Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill, Riccarton Racecourse Bill

Tēnā koe, Mr Deputy Speaker. You might not be able to live in a building consent but you certainly need one to build a house with. I stand to speak on these two partner bills, the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Bill. I am really pleased to do this, because this an exciting time for the people of Christchurch. The legislation enables 40 hectares of the 122 hectares of the Riccarton Racecourse lands to be used to develop some 600 homes, of which 180 will be set aside for affordable housing. These affordable homes are going to be valued at around about $450,000—they cannot go any higher than that, because that is what affordable housing is about.

These bills are parallel bills to the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act, which was passed in the House just recently. Together with the three bills, we can start to see some amazing housing developments that are occurring within Christchurch itself. Everybody thinks that once this happens, they might lose their racecourse, but they will not. The races will still keep going on at Riccarton Racecourse, and the Sunday market will keep on going every Sunday at Riccarton. It is a very big market, so the people of Christchurch can be safe in the knowledge that their Riccarton market and their races will continue to occur at the same place they have become used to. The racecourse itself, the Riccarton Racecourse, will benefit financially, and with the funds, they will be able to use this land and invest the funds back into their racecourse.

These homes are going to be set in areas where there are already communities built up, so it is not like there is going to be brand new community shopping areas that are going to need to be built; no, these are already going to be there. If this housing project is going to be anything like the housing project out at Prestons, it is going to be absolutely amazing, with lots of greenery and perhaps even some gym gear that the Prestons people also can use in their area.

Overall, these are excellent bills. Their core purpose is to provide homes in the Christchurch area. I want to acknowledge Minister Brownlee as well for his regeneration bill and the work that he did around Christchurch earthquake recovery. I want to thank Nick Smith because he does work very hard in the housing area. A lot of people want to step forward and criticise him, but he is doing an amazing job. I want to thank the Christchurch City Council, Ngāi Tahu, and the Riccarton trust board because they have all come together. We might have had only a couple of submitters, but I can tell you now that is because everybody in Christchurch is right behind this housing project. I commend the bills to the House. Thank you.

Talofa lava. Malo faafetai, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am pleased to take a call on the Riccarton Racecourse Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill. The Green Party is supporting this legislation because it is going to provide land within the city limits for new housing and because a significant component, some 180 homes of the 600 homes that are proposed to be built on the 40 hectares of the Riccarton Racecourse, will be for affordable housing, so it is not leading to further urban sprawl. We certainly need those extra 180 affordable houses in Christchurch, although we question the definition of “affordable” in the legislation, which is a sale price of $450,000, because that is hardly affordable for a lot of people. We need that affordable housing because the city is predicted to grow by around 80,000 people before 2043 and because we have seen such massive loss of affordable housing as a result of the quakes, particularly in the east of Christchurch. We have seen a huge increase, both in house prices and in rental costs. Now the average house price is around $490,000. Certainly a lot of new building consents have been issued and some new houses have been built, but those are targeted at the higher end of the market.

That is why this Government has failed in tackling our crisis in housing, tackling homelessness—the fact that people are regularly sleeping in cars, on the streets, or in garages. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, about 30 percent of the new homes that were being built were affordable homes; now it is around 5 percent. That is why the Government needs to get active and enable Housing New Zealand to build more affordable homes. That is why the Green policy is to ensure that Housing New Zealand can keep its dividend—can keep the tax that it would pay the Government and use that to make a start on building new homes. We are supporting this legislation, but it is a very small measure to address the crisis we have in housing in New Zealand. One provision in the legislation is that if these 180 homes that are affordable are not built, then the developer, in terms of the racecourse trust and Ngāi Tahu, have to pay a penalty to the Crown of around $3 million.

But we still have some concerns about the way that the development may proceed. There were issues raised by submitters about the loss of open space and green space in this part of Christchurch. There were not many submitters, certainly, but one of them, William Morgan, noted that the other subdivision developments in the area, at Yaldhurst Village and the Kintyre Estate, along with this one at Riccarton Racecourse, would result in 1,200 new households. His concern was that there was not adequate provision of open space in those other subdivision developments, that we have seen the loss of open space at Wigram airbase, and that this area is not, as the Minister for Building and Housing claimed, not well used. It is well used for passive recreation, particularly during the week. It is used for running, for walking dogs, for walking, and for just enjoying being amongst the trees and being in that open area.

I was really troubled by the Minister’s comments in his introduction, which were seeming to suggest that if you had green space that was not being highly used, then that should automatically be available for housing development. We will get very unhealthy cities and towns if that is to be the Minister’s attitude through this proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development that we are seeing tomorrow. It fails to appreciate the importance of green open space. We have got rising obesity rates and rising issues with mental health, and there is a considerable amount of research that shows that being exposed to nature, being able to enjoy open space, improves people’s well-being and, of course, it provides a place for exercise, which both improves well-being and improves health outcomes.

We want to ensure that the subdivision that happens here is well integrated with existing public transport and that the roads are wide enough to accommodate buses, which they have not been in subdivisions like Northwood. We want to ensure that the city council really looks at these issues around integration with existing services, around making sure that it is not just pedestrian walkways that are provided through the subdivision, and that we have more than the two small reserves that are proposed. Certainly Paparua Stream is going to be enhanced, but we need to ensure that there is good open space, so that there are good amenity values—not just for the residents in this new subdivision but also for residents in neighbouring areas, because the Riccarton Racecourse land has catered to those needs for passive recreation.

This whole thrust in the Green Party’s policy for green cities and towns is that we have a subdivision that is not just urban sprawl on the outskirts, where there are very high costs for people commuting to work and to city services, but that the new development is well integrated, and that it has adequate provision for stormwater management. Again, Riccarton Racecourse, at the moment, is a soak for stormwater. That helps replenish the aquifers. If we get a lot of hard surfaces in the area, without adequate green space, that generates more stormwater, which the city council then has to deal with. Green spaces are really important in providing livable cities and towns, and the Minister needs to ensure that his National Policy Statement on Urban Development is not going to be just a fast track to converting reserves into housing areas.

There is a real risk of that if he uses the truncated process that he has made available in the Resource Management Act, where a national policy statement does not have to go out to a board of inquiry. He can appoint a single person to consider submissions, and there does not have to be a public hearing. The hearing process, as with this legislation, even though there are only a few people who made submissions, highlighted some issues for the Local Government and Environment Committee, which did lead to some changes in the legislation in terms of ensuring how the racecourse trust board can use some of the revenue that is generated, and just ensuring that the legislation was a lot clearer in terms of the way that it operated.

We support affordable housing. We do not want this to be a precedent for seeing other reserves and green space in urban areas converted to affordable housing, because those areas are quite critical to providing for good amenities and sustainable cities and towns and for ensuring that we cater for other values like public recreation and public health and well-being. Thank you.

New Zealand First welcomes these bills. I want to begin by congratulating the Riccarton Racecourse trust board and also the Christchurch City Council, both of which proposed the Riccarton Racecourse Bill. Riccarton Racecourse, as everyone in Christchurch knows, is very important reserve land for the sport of horse racing in Christchurch, and so it is very important that an adequate portion of the land be retained for that purpose. That is achieved with this bill. In fact, there are over 120 hectares of land available, and only 40 hectares of it will be required in order to meet the housing requirements in this bill. It is a good way of dealing with the surplus land that has been in Riccarton, at that racecourse, for a very long time. It will be good for Christchurch because this is prime residential land, and that is indeed very much in demand in the city of Christchurch.

I am also pleased with the provisions of the enabling bill—the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill—the key purpose of which is to increase the supply of affordable housing in Christchurch, and that is very much in line with New Zealand First policy. We want to see much more affordable housing in Christchurch, and in Auckland, and in many other parts of the country as well. Following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011, and onwards, the housing market in Christchurch has continuously faced pressure because of the loss of so many houses that were red-zoned or that, even if they were not red-zoned, had to be demolished and rebuilt or, in some cases, just demolished and not rebuilt. So the demand really is still there, and the demand currently has been increased by the sheer number of workers who are still arriving in Christchurch to support the rebuild.

This proposal involves at least 600 new homes, and 30 percent of those—a minimum of 30 percent—will be affordable homes, so that is very welcome. I think we in New Zealand First would have preferred to see that minimum at 50 percent or even higher, but we would not die in a ditch for that, and 30 percent is a very good proportion, and so we are pleased to support the bill. We are also pleased that the term “affordable house” is actually defined in the bill and is not left open to somebody’s subjective judgment.

I want to quote clause 6(1) of the enabling bill, because I think it is well said: “In this Act, affordable house means a house that has a maximum sale price at the date on which the house is sold as required by section 9(a) of—(a) the amount at which a person eligible for a HomeStart grant in Christchurch City would be able to purchase the house and receive the grant; or (b) if the HomeStart grant scheme no longer exists as at that date, the last amount that applied under paragraph (a) when the HomeStart grant ceased; or (c) $450,000 if the amount referred to in paragraph (a) or (b) (as the case may be) is less than $450,000,—”. I think that is a very good way of defining what an affordable home is, and $450,000 certainly is an affordable home these days. We are very pleased with that.

I also note that what the bill does is require a development scheme to be submitted, in accordance with specified minimum requirements, for approval by the Minister. That actually means that we will get at least 180 affordable homes—it would have been better to be 300, but at least 180 affordable homes—and they will be built as an integral part of that scheme.

This particular piece of land is particularly good for the development of residential homes in Christchurch, because it does have good public transport. No doubt that capacity will be increased as a result of that scheme as time goes on. But also, the land is very close to many other amenities—doctors, shops, schools, and so on. So it is very good land to be developed, and it is good to see this kind of land being developed within the urban limits of Christchurch City.

The enabling bill also provides for compensation to the Crown if the affordable housing is not delivered within a specified time frame. On that matter, I want to quote clause 14(1)(a) of the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill, which says: “A scheme submitted to the Minister must—(a) provide for the compensation payable by the Board to the Crown if a scheme is approved and the Board fails to meet the minimum number of affordable houses requirement referred to in section 9(a) within the 5-year time limit required by that section;” And then subclause (b) goes on to specify in some detail the amount that would be payable. We are very pleased to see that, because if it did not have teeth like that, then these requirements, this aspiration, for affordable houses probably would not be met.

I think that, overall, these two bills are well-thought-out, and, in fact, they would be a good template that others could consider for similar developments for reserve land elsewhere in New Zealand. There must be a lot of reserve land in other parts of New Zealand that could be used for these purposes. Perhaps councils and other organisations need to look around and do what is being done here. I also want to commend the Local Government and Environment Committee, which has made some worthwhile changes, especially to clause 8(a) of the Riccarton Racecourse Bill to ensure the protection of open space and amenity values of the reserve land. What we are going to get is a racecourse, some open-space land for people to enjoy, and also at least 600 new homes. It is a pretty exciting project, and I think we are all very much looking towards it.

I want to conclude by making some comments about Minister Smith’s speech, which I thought was, in part, pretty silly, actually. He said that Auckland could learn from Christchurch’s housing recovery, and that would include this project. But, of course, there are so many differences between what happened in Christchurch and what happened in Auckland that there is actually no comparison. So if the Minister thinks that in any way at all he could use this example as a means of solving Auckland’s problems, then he really does need a reality check.

The fact is that 16,600 people left Christchurch following the quakes, and the population went down. That is now reversed, but it is still only 5,000 in each of the last 2 years. At the same time, there were 45,000 net immigrants into New Zealand in the last year alone, of whom 30,000 went to Auckland. That resulted from the Government’s open-door, excessive immigration policy, which is one of the major causes of the situation within the Auckland housing market. So we have a Minister who is really, really clutching at straws with this. His comments were inappropriate and rather silly. But as far as this bill goes, New Zealand First is happy to support it.

It is an honour and a pleasure to rise in full support of the second reading of the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Bill. I must say, as a proud born-and-bred Cantabrian, I do enjoy getting up and being able to speak very passionately about a fantastic region and a fantastic city. I must say that for most people who grew up in Christchurch or in Canterbury, the Riccarton Racecourse is dear to our hearts. We all spent many a good time at the racecourse, and I must say, if that racecourse could talk, the things it could say. It was great to grow up in an era—I am sure Mr O’Rourke would agree with me—without digital cameras and Facebook to record that sort of evidence. There was a great time had by all at Riccarton Racecourse, and it is fantastic to be able to speak on another piece of legislation that will move this region forward in its recovery. We are building and rebuilding the best new small city in the world.

When I reflect on Riccarton Racecourse, I mean, the first thing that comes to my mind that is synonymous with racing is the classic call of Reon Murtha, when the horses bolted from the gate: “Racing this time”. It is fantastic—oh, I could reflect for hours.

But the point I want to touch on is why I think this area is critical to the development of Christchurch. Location-wise, as has been canvassed by other speakers in this House, it is well positioned for development, 12 kilometres from the central business district. Also, there has been large growth and change in how we view Greater Christchurch. Once upon a time, Riccarton Racecourse would have been seen as out of the way. Places like Belfast in my electorate—you would have packed your lunch; it was a day trip. Now these areas are all being seen as pretty much central city. So that is why it is great for this development. People will be able to access the airport and growth areas like Hornby for jobs, shoot down for a bit of shopping in Riccarton Mall, and, of course, the university. It will be a great place for university students to rent or own, to access the facilities of such a fantastic university.

In this development, we know there are going to be 600 properties. About 30 percent, or 180 of them, are going to be affordable, and they are going to be under that $45,000 cap for the KiwiSaver HomeStart loan. I must say, I was reading about this the other day; it is going great guns in Canterbury—533 families have been supported into their first house because of this initiative. I know that in my electorate of Waimakariri, we are up to about 234 families being assisted into their first home because of this scheme.

I think that when you look at that supply-side angle, there is real learning for the rest of New Zealand about what has happened in Canterbury, and I think this residential development is a good example. Before the earthquakes, before we lost 13,000 houses, if we said we were going to free up a reserve—you know, Cantabrians are not very good at using parks; we like looking at them, but to actually do something in them, we are a bit averse. But now we have this need around freeing-up land and building more houses. We increase supply and it equals demand. I think that when you look at the annual house price inflation, it is very minimal now in Canterbury compared with the rest of New Zealand. There is a real lesson in that.

Just to finish, what was really the strongest point of the select committee process was taking a cross-party membership of the select committee down to Canterbury to show our continued support, as people in Parliament, of the rebuild of the best new small city in the world. I commend these bills to the House.

Talofa malo le soifua, fa‘afetai tele lava. Let us not forget why the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Bill have come to the House, and the genesis of the local bill, which became a Government bill. That was actually at the request of Riccarton Racecourse, because it was looking for an opportunity to stay viable and for the city to be able to continue to have that fantastic facility of the racecourse and continue to be able to provide the race meetings. It saw that this was a way to be able to do that by allowing for part of the land that is the reserve of the Riccarton Racecourse to be used for housing. So, firstly, I must acknowledge the fact that the trust board and the trustees of Riccarton Racecourse are really mindful of the significance and the history of that particular course and are wanting to ensure that we could retain that facility within Christchurch City. It has got a long history—138 years, as my colleague the Hon Ruth Dyson says. It has history, it has presence, and when you are there, you can see that it is a much-loved facility that we would dearly hate to lose.

So let us start from that place, about why this legislation actually came to the House originally. In order for the racecourse trust board to be able to do what it is doing, of course we need enabling legislation on the Christchurch Racecourse Reserve Act, because it is a reserve. We need to pass this legislation in order that we can take those 40 hectares and use them for the purposes of housing. I want to commend the Local Government and Environment Committee for holding the committee meeting in Christchurch. But, as I recall, at the time, it was under some pressure from the Labour MPs that that occur—that we were sure that other people who would not ordinarily submit to the select committee would actually find it an opportunity to do so.

💬 Scott Simpson: We went for a field trip.

Indeed you did. It was actually really important that the select committee went to Christchurch to see the racecourse and also to hear the submitters. But, as I recall, over that period of time—it was a truncated period for gaining submissions, because it was the summertime. As I recall, there was only a few weeks of submission time over Christmas—chairman of the select committee over there, as you recall—but people go on holiday. I know that as a member from the Christchurch Labour team, we were very clear that we wanted to ensure that people had as much opportunity to submit as possible. So being there with the select committee to hear the submissions was a very important part of that.

I want to commend the work of Dr Megan Woods in her local community, because when the idea of taking some of the land at the racecourse and using it for housing first came up, of course the local people were very concerned that they would lose access to very valuable recreation space where lots of people would walk their dogs—would meet and walk together. It is a beautiful space. And they were right to be concerned. I know that Dr Megan Woods hosted public meetings where local people could talk about their concerns. They feared the loss of their facilities. They were also concerned about the increased number of houses and what that would do to the infrastructure, particularly in terms of roading and traffic and public transport. It is quite a busy part of Christchurch, and there were concerns that it would become very difficult, particularly at peak times, to get in and out of properties and around the streets. So they had some very, very real concerns. I know that Dr Woods also ensured that the concerns of the community actually reached the ears of the board at Riccarton Racecourse, and they were able to use that information to address those concerns.

There is a very strong partnership with Ngāi Tahu all through this work. Ngāi Tahu, as I understand it, will have a significant role in managing the project in developing the homes going forward. I recall, at a meeting, asking why the exemplar status was not continuing. An exemplar project around housing has to have a certain percentage of affordable homes, it has to address the key issues of amenities and urban design, and it has to look at infrastructure and transport planning. The reason this project, which started out as an exemplar project, actually did not continue to be an exemplar project was that other than the percentage of affordable homes, those other key issues around infrastructure and transport planning were not, I do not think, addressed sufficiently for it to retain that status.

I recall there were some Christchurch city councillors who had some concerns, around April to May 2015, when the announcements were first made, and some of them were concerned about the rationale for rezoning. Over the course of a year or so, those concerns have been addressed, and in 2016 the council became the formal promoter of the legislation.

We are looking forward to the 600 homes that are going to be built—about a third of those are going to be under $450,000. Although in Auckland terms that seems very cheap, we still have some issues about concerns we have that our house prices have gone up significantly in Christchurch but that our incomes have not gone up at the same rate to match the pace of house price inflation. So although the Minister for Building and Housing, in reference to his speech earlier on, is crowing about the number of houses that are being built in Christchurch, that very significant factor—that incomes in Christchurch have not increased at the same rates—has not been addressed, as far as I am concerned.

One of my colleagues was just asking what is going to happen to the Riccarton Market. It is a great market on a Sunday; in fact, it is a place where you can get just about anything. For those of us who live in New Brighton who thought “Hey, here’s an opportunity for the Riccarton Market to actually move to New Brighton to become part of the Seaside Market.”, well, we were clean out of luck because in this legislation, the land that is going to be used for housing actually means that the market can stay in situ, on site, and continue to be a favourite place for my colleague Rino Tirikatene and I to go on a Sunday morning. So I am sorry, New Brighton Seaside Market, we have missed out on that one.

It is going to be a fantastic place to live. While the select committee was there, we had the opportunity to view the land that is going to be where the houses are built, and for some lucky people, they are going to be able to watch the horses go down the home straight. It will be a great place to live. I commend the work of the select committee, and I am looking forward to being there when the houses are built. Thank you.

Talofa, e Te Mana Whakawā. Huri noa i Te Whare nei e mihi atu ana ki a koutou katoa. It is indeed my pleasure to take a call on the second reading of the Riccarton Racecourse Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill. In looking at this legislation, it also is a completion of the trifecta. What I mean by that, seeing as this is related to horse racing, is the trifecta that has been won by Cantabrians and the people of Christchurch. What I am talking about is three legislative bills—or, actually, three plus one. This is the great legislation that is coming out of the Local Government and Environment Committee, well chaired by Mr Scott Simpson.

The great thing is that we have just put through two wins—the first one was the Environment Canterbury (Transitional Governance Arrangements) Bill; the second one was the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Bill—and the trifecta, now, is this legislation. Once it gets through its final reading, it will be a trifecta win for Christchurch and also for Cantabrians.

It is always a pleasure to talk about any legislation that is for the betterment of this great city of Christchurch, and Canterbury. In talking about this legislation, it has all the hallmarks of a very, very successful development.

💬 Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Right, let us talk about it, then.

I had to just set the scene. This legislation is actually about the fact that the development is a partnership: the working together of, first, Ngāi Tahu—the iwi; the second one is the Riccarton Racecourse; the third one is the Government; and the fourth one of course is the Christchurch City Council. All of them, working together, have come up with this excellent development that is going to take place. The interesting thing is that when you talk about Ngāi Tahu, the iwi, it actually reflects on a lot of goodwill that is being shown here.

Originally, the land was under the control of the iwi, then it was taken, and then it was returned again, and what we got was a right of first refusal (RFR) if the use was ever changed. This is the case with this bill. The use of the land was changed, and so the RFR was triggered, but the iwi showed very, very goodwill because it, basically, waived the RFR. This is how we have that real important part of the iwi input, through a Treaty settlement, in this particular legislation.

It is great that the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations is sitting here, because Māori right across New Zealand show goodwill—they really do—and this is a good reflection of that. Last week, the Wanganui iwi also did, around the river, so that is a really great reflection of what has happened here.

The real essence of this legislation is the fact that you have got 40 hectares of land that is currently vested in the Riccarton Racecourse, and this will be used for that development. What we are going to get out of that is another really important development of housing in Christchurch. We have the land, and what we are doing here is we are going to utilise it now, for the benefit of Christchurch people. The other good part of this is that even though there are 600 houses, a really good portion of that—180 houses, around that—is going to be affordable housing. That is another really important part of this legislation.

In saying all of that, this is very pragmatic, excellent legislation; it is very nimble. The other part of it is that it is a piece of legislation that really does carry the hallmarks of partnership right across the board. This legislation, to me, should be progressed by this House without delay, and I commend it to the House. Kia ora.

Like other members on both sides, I rise to support this legislation. I say to the member Nuk Korako, who just made an eloquent speech, that it is right and proper that we celebrate this development and that we celebrate the initiative and goodwill of Ngāi Tahu and other community actors and stakeholders within Christchurch. But I have got to say to the member who has just resumed his seat that, in all the self-glorification that the Government shines on this tonight, it is noteworthy to point out that it was not the Government that initiated this process. It was not the Parliament that initiated this process. It was, of course, the Riccarton Racing Board, which approached the Government with an initiative to do it.

💬 Nuk Korako: Couldn’t do it without us, though.

Well, that is true. The member said they could not do it without Parliament, without the Government. That is true, that if you want to progress legislation this is the only game in town. But it was not an initiative of the Government to fly down from Wellington and say: “Hey, here is a brilliant idea. Let’s put this in place.” No, it was the local people, the local stakeholders, and the racing club itself that came up with the idea. It was slightly controversial at the time, to be fair, because this is an iconic place within Christchurch. I know it well. I grew up, effectively, across the road, on the north side of Yaldhurst Road in my early years. My old man actually taught me how to drive, in a Morris Minor, in the carpark of Riccarton Racecourse—probably because he was too scared to put me on the road at that time, at 15.

💬 Hon Phil Goff: Wise man.

Indeed. Wise man, says Mr Goff. We will not talk about his motorbike antics, because he is running for mayor. I have had the occasional flutter and was Acting Minister of Racing for about 8 hours at a New Zealand Cup at one point—I did not pick the winner—a great moment in history. But I just say to the member who has just spoken, that credit should go where credit is due, and credit for this initiative is due to the Riccarton racing folk. It was not without controversy, and it is an iconic part of the Canterbury and Christchurch landscape.

In fact, I can regale the House—I am in danger of becoming John Carter in my latter years—with a story of my grandmother and grandfather, who harked from Invercargill. My grandfather ran a dubious book, I think, at a business many years ago, so if I owe the member for Invercargill’s parents any money, I am sorry, but the debt died with my grandfather. But he was a great punter, and on his wedding honeymoon, he brought my grandmother up at Cup week and housed her in the Riccarton Racecourse pub across the road for the duration of Cup week. He went from the gallops to the trots, gallops to the trots, and then, after a pretty arduous week, he advised his new wife that he had won enough money to pay for the honeymoon. Suffice to say that my grandmother, who died at 96, hated the races for the rest of her life because of that short and interesting experience.

Look, we support the legislation. It will provide a substantial number of houses in an area, but, again, I would just point out that although it will add to the housing stock, you have to acknowledge in Christchurch that it is late—

💬 Hon Ruth Dyson: We’re short of a few.

We are short of a few, but the housing market is over the hump. On that side of Christchurch, it will provide a gap—Rolleston is not that far down the road—but, as Dr Megan Woods and Ruth Dyson and others have said, there are other issues around that side of Christchurch in respect of infrastructure. You cannot just plonk 600 houses of—what—3½ people on average per house in that particular area and not deal with infrastructure around Yaldhurst Road, and Racecourse Road leading into Johns Road and the Hornby area. That is a challenge, I think, not only for the Christchurch City Council but also for the Government—to provide infrastructure resource around that. That was, in my early years, a pretty sleepy part of Christchurch. It was very rare you would get a traffic jam, as I grew up, around that part. That will change overnight with this particular development, and resource and infrastructure must follow.

So, in the briefest possible way and having regaled the House with a wonderful couple of personal histrionics, I think this is a very good piece of legislation. It is a chance for local stakeholders, again, I think, to take charge of their own destiny. It will preserve the iconic—as a colleague said—Riccarton Market, which is very, very well established and very well loved right across Christchurch. It will—

💬 Hon Ruth Dyson: Not as good as Lyttelton market.

Not as good as Lyttelton market? Well, you know, we do not often disagree in the Labour Party but, you know, once or twice, occasionally, we do. It will preserve the iconic nature—that is, the Riccarton racing club—and assist with its financial and fiscal future. So I think we should expedite this. I do not think there is a lot of drama around it now, but as I conclude my speech, I just make the point again that credit should go where credit is due, and credit is due to local stakeholders and the Riccarton racing club rather than any sort of reflected glory that members of the Government would reflect upon themselves during this debate.

I rise to take a very short call in support of the Riccarton Racecourse Development Enabling Bill and the Riccarton Racecourse Bill. I will not prolong this much longer for you, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I will simply say—and in response to the member opposite—that these are a couple of bills and a process that signify a symbiotic relationship, which is a good one, where the Riccarton Racecourse has looked to grasp a financial benefit for some underutilised land.

On the other side, this frees up space to build more houses for families who were adversely affected by the Christchurch earthquakes. It allows them to get into their own homes and re-establish themselves. We have already heard from members on both sides of the House that this will free up space for 600 homes, and approximately 180 of those will be affordable housing subject to the Government’s wonderful HomeStart grant programme. So that is a good thing for the people of Christchurch. It is wonderful to see some progress made in Canterbury following the earthquakes, and, quite simply, I commend these bills to the House.

Bills read a second time.