7 MAY

NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

1303

Bills Introduced

Government Bills

(Minister/Member in Charge Shown in Parenthesis)

22 April 1992

• Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill (No. 3) (Hon. Wyatt Creech.)
  Referred to Select Committee: Government Administration

• Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill. (Hon. D. A. M. Graham.)
  Referred to Select Committee: Commerce and Marketing

• Historic Places Bill. (Hon. Denis Marshall.)
  Referred to Select Committee: Planning and Development

28 April 1992

• Appropriation Bill (No. 5). (Hon. Ruth Richardson.)
  Not referred—money bill

• Imprest Supply Bill (No. 3). (Hon. Maurice McTigue.)
  Not referred—money bill

Summary of Bills Introduced

Government Superannuation Fund Amendment Bill (No. 3)

This bill amends the Government Superannuation Fund Act 1956 by implementing the report of the Higher Salaries Commission on superannuation provisions for existing members of Parliament.

Changes to current parliamentary superannuation provisions include the reduce rate of superannuation contribution, when a retiring member will become entitled to a retiring allowance, what the retiring allowance will be based on and the base for calculation of the retiring allowance.

Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill

This bill is designed to facilitate the provision and obtaining, by New Zealand, of international assistance in criminal matters. It gives effect to the Commonwealth Scheme Relating to Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, which was adopted at the Commonwealth Law Ministers' Meeting in Harare in 1986.

In particular, the bill provides an international dimension to the Proceeds of Crime Act 1991 in respect of the tracing, seizing, and confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime.

Forms of international co-operation in criminal matters provided for in the bill include:

(a) The identification and location of persons;

(b) The obtaining of evidence, documents, and other articles;

(c) The production of documents and other articles;

(d) The making of arrangement for persons to give evidence or assist in investigations;

(e) The service of documents; and

(f) The execution of requests for search and seizure.

Historic Places Bill

The bill amends and consolidates the Historic Places Act 1980. It deals principally with the registration system for historic places and the administration of that system. It includes new definition for "land" and "occupier". The New Zealand Historic Places Trust continues under this bill.

Part I of the bill provides for the protection of historic places through heritage orders, heritage covenants and archaeological sites.

The bill also provides for interim registration of historic places and historic areas for a period not exceeding 6 months. Interim registration protects places from intentional demolition, damage or modification. Local authorities also have to notify the Trust of any applications that would affect any registered historic place.

A Maori Heritage Council is proposed. It would consist of 6 members and its functions would include: ensuring that the Trust meets the needs of Maori; developing programmes for identifying and conserving waahi tapu areas; proposing the registration of waahi tapu areas; and advising the Trust on matters referred to it by the Trust.

The bill carries forward the offences presently set out in section 54 of the Historic Places Act 1980. The range of penalties in the bill is from $2,500 to $100,000. The bill empowers a Court to deprive an offender of rights under a resource consent or a district plan, for a period not exceeding 5 years.

Appropriation Bill (No. 5)

This bill is to issue and apply certain sums of public money for the year ending 30 June 1992, to authorise costs incurred, and to appropriate the supply granted for that year.

Imprest Supply Bill (No. 3)

This bill enables the issue and application of certain amounts of public money towards the service of the year ending with the 30th day of June 1992 and to authorise costs to be incurred towards the service of that year.

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