NZ King Salmon proposal referred to Board of Inquiry
Hon Kate Wilkinson
Minister of
Conservation
Hon Nick
Smith
Minister for the
Environment
8 November 2011
Media Statement
NZ King Salmon proposal referred to Board of Inquiry
The New Zealand King Salmon Company Limited’s (NZKS) proposal to establish eight new salmon farming sites in the Marlborough Sounds has been sent directly to an independent Board of Inquiry under the Government’s nationally significant proposal process with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),
Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Environment Minister Nick Smith announced today.
“NZKS’s proposal involves two plan change requests and nine resource consent applications for eight new salmon farming sites in Pelorus Sound, Port Gore, Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound,” Ms Wilkinson says.
“This is a large expansion and meets the national significance criteria as it would involve considerable use of natural resources and impact an area of national significance and its environment.
“These effects need to be weighed up alongside the economic benefits and therefore I am directing this proposal to an independent Board of Inquiry for consideration.
“A Board of Inquiry, chaired by an Environment Court Judge and comprising members with local knowledge and relevant technical expertise and experience, is the most appropriate way to assess the merits of the proposal and decide its future.”
Environment Court Judge Gordon Whiting will
chair the Board of Inquiry. The Board members are Edward
Ellison, Helen Beaumont, Mark Farnsworth and Michael
Briggs.
The proposal will be considered under recent
aquaculture legislative amendments that allow for plan
change requests and resource consent applications in
relation to aquaculture to be made concurrently, where
aquaculture is currently a prohibited
activity.
Environment Minister Nick Smith says that the new nationally significant proposal process with the EPA was delivering real benefits for the community.
“The Board of Inquiry process for considering this proposal will provide an opportunity for all interested parties to have their views considered, while ensuring a robust and timely decision is made,” Dr Smith says.
“The Board of
Inquiry will now determine whether to accept or reject the
plan change request. Should the board accept the request it
will be prepared by Marlborough District Council. The
complete proposal (plan change requests and resource consent
applications) will be publicly notified by the EPA in
2012.”
Board of Inquiry biographies
Judge Gordon Whiting
(Chairperson)
Judge Gordon
Whiting was appointed to the Environment Court in 1997. As a
District Court and Environment Court Judge, he brings
extensive judicial expertise and a wide range of experience
in resource management law.
Judge Whiting has presided
over a number of significant and varied resource management
cases, including those related to coastal issues and
sensitive landscapes. Many of the cases have not only had
economic impacts, but have also involved cases with
conflicting public and private interests. He chaired the Te
Mihi Geothermal Power Station Board of Inquiry and the
Tauhara II Geothermal Power Station Board of Inquiry (the
first direct application to the EPA to be heard by a Board
of Inquiry).
Helen
Beaumont
Helen Beaumont was appointed as a
Environment Commissioner in August 2007. She is familiar
with environmental legislation, including plan changes, and
relevant case law. Helen is also familiar with hearings
processes, including evidence, and is experienced in writing
decisions. She has mediation qualifications and experience
and is an effective communicator. Helen’s qualifications
are in the field of chemistry, with research interests
focusing on environmental health and the connections between
the quality of the environment and human well-being.
From 2000 to 2007 Helen was the Assistant Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Mark
Farnsworth
Mark Farnsworth is an experienced
Resource Management Act practitioner and has extensive
experience in the Local Government sector. He recently
completed a nine year term as Chairman of the Northland
Regional Council and also chaired the Hearing Committee for
six years during his term.
Mark has had involvement in a variety of consent applications including marinas, aquaculture applications, water abstraction and jetty/coastal boardwalk. He was on the Ministry for the Environment’s Advisory Board regarding the implementation of the Making Good Decisions Programme and is an accredited Resource Management Act hearings commissioner.
Mark has also had roles on the Aquaculture Technical Advisory Group and a Ministerial Advisory Panel on Aquaculture
Edward Ellison
Edward Ellison is an
accredited Resource Management Act hearings Commissioner and
has acted in this capacity for several South Island local
authorities, including Marlborough District Council and
Environment Canterbury. He has also been on a number of
central government advisory groups and boards in relation to
biosecurity, the Emissions Trading Scheme, cultural matters
and water management.
He is currently Chair of Te
Runanga o Otakou (Otago Peninsula), Kai Tahu ki Otago Ltd
(papatipu runanga owned environmental consultancy) and Te
Runanga o Ngai Tahu `Hazardous Substances and New Organisms
Committee’. Marlborough District Council recommended him
as a board member for this proposal.
Michael Briggs
Michael
Briggs is an experienced Resource Management Act
practitioner and was an elected member of the Marlborough
County and District Councils between 1980 and 2001. From
1992 to 2001 he was Chairman and Deputy Chairman of a number
of Council Committees, including the Environment and
Resource Hearings Committees.
He currently serves as an Independent Resource Consent Hearings Commissioner for the Marlborough District Council including having responsibility for signing off on non-notified resource consent decisions. Michael is an accredited Resource Management Act hearings commissioner. Marlborough District Council recommended him as a board member for this proposal.
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