Marine Reserves Bill Passes First Reading

National Party MP Eric Roy is delighted his Member's Bill to improve consultation with stakeholders for proposed marine reserves will be considered by a select committee.

The Marine Reserves (Consultation with Stakeholders) Amendment Bill, which proposes ensuring early consultation takes place in the preparation of any application for a marine reserve, passed its first reading in Parliament last night.

The purpose of consultation is to promote wider community support for any marine reserve application.

"The Marine Reserves Bill currently before Parliament does not specifically require early consultation with groups that represent existing users of the area proposed for a marine reserve," says Mr Roy.

"Previous applications for marine reserves have floundered because community groups have not been involved from the outset in developing reserve proposals.

"This has meant that applications have been met with opposition from community groups.

"By requiring consultation during the preparation of an application, this bill aims to ensure that key stakeholders are involved and can voice their views right from the start," says Mr Roy.

Well done National - hopefully that type of approach will avoid the fiasco's of recent times where Ministers clearly believe they have some divine right to ride roughshod over the view of the masses and indulge in a 'consultation process' that is clearly nothing but lip-service.