This bill proposes amendments to the Defence Act 1990 to implement Government policy as set out in the Defence White Paper 2010.

This bill's purpose is to prevent the revocation of certain subordinate legislation that, by virtue of the Acts under which it is made, is revoked at a stated time unless earlier confirmed by Act of Parliament. The bill relates to items of subordinate legislation made or presented to the House in the year ending with the close of 30 June 2016.

This bill enables the next phase of recovery of the main affected areas (Kaikōura, Hurunui, Marlborough, and Wellington) following the earthquake sequence that started on 14 November 2016. The general purpose of the bill is to assist earthquake-affected areas and their councils and communities.

This bill seeks to modify legislative constraints in the Resource Management Act 1991, in light of the emergency situation following the Hurunui/Kaikōura earthquake of magnitude 7.8 on 14 November 2016, to ensure that efforts can be put into recovery, while providing that the underlying purposes of the Resource Management Act are met.

This bill amends the recently enacted Civil Defence Emergency Management Amendment Act 2016, bringing forward the commencement date of most provisions of the Act to allow them to be used to support recovery from the Hurunui/Kaikōura earthquake sequence, as well as providing transitional provisions and allowing owners of structures to be directed to obtain an assessment of the effect of an emergency on those structures.

This bill amends the Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 to provide a mandate for roles and responsibilities that apply for the duration of the recovery from an emergency, strengthen emergency planning, ensure a seamless transition from the response to an emergency to the initial recovery period, and create a permanent legislative authority to allow for Crown funding of response and recovery costs.

The purpose of this bill is to provide a new legal framework to support the regeneration of greater Christchurch over the next 5 years. New legislation is needed to recognise the shift in focus from recovering from the Canterbury earthquakes in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act 2011 to regeneration. This includes providing for the timely, future development of greater Christchurch and enabling an increased role for local leadership.

This bill has two closely related purposes: to confirm, or confirm and validate, subordinate legislation that will lapse at a specified time unless it is earlier confirmed, or confirmed and validated, by an Act of Parliament; and to replace with standard provisions in the Legislation Act 2012, but not alter the subordinate legislation covered by, all existing confirmation provisions.