Shirley Ken: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Shirley Ken: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:614;Page:10368] 
10.  
Hon KEN SHIRLEY (Deputy Leader—ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Fisheries 
: Why has he not delivered the promised legislative framework for aquaculture and why is it necessary to extend the moratorium for 9 months from March 2004? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Fisheries) 
: 
 It is important to ensure that the proposed aquaculture law reforms are consistent with the proposed resolution of the foreshore and seabed issue and extending the moratorium will enable us to achieve that. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: Can the Minister recall promising in November 2001 that the new aquaculture legislation framework would be passed within 12 months way before the foreshore issue even broke? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I certainly intended that the legislation would be passed before 24 March 2004 which is why I set the moratorium date as it was. The reason it has been delayed is the Court of Appeal announcement of course. 
David Benson-Pope 
: What benefits can the marine farming industry expect from the Government’s aquaculture reforms? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Bad law has hampered marine farming for many years and this Government is fixing it. The reforms will enable clearly identified aquaculture management areas to be established and will introduce a streamlined one-permit consent system for marine farmers. 
Phil Heatley 
: Can the Minister assure the House that the Ministry of Fisheries has been helpful to regional councils in planning the future of marine farming and that the moratorium was not extended simply because councils have no faith in the Ministry of Fisheries or in his proposed legislation and have put all of their planning on the backburner? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I can offer that assurance and I can distinguish this moratorium from one that was imposed by the National Government in 1996 which was raised 3 years later in 1999 having achieved precisely nothing. 
Jim Peters 
: Why has the Government encouraged regional councils to plan for potential aquaculture management areas involving rounds of public consultations at this very moment in Kaeo and Russell and if it had a plan in mind can the Minister now say confidently and absolutely that regional councils and industry can place applications to be heard after 1 January 2005? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Northland Regional Council to which the member refers has certainly been on the front foot on this issue and has been well supported not so much by just the Ministry of Fisheries staff but also by the Ministry for the Environment. They have made some progress in identifying prospective aquaculture management areas. Provision exists in legislation that I have yet to introduce for an uplift—in fact provision exists now I understand for them to apply to the Minister of Conservation for an uplift of the moratorium over a small area should they choose to do so. 
Phil Heatley 
: Can the Minister confirm that the moratorium was extended not because of the seabed and foreshore fiasco but because regional councils throughout New Zealand have consistently told him that they have no faith in the draft aquaculture reform legislation that the Ministry of Fisheries has been unhelpful and that consequently they have had to put all of their aquaculture planning on hold—can he confirm that the complication is not with the seabed foreshore and Maori but with regional councils? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: No I certainly cannot confirm that. The member has got the wrong end of the stick. That said the fact that there is an additional 9 months will I am sure mean that further resolution of outstanding issues can be progressed. 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: In view of the fact that the Minister has just confirmed that his failure to deliver on his promise is because of the foreshore and seabed issue could he tell us what progress is being made with the oceans policy that was heralded by this Labour Government but which is something it has been very quiet on lately? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is a little wider but I will allow the Minister to comment. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member may not have noticed that the Government has decided to progress the issue of foreshore and seabed before progressing aquaculture before further progressing the oceans policy and before progressing for example marine reserves legislation. Is it going to last for 10 years? No. The Government intends to make its position on the foreshore and seabed available well before then.