Sandra Goudie National Party Coromandel MP

01 March 2006

Chris Carter can't ignore process

National Party Coromandel MP Sandra Goudie believes Chris Carter has been "hoodwinked" by a vocal minority and is now poised to ignore a ruling reached after a decade's worth of legal wrangling.

"The Whangamata marina proposal has been through the wringer. It has come out the other end and was approved by the Environment Court. The Conservation Minister is now poised to over-rule that decision after being hoodwinked by a vocal minority during a half-day meeting."

Ms Goudie says the proposal was given the regulatory green light in October 2005 after millions has been spent on years of process and after nearly a month of hearings in the Environment Court.

"Yet this Minister may pull the rug out from under people who have invested considerable resources in a proposal which he could veto on the basis of a half-day discussion.

"There would be outrage if consent applicants went direct to the Minister and got sign-off without going through the process, yet Mr Carter may now set this new low in standards.

"The marina project has considerable support in the Coromandel area. Locals will enjoy it and welcome the new investment, jobs and tourism that it will create.

"The issue has been thoroughly traversed through the Environment Court and I'd urge Mr Carter to butt out," says Ms Goudie.

ENDS

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