Hughes Gareth: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHughes Gareth: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1600. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.GARETH HUGHES (Green) to the Minister for the Environment: Does he intend to amend the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 in light of the Environmental Protection Authority rejecting both the ironsands and phosphate seabed mining applications?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): I am intending to introduce an exclusive economic zone amendment bill tomorrow but the decisions on it do not relate to those two specific applications. The decisions on it were actually made in early December prior to the legal processes on either of the two applications that the member mentions being finalised.Gareth Hughes: Was he one of the Ministers whom Chatham Rock Phosphate’s Managing Director Chris Castle said he met with and who assured him that changes would be made to the Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act; if so was seabed mining discussed at that meeting?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No I do not recall meeting on that application and I would have declined to do so because the application by Chatham Rock Phosphate is still subject to appeal. A key component of the exclusive economic zone legislation is the decisions on individual consents being made at arm’s length by the Environmental Protection Authority. I would note though that when the Government passed this law—and this is the first time New Zealand has had any law for environmental protection in the exclusive economic zone—the Green Party voted against it and said that it was a charter for mining.Gareth Hughes: Did the Minister meet with Chris Castle and does the Minister agree with Mr Castle who is quoted in the Otago Daily Times saying: “Changes will be made soon. The wheels are already turning. Then it’s going to get easier.” speculating that his company may be in a position to submit another mining application to his Environmental Protection Authority?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I do not intend to comment on that application. It is still in the period subject to appeal and it is not appropriate when the decision rests independently with the Environmental Protection Authority for me to comment on anything other than the law for which I am responsible.Gareth Hughes: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I acknowledge my question had two legs. The second part of the question the Minister said he did not want to address. If that is the case I ask that the first part of the question be addressed.Mr SPEAKER: The rules are quite clear. Supplementary questions should have one question not two. The Minister chose to answer the second one and certainly addressed that. If the member wants to go back and look at Hansard he will actually see that the first question he did ask was answered in the previous question anyway.Gareth Hughes: Can the Minister guarantee that the changes made to the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act under his proposed new legislation will not make it easier for seabed miners to gain Environmental Protection Authority approval?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The member will note that in the briefing to the incoming Government from both the Environmental Protection Authority and also from the Ministry for the Environment they expressed some concerns about this new legislation. The Government is giving consideration to some amendments but this is a very balanced blue-green Government that wants New Zealand to be able to take the economic opportunities to grow jobs and incomes but to do so in an environmentally responsible way. I can assure the member that if there are amendments to the Act they will be consistent with that philosophy.