- Hon Shane Jones
Another piece of red tape potentially curtailing the growth of the aquaculture industry has been cut with the passing of a bill that protects marine farmers from costly consent reviews, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.
"We've set the ambitious goal for the aquaculture industry to generate $3 billion in annual revenue by 2035. The Coalition Government is doing its part by providing a regulatory environment where this kind of growth is possible," Mr Jones says.
The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill, passed last month, restricts the ability of councils to use section 128 of the Resource Management Act to review conditions of coastal permits until September 2030.
"This removes a bureaucratic barrier that potentially undermined efforts to grow aquaculture. Our marine farmers should be using their time, energy and funds to innovate and grow rather than engaging in tick-box exercises with overzealous regulators," Mr Jones says.
The change follows the Resource Management (Extended Duration of Coastal Permits for Marine Farms) Amendment Bill last year which extended coastal permits for marine farms by 20 years.
Last year's amendment also introduced a new process for councils to review marine farm consent conditions with some restrictions, such as councils covering the costs of the review, and only allowing one review per consent. This process, available until September 2030, means that a review of conditions can occur when absolutely necessary, while reducing the impact of reviews on marine farmers.
"These changes are allowing marine farmers to focus on growing their operations, hiring more Kiwis and bringing in more export dollars, rather than dealing with endless red tape and costs stemming from an inefficient permitting process," Mr Jones says
