Submission Deadline for Marine Reserve Act Review

Submission Deadline for Marine Reserve Act Review Extended

The submission deadline for the review of the Marine Reserve Act has been extended until February 19 at the request of interested parties.

Conservation principal policy analyst Jim Nicolson said the period for submissions on Tapui Taimoana: Reviewing the Marine Reserves Act 1971 Discussion Document opened in mid-September and was meant to close on December 22.

“We have extended the deadline because it has turned out to be a busy period for consultations, with people telling us they are also having to put time into submissions for other reviews,” Mr Nicolson said.

“People also told us they waited to attend one of the meetings on the review to become more fully informed before talking to the groups they represented and beginning their submissions.”

About 30 meetings have been held nationwide to discuss the review and 5500 discussion documents have been distributed.

“The extension does tighten the timeframe for the Department but we will still be on track for the introduction of a bill into Parliament in the second half of 2001,” Mr Nicolson said.

The review considers the purpose of the Marine Reserves Act; processes for establishing marine reserves; how to involve tangata whenua, local communities and interest groups in managing reserves; developing practical guidelines for giving effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi; and how marine reserves could be better coordinated with other marine management approaches.

ENDS

For further information contact; (Jeff Griggs or Vince Kerr (09) 430 2470

A copy of Tapui Taimoana: Reviewing the Marine Reserves Act 1971 Discussion Document can be found on www.doc.govt.nz/whats/marine_act.htm

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