Aquaculture advisory group named

  • Nick Smith
  • Phil Heatley
Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture

Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley and Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced the appointment of the Aquaculture Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to provide expert input to the aquaculture reform process.

Encouraging aquaculture development is an important part of the government’s economic programme.

“The government is committed to helping the aquaculture industry reach its economic potential and supports its goal of generating $1 billion in sales by 2025,” Mr Heatley said.

Dr Smith said Aquaculture reform was part of Phase II of the government’s wider Resource Management Act reform programme.

“The RMA is not working for the aquaculture industry.  The changes made by the previous government have stalled the industry and need to be revisited. Resource law in the coastal environment is complex and that is why extra export support is needed to find a durable solution,” Dr Smith said.

The Aquaculture TAG will report to ministers by the end of September 2009.  The ministers will report back to cabinet by the end of November with recommendations for improving the aquaculture regime, and a bill will be introduced to Parliament as soon as possible after that.

The advisory group will be chaired by Hon Doug Kidd, a former Minister of Fisheries.  The other members are Tasman District Council Environment and Planning Manager Dennis Bush-King, Aquaculture New Zealand Chief Executive Mike Burrell, Te Ohu Kaimoana Manager of Fisheries Policy and Development Kirsty Woods, New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Policy Manager Nici Gibbs, Northland Regional Council Chair Mark Farnsworth and Iwi Development/Resource Management Consultant Keir Volkerling.

The government is currently proceeding with the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 2) 2008 as an interim measure to improve the current legislation.  These amendments address some technical problems with the current aquaculture regime.

The Bill is currently being considered by the Primary Production Select Committee, and is expected to be passed later this year.  The terms of reference and biographies of group members are listed below.

 

Aquaculture Technical Advisory Group terms of reference

The broad functions of the TAG are to:

  • generate proposals for reform of aquaculture legislation
  • review any advice or proposals Ministers may choose to provide them
  • report directly to Ministers through written recommendations and meetings as required.

The TAG is to provide recommendations in a written report to Ministers by 30 September on proposals for aquaculture reform.

TAG members will be available until 30 October 2009 to provide oral advice to Ministers on their report.

Hon Doug Kidd (chair of group)

Doug Kidd was a Member of Parliament from 1978 until 2002.  He was appointed to cabinet in 1990 and held various portfolios, including Fisheries and Maori Affairs. He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1996 until 1999.  He has been a member of the Waitangi Tribunal since 2004.

Dennis Bush-King

Dennis Bush-King is Environment and Planning Manager at Tasman District Council.  Before this he was a Manager at the Ministry for the Environment and Project Manager of the Resource Management Law Reform that led to the Resource Management Act in 1991.  He was a member of the Resource Management Review Phase I TAG.

Mike Burrell

Mike Burrell is Chief Executive of Aquaculture New Zealand, the industry body for the aquaculture sector.  He was previously with consultants LECG Ltd, where he led the development of the aquaculture industry’s sector strategy.  He has advised industry, government, and international agencies on industry development, strategy, and public policy.

Kirsty Woods

Kirsty Woods is Manager of Fisheries Policy and Development for Te Ohu Kaimoana.  She worked on aquaculture reform from 2001 and on the Maori commercial aquaculture settlement from 2005.  Her current focus is on fisheries management.  Previously she worked for the Ministry for the Environment and the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.

Nici Gibbs

Nici Gibbs is Policy Manager of the New Zealand Seafood Industry Council Ltd.  She has over 20 years’ policy and resource management experience in central government, regional government and the private sector.  She has participated in aquaculture legislation and reforms since 1999 and has experience in both planning and environmental policy.

Mark Farnsworth

Mark Farnsworth is Chair of the Northland Regional Council and a member of the Local Government New Zealand National Council.  He has worked in both the public and private sectors and in a consulting capacity.

Keir Volkerling

Keir Volkerling is an iwi development/resource management consultant.  He has extensive experience and knowledge in iwi fisheries and aquaculture issues, a particular understanding of aquaculture as an economic development opportunity for Maori, and the role of Maori in the exercise of kaitikitanga.  He has advised government, iwi and community organisations on a range of natural resource issues.