New Ministerial Committee established to progress Hauraki Gulf marine plan

  • Hon Stuart Nash
  • Hon Eugenie Sage
Conservation Fisheries

A new Ministerial Advisory Committee has been appointed to help shape the Government’s response to the conservation and fisheries related proposals in the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan.

“The Hauraki Gulf/Tikapa Moana is rightly recognised as a national taonga or treasure. The Sea Change – Tai Timu Ta Pari Marine Spatial Plan, an aspirational document released in late 2016, outlined a suite of proposals aimed at restoring the health of the Hauraki Gulf,” says Conservation Minister, Eugenie Sage.

“I’d like to thank the many people who worked tirelessly from all across the community to develop these proposals for the Hauraki Gulf. Our task now is to assess these proposals and consider the actions we take to achieve the aspirations of the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Marine Spatial Plan.”

“Over the next 12 months the Ministerial Advisory Committee will provide DOC and Fisheries NZ with a vital sounding board and independent, solutions-focused expert advice as the central government response to Sea Change is developed,” says Fisheries Minister Stuart Nash.

“The Committee includes members with expertise in commercial and Māori fishing, fisheries management, environment, law and marine science. Four of its members are from mana whenua in the Hauraki Gulf region,”   he says.

The Committee has nine members and will be co-chaired under a co-governance model by Catherine Harland and Paul Majurey.

The Ministers say they look forward to working with the Committee as its important work takes shape.

“We are very committed to this. It's a big task, and we're only at the beginning stages – but the work done by all the people behind the Sea Change Plan has laid an excellent foundation.”

A list of the Ministerial Advisory Committee members is as follows:

Catherine Harland (Co-Chair)

Paul Majurey (Mana Whenua Co-Chair)

Volker Kuntzsch

Dr Jeremy Helson

Raewyn Peart

Dr John Montgomery

Tame Te Rangi

Dr Valmaine Toki

Liane Ngamane.

For more information on the Sea Change – Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan see www.seachange.org.nz