RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga): Tēnā koe, Mr Chair. Mānawatia a Matariki. Tēnā koutou e te Whare. I'm delighted to speak as the member in charge of this bill at its committee stage, Te Pire Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha. (Whakakanohitanga o Ngāi Tahu), the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill. This bill is a local bill. It has been brought to this House and promoted by Environment Canterbury, the regional council for the vast areas of lands from north of Kaikōura, all the way south to the Waitaki River. It is the largest geographic area of any regional council in Aotearoa and it encompasses a population second only to Auckland, a population of some 600,000 citizens.