New Zealand Parliamentary Debate

Gisborne DC (Alfred Cox Park) Validation Bill [4449]

His other benefactions to the city included the purchase in 1922 of 3, 500 trees from the State Forest Service for a soldiers' memorial park on Kaiti Hill. He purchased 8 acres in Endcliffe at the top end of Kaiti Beach Road to enable the construction of a road along the top of Kaiti Hill. And, of course, he purchased the 6 acres that are now Alfred Cox Park and donated them to the city to be preserved as a park to be used by the public. He was indeed a great man, and a man who left a huge legacy in Gisborne.

I have a copy of a letter written by his granddaughter Anne Lodge to the Gisborne District Council when it was putting this bill together, explaining that the uses at the centre of this bill were uses that my grandfather would endorse, if it is necessary to establish whether or not he gave consent. Anne Lodge said that she and the family believed that it was her grandfather's desire to promote Gisborne, a place that he much loved, in any way he could. Indeed, his actions proved that he was a great benefactor to the city of Gisborne.

This bill, as we have heard, is about a park where a flea market and a visitor information centre are sited, which is not in accordance with the Reserves Act, and the activities carried out in those areas are not in accordance with the Reserves Act. So this bill seeks to make that right. The flea market is a colourful part of the Gisborne environment. One has to get up awfully early on a Saturday morning to go down and take part. The market opens just before 6 and, mostly, by half-past 8 it is all over and everyone is going home. It is used by people to sell all sorts of things. On one occasion I was next to a lady who was moving house and selling off the extraneous bits and pieces from her house. So it is truly a community centre for the Gisborne people.

The visitors centre on the site is visited by thousands of people seeking information about the city-not just visitors to the city but also locals who go there to get information and buy tickets to various events in Gisborne. It too is a great community centre.

I want to say in conclusion that the purpose of this bill is to right a legal wrong. No council in this country wants to operate illegally, and most of the citizens of any community do not want their leaders knowingly to act illegally. This bill will ease the conscience of both the city council and the community by legitimising the use of Alfred Cox Park. In passing this bill tonight, the reality is that most of the users of the park have no idea that they have been using the park for illegal purposes over the past 40 years.

DARREN HUGHES( Labour-Otaki):

I rise to speak in support of the third reading of the Gisborne District Council( Alfred Cox Park) Validation Bill. This bill is, of course, very important to the people of Gisborne and the East Coast, which I think is marked by the fact that speeches in Parliament on this bill tonight are being beamed live, across three television networks, right into the homes of the people of Gisborne. That just shows what strong support Alfred Cox Park has in the hearts of the people of Gisborne.

As Mrs Tolley has just told the House, this is a simple bill in the sense that it corrects a legal wrong. It makes sure that all the activities that have been taking place on that significant piece of land that have been technically illegal-contrary to the deed from the time when the land was gifted-will now be made valid.

Shane Jones

: One law for all!

DARREN HUGHES

: As my colleague Mr Jones says, we will have one law for all when it comes to shopping at the Gisborne flea market, and the Government greatly supports that.

The bill received only one submission when it went to the Local Government and Environment Committee. Indeed, the select committee considered the bill for 43 minutes, which one would not think was a long time if it was to be a controversial bill.