Scott Lynda: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Scott Lynda: Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:616;Page:11668] 
Dr LYNDA SCOTT (National—Kaikoura) 
: 
 The title of the bill “Resource Management (Aquaculture Moratorium Extension) Amendment Bill” actually covers the two aspects of the reason this moratorium has been extended. The whole point was that aquaculture law reform was supposed to be brought in. We had the moratorium we were told so that we could get aquaculture law reform. It was touted as making life easier. But the industry no longer supports the tortuous convoluted process proposed as the development of aquaculture management areas has become a bureaucratic nightmare. This industry has gone from 20 percent growth to zero percent growth. It is going backwards. This country will not become wealthy unless we support industries such as this. What we have now is a moratorium so that we can develop aquaculture law reform but that has not happened. 
One of the reasons it has not happened is the seabed issue. I quote Mr Hodgson when he was the Minister of Fisheries. He said the foreshore and seabed issue had delayed the development of aquaculture reform legislation which also would deal with the use of coastal space. He said he had alerted the marine farming industry earlier this year that an extension to the moratorium could be necessary given the unexpected complications of the foreshore and seabed issue. Well there did not need to be unexpected complications. They could have been sorted. The Government could have legislated put the seabed straight into Crown ownership and made the position absolutely clear to all New Zealanders. We would not need the moratorium that we have now. We would not need this bill tonight. We would not have seen the rugged individuals who forged the aquaculture industry becoming angry and frustrated. 
I sum it up by quoting Marine Farming Association member Terry Schwass who wrote recently in a farming magazine: “Well done politicians and bureaucrats! You have brought a once viable and vibrant industry to a standstill.” That is what has happened. This Government can blame nobody else but itself for this industry being brought to a standstill. I will quote another person from Marlborough the Mussel Industry Council Executive Officer Paul Lupi: “Looming law reforms the 2-year moratorium on aquaculture development trouble processing permits the rising costs in New Zealand were making it hard to do well in a softening international market.” These people have had enough. Paul Lupi is leaving. He has had enough. Terry Schwass has said: “Bye-bye I’m off to Chile.” I do not actually think he is going but a lot of people are. I hope he does not go because he is one of the founders of the industry. 
New Zealand has to realise that we have to change the focus back on to making New Zealand a wealthy and prosperous country. We heard Michael Cullen laughing before but why does he not take a call? That is what I would like to know. He should take a call and explain why this industry has gone from 20 percent growth to zero percent growth. Maybe he does not care at all about this. I tell members that the people of Marlborough care because this industry was our biggest income earner but what do we have now? We have zero growth. 
The Minister in the chair David Benson-Pope has not taken one call. He is the new Minister of Fisheries. The fisheries people would much rather see Phil Heatley because they know that at least he has been out there and knows the industry. This Minister has not taken a single solitary call on his first bill. 
Jill Pettis 
: Told him he has to sit down. 
Dr LYNDA SCOTT 
: The chief Labour whip tells me he has been told to sit down and keep quiet. Oh well that is par for the course from this Government. It is telling everyone to sit down keep quiet and do U-turns whilst trying to change the poll results. It has not made any difference whatsoever because people are fed up with the Government. They are sick of it. I say that politics may be the problem but it is also the solution. We must have a new law that gets away from the two levels of consent that we see in the legislation whereby people have to go through the Resource Management Act process then have to get a fisheries permit. We have seen how complicated those two processes are.