Concern over 35-year consents

biodiversity, and that simply is not good enough ... declining biodiversity is evidence something has gone wrong,’’ he said.

He referred to the Marlborough District Council’s State of the Environment report from 2015, which said the region’s biodiversity was ‘‘not in good shape’’.

There were fewer fish, not as many species, a loss of biogenic habitats, and sedimentation smothering thousands of hectares of seabed, the report said.

Climate change was making the water warmer, and increased carbon dioxide was making the water acidic, which meant a higher risk of harmful algae.

‘‘We are living in a changing marine environment,’’ Schuckard said.

‘‘To create a 35-year consent in a changing environment as a regulatory body or even as a Government, you can’t claim that is sustainable management. Because you can’t know what the marine environment will be in 35 years.’’

He was also concerned about landbased activities such as commercial water users, and forestry which was a major cause of sedimentation in the Sounds.

‘‘If this is our modus operandi for the future, we need a holistic approach from regulatory bodies and government on how we deal with existing consents, and deal with an uncertain future.’’

Port Underwood Association member Ken Roush, who had also opposed several marine farm consents in his area, said two or three decades was a reasonable consent length for mussel farms.

‘‘It gives them enough time to establish their structures and time to get through the growing cycles,’’ Roush said.

‘‘The concept of what the marine environment should be, and how it should be used, can change over a time period of 20 or 30 years, but in my opinion it’s the right amount of time to see if we’ve got what people want. A longer period would be stretching it a bit.’’

New Zealand King Salmon chief executive Grant Rosewarne said a 35-year consent was not long enough.

Norway’s 1000-odd marine farms had indefinite consent, never needing renewal, he said.

‘‘The countries where aquaculture flourishes, and where they have a proper regime designed to encourage it ... their licences are in perpetuity, they go on forever,’’ Rosewarne said.

‘‘The effects of aquaculture are minuscule compared to other types of farming ... why can’t we have licences in perpetuity?’’

Short consents made it riskier for companies to invest in their equipment, including new technology that reduced environmental effects, he said.

Sedimentation from forestry was the real threat to biodiversity, but Rosewarne said he would not support changing their consents either.

‘‘I don’t think shorter consents would change anything ... if people had longer consents they could invest more money in mitigating those effects.’’

The Waitata Reach application, for four extra pens so the stock could spread out more, would go to a resource consent hearing this year, at a date yet to be decided.

Environment Minister David Parker announced a review of the RMA last week, to make the 30-year-old law less complex, make it easier to develop affordable housing, and better fight climate change.

A spokesman for Parker said officials would report back to the ministers for environment, fisheries and conservation about coastal marine environment issues with the RMA before the end of the year.