25 September 2006

Greens defend Minister's right to decide over marina

The Green Party today came out in support of Conservation Minister Chris Carter's right to invoke the national interest whenever developments threaten local ecology and recreational access, and despite the recent Court ruling on the process followed with respect to the Whangamata marina.

"Despite the High Court's view of the process by which the Minister made his decision, the precautionary principles behind it remain entirely sound," Green Party Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.

"We do not want to see either the Minister or the Government resile from protecting coastal areas for this kind of inappropriate development."

"Increasingly, coastal areas are becoming the playgrounds of the wealthy, with traditional public access being denied, and recreational users being forced away.

"It is happening with the building of marinas, residential development on campgrounds and other commercial activities in the marine area.

"The purpose behind the Conservation Minister's decision in the Whangamata marina case was a good one and we support the mana whenua of Whangamata and all those communities there that want to keep the coastal area open and available to all," Mrs Turei says.

ENDS

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