As Environment Canterbury themselves say, this "Bill is intended to reinstate direct Ngāi Tahu representation … Under … Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Act 2010, the Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Local Government"—and you'll forgive me for reading this directly, but it's quite complicated—"appointed commissioners who collectively had knowledge of and expertise in a number of matters, including …  tikanga Māori as it applied in the region. … The practical benefits of mana whenua representation in Canterbury were rapidly and widely recognised, and this recognition remained [for] the nine years [that] that special legislation was in place."