Mangrove Management Bill open for public submissions now

Public submissions are now being called by the Select Committee for the Mangrove Management Bill which allows communities to draft their own plans for mangrove management within the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council and Hauraki District Council Mangrove Management Bill, is a local bill in the name of Coromandel MP Hon Scott Simpson, which would allow both Councils to develop community based management plans, to manage the proliferation of mangroves, within our coastal boundaries.

The bill would provide for a community-based process to allow each council to implement a plan that reduces mangrove growth to acceptable levels to improve any access, recreation, amenity, or ecosystem values.

"This is great news for community empowerment," says our Mayor Sandra Goudie. "People are getting a chance to have their say on how mangroves can be managed in our area. Our local MP Scott Simpson also lobbied for public submissions to be taken until the end of February 2018, which gives people plenty of time to talk and think about the issue," says Mayor Sandra.

Mayor Sandra said the bill is acting on behalf of both the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki communities who are disenchanted with the process when it comes to getting consent for mangrove removal, which has been costly, and time-consuming.

"In Whangamata since the early 2000s there's been massive community concern about the spread of mangroves and its impact on the Whangamata Harbour and to date that process has consumed over a decade in time and in excess of $1.5M in costs," says Mayor Sandra.

Prior to the 1960s, harbours and estuaries were clear of mangroves.

Parliament’s Governance and Administration Committee will be considering the bill.

"We encourage people with views on the draft legislation to share these with the committee," says Committee chairperson Brett Hudson. “It’s important that we hear the public’s views on this bill, especially those from people in the Thames-Coromandel area, so that the committee can make well-informed decisions about what, if any, changes that are necessary to improve the bill.”

Tell the Governance and Administration Committee what you think make a submission here

Send your submission on the bill by midnight on Friday 23 February 2018.

You can read the Bill here

More details about the Bill here

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