10 April 2008 Media Statement

Aquaculture development supported by funding

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard today announced nearly $100,000 of funding for Environment Canterbury and $24,000 for Environment Waikato to develop procedures for dealing with applications for new aquaculture space and for research on environmental effects, respectively.

This funding is from a $2 million contestable fund announced last year and aimed at helping councils realise the economic and other benefits that sustainable aquaculture can bring to their regions. It can be used to assist their aquaculture planning through work such as initial information gathering, consultation with interested parties, and planning work projects and other groundwork.

"This funding is part of the government’s response to the New Zealand Aquaculture Sector Strategy that was released last June. A key issue in that strategy was the need to build the confidence to invest in aquaculture," Trevor Mallard says.

The government has already allocated $399,000 of this funding to Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

"We are working in partnership with the industry to assist continued growth and development so it can reach its $1 billion target by 2025. The sector has much to contribute to New Zealand’s economic transformation nationally and regionally," Trevor Mallard said.

"We are seeing progress as new space comes through due to processing of applications made prior to the aquaculture reforms of 2004. Northland’s Plan change to provide for aquaculture planning is well underway and research on environmental effects is happening in a number of regions.

"Today's announcement means we are helping to fund Environment Canterbury’s work to determine detail on how applications for new aquaculture space will be managed, and co-funding Environment Waikato's plans to improve their scientific monitoring of the environmental impacts of aquaculture.

"The key to maintaining our high standing across the world in this competitive market is to take advantage of New Zealand’s clean waters and build up this industry in an environmentally sustainable way," Trevor Mallard said.

The third funding round opened on 31 March. See
http://www.mfe.govt.nz/withyou/funding/aquaculture-planning-fund.html
and also www.aquaculture.govt.nz for more information.

ENDS

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