Aquaculture Reform Proposals On A Fast Track
August 5th, 2009
An aquaculture Technical Advisory Group led by former Speaker and Fisheries Minister Doug Kidd has until the end of next month to produce a report recommending legislative reforms to assist the development of the aquaculture industry. Environment Minister Nick Smith and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley have appointed the seven-member group with a view to making Cabinet decisions on aquaculture reform by the end of November, with legislation introduced as soon as possible after that.
The reforms are a plank in the Govt’s Resource Management Act Phase 2 reforms, which will reach widely into resource management principles following passage of the bill currently before Parliament to streamline RMA processes. The Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No2), introduced by the last Govt, is before a Select Committee and will still be enacted as an interim measure, but Smith and Heatley say “the RMA is not working for the aquaculture industry. The changes made by the previous Govt have stalled the industry and need to be revisited.”
Members of the TAG are Kidd (chair); Tasman District Council environment and planning manager Dennis Bush-King; Aquaculture NZ CEO Mike Burrell; fisheries policy and development manager for Te Ohu Kaimoana, Kirsty Woods; the NZ Seafood Industry Council’s policy manager, Nici Gibbs; Mark Farnsworth, chair of the Northland Regional Council; and Keir Volkerling, an iwi development and resource management consultant.
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