New salmon farms get the go ahead

Media Release

9 August 2013

New salmon farms get the go ahead

New Zealand King Salmon got the go ahead yesterday for four new salmon farms in the Marlborough Sounds, when two appeals to the High Court were completely dismissed.

New Zealand King Salmon CEO Grant Rosewarne says he and his team are extremely relieved. He says "I am hugely proud of my team, and their absolute commitment through what has been an exhausting process. But we're very excited and eager to get on with the business of producing the world's best salmon".

Once operational, the four new farms will create about 200 new jobs in the Top of the South, and benefits will start to flow through wages and additional work for local suppliers such as water taxis, engineering firms, transport companies and local shops.

In 2011 the company applied for a change to the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan, and for resource consents to farm salmon at nine new sites.

Prior to this, no new space had been allocated for salmon for over twenty years.

The applications were submitted to the Environmental Protection Authority and accepted by the Minister of Conservation to be of national significance. The applications were processed in accordance with the Resource Management Act, by a Board of Inquiry.

The Board of Inquiry worked through detailed and scientific evidence and hundreds of submissions. In February 2013 the Board granted permission for four of the nine new sites applied for.

Appeals against the Board's decision were lodged in the High Court by both Save Our Sounds and The Environmental Defence Society, and an appeal hearing was held in May.

Yesterday, High Court Judge, J Dobson issued his reserved judgement dismissing both appeals.

Mr Rosewarne says the new space will provide for increased production, but will also enable more effective implementation of some great environmental care practices such as bio-secure farming.
[ENDS]

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