NZ’s new aquaculture regulations on track

More than 60 applications covering 8,000 hectares are waiting for decisions, Heatley said.

"We want these applications to progress. This reform will effectively free up the bottleneck that has kept industry growth in limbo for many years," he said.

The government's aim is to help the industry reach its goal of $1 billion annual sales by 2025 - a threefold increase on current sales.

Heatley said that in the past the industry had been stifled by inflexible rules that discouraged investment.

The government has also proposed changing two regional coastal plans it considers are significant barriers to aquaculture growth - Tasman and Waikato - through an Aquaculture Reform Bill.

Proposed changes would allow finfish farming applications to be made as long as environmental standards were met, Heatley said.

"The government recognises that while legislative change will provide the framework within which aquaculture can grow, it will primarily be decisions made at a regional level that determine the nature and pace of growth," he said.

"Hence, funding for the first five years of the new regime will be set aside to support regional councils with the implementation of these reforms."

Heatley expects the Aquaculture Reform Bill to be introduced later this year and enacted early next year.

In the next month or two, the government will look at how the aquaculture reforms fitted into the foreshore and seabed legislation that is being prepared.

"The Maori aquaculture settlement was 20% of marine farming space, there's no doubt that the impact of the seabed and foreshore review on aquaculture is significant and we're working on those areas together," Heatley said.

The new foreshore and seabed legislation is going to return to Maori the right to seek customary title to parts of the coastline, and development rights will go with any titles that are granted.

[Source: NZPA]