore the environment and meet their consent conditions when the few individuals that we see letting the majority down through serious environmental and resource consent breaches are met with pitiful and ineffective fines that were substantially increased through these Acts as critical deterrents to unacceptable environmental damage. It matters to councils—it matters because their ability to suspend or end the consent if there was ongoing or repeated failure to implement the consent conditions is now removed. It matters to all the consent applicants: iwi hapū councils courts and the public who will now need to continue to wrestle with interpreting the plethora of over 100 different Resource Management Act (RMA) plans and policy statements when the Acts would have reduced this number to 16. It matters to any and every person in Aotearoa who wants to leave a healthy thriving environment to our kids our grandkids and future generations because that is what true prosperity looks like. In fact there is so much about this bill that it is repealing that matters—that it reveals that this Government's action in repealing these acts amounts to nothing more than costly political pettiness.But the ultimate disappointment in all of this is the short-sightedness. It's the lack of understanding that the very real limits to our vulnerable environment need to be respected and it's the immeasurable value of ecological integrity and upholding Te Tiriti that this Government does not seem to understand. But I appreciate that that may all be a bit of a down buzz because 'tis the season to be jolly. So I guess from this Government to all New Zealanders it's a Merry back-to-the-RMA-death-by-a-thousand-cuts Christmas for them and our precious te taiao; environment—again leaving our kids grandkids and future generations to pick up the pieces and ultimately pay the tab. And that is something the Greens will never support. Kia ora.