Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill

on behalf of the Minister of Conservation: I move, That the Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill be now read a third time. This bill amends the Waitangi National Trust Board Act 1932, which vests the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and the wider estate in the Waitangi National Trust Board to be held in trust for the nation.

Waitangi is the place where the story of New Zealand’s nationhood began, where the representatives of two peoples gathered to debate how they could live together peacefully and equitably. It is a place of significance to all New Zealanders: Māori, Pākehā, people of all the many cultures who now make this country their home. Waitangi is a place of particular importance to the hapū and the iwi of the Bay of Islands. This is recognised in Heritage New Zealand’s recent decision to list the Waitangi Treaty Grounds as a wāhi tupuna in light of the site’s strong ancestral associations, as well as its more recent history.

This bill recognises the Waitangi National Trust Board’s longstanding role in ensuring that the Waitangi estate is maintained as a place of historic interest, recreation, and enjoyment for all New Zealanders. At the heart of this bill is a commitment by the Government to working constructively with the board to protect Waitangi for current and future generations. At the same time the bill establishes a clear separation between the board and the Crown, removing the potential of conflict between the constitutional and the trustee roles of the ex officio board members. The provisions in the bill are the result of the targeted review of the Waitangi National Trust Board Act by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The proposed changes resulting from that review and included in the bill are supported by the board. The wide support the bill has received at both the second reading and the Committee of the whole House reflects the positive and workable nature of what it is seeking to achieve. I am delighted that the bill is now approaching the end of its journey.

Over 80 years ago the Governor-General at the time, Lord Bledisloe, and Lady Bledisloe, showed enormous foresight when they acquired the Waitangi estate and gifted it to the nation. As with all New Zealand Governors-General before 1972 Lord Bledisloe was British, and he lived in New Zealand for only 5 years. Yet during his time here he showed an interest in New Zealand’s heritage that would put many native-born New Zealanders to shame. Sometimes it takes an outsider to help us see what is important to our own country. The Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill helps fulfil his vision of putting in place arrangements that allow the Government and the board to work together, each respecting the important role of the other, to ensure that the Waitangi estate is protected and cherished forever.

I have been very encouraged by the broad support that the bill has received throughout all of its phases. Thank you to all of those who have contributed to the process, including the members of the House, members of the public who have made submissions, the members of the Māori Affairs Committee, and, in particular, thank you to the Waitangi National Trust Board members for their positive engagement in the development of this bill. Thank you.

Debate interrupted.