Hon Nick Smith MP National Party Conservation
Spokesman
6 December 2006
Good reserve: bad
process
National welcomes approval of the new marine
reserve on Wellington's south coast but believes the process
for creating such reserves needs urgent reviewing, says
National Party Conservation spokesman Nick Smith.
"The
process for creating marine reserves is too divisive and
slow if we are to protect more of New Zealand's marine area.
We must reform the legislation urgently.
"It is farcical
that it takes 14 years to make a decision on a marine
reserve.
"As well as wanting to improve processes under
the Resource Management Act to reduce delays, National also
wants to reduce delays in advancing new marine
reserves.
"The Government needs to stop procrastinating on
its Marine Reserves Bill - which has been marooned in select
committee for more than four years - and provide a better
system for protecting our precious marine
environment."
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