Aquaculture standards talks on
The Ministry for Primary Industries is seeking public input on proposed national environmental standards that it hopes will improve the aquaculture industry.
The ministry is hosting a public meeting today at the Invercargill Working Men’s Club that is part of a series of meetings being held throughout the country as part of the consultation.
In June, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced the proposal for marine aquaculture to make reconsenting existing marine farms more consistent and efficient.
A national environment standard is established under the Resource Management Act 1991 and sets national rules that replace regional council rules. At the time of the announcement, Guy said the proposed national environmental standard for marine aquaculture was needed to increase certainty and industry confidence, improve biosecurity management and reduce compliance costs.
Ministry of Primary Industries aquaculture manager Dan Lees said the proposed changes would streamline the consent process for current farms, enable innovation through species change and look at ways biosecurity could be improved nationally.
At the meeting, staff would be present who were able to provide information about the proposed changes and answer any questions the public had.
People attending the meeting would also have the opportunity to submit on the proposed changes.
A previous meeting held at Murihiku Marae on July 10 was to consult with the Ngai Tahu iwi.
Bluff Oyster Management Company spokesman Graeme Wright said it was only by accident he found out the meeting was on.
As a representative of the oyster fishing industry, he would be attending to make sure his industry was doing everything it could to protect the wild fishery in light of the recent Bonamia ostreae incursion at Stewart Island.
Barnes believed both the fishing and aquaculture industry were linked and they need to be able to cohabitate. The consultation period closes at 5pm on August 8.
Pedestrian hit
An elderly pedestrian was struck by a car on the corner of Don and Kelvin streets in Invercargill yesterday morning. A police communications spokeswomans said police were notified by ambulance staff of the incident shortly after 10am. The male pedestrian was reported to be in a moderate condition, the spokeswoman said. The scene at the intersection had been cleared and was open to traffic again, the spokeswoman said. Witness Tarris McDonald said he was at the crossing when the man was struck by the car.
Crash near Roaring Meg
A person was seriously injured after a six-car crash in the Roaring Meg section of the Kawarau Gorge Road (State Highway 6), between Queenstown and Cromwell, about 7.15am yesterday. Police said a van stopped suddenly to let a truck leave a slow-vehicle bay, causing the following six cars to crash. One driver was trapped. Firefighters cut the person free and they were treated by St John ambulance staff. ’’The injured man was in the last of six vehicles, a ute, and was taken to Dunstan Hospital with suspected neck injuries,’’ police said. A St John spokesman said two people were taken by ambulance to the hospital, in Clyde, one with serious injuries, the other with moderate injuries. Police said others involved suffered ‘‘minor bumps and bruises’’.
Family history talks
The NZ Society of Genealogists, in association with the Invercargill Public Library, will present a week of Family History lunchtime talks between August 7 and11. The talks, which are free for the public, will focus on a different genealogical tool each day and will highlight free resources available at the library and online, for family history research. The topics range from ‘‘An introduction to family history research’’ to more specific research themes such as tracing English ancestors and gold rush records.
Dunedin prowler arrested
A prowler who peered into flats in Dunedin’s student quarter has been arrested. The 31-year-old will appear in the Dunedin District Court on charges of burglary and unlawfully in an unclosed yard. The charges come after a police investigation that included reviewing CCTV to match him to a person spotted trying to break into flats. In the first of the incidents, the man entered a Grange St flat as its two occupants were sleeping about 5am on July 20. The next night, he tried to break into several flats on Hyde St, and was spotted peering into windows before running away.
Horse float rolls
A mother and 2-year-old child suffered minor injuries after a crash involving a horse float. Emergency services were called to State Highway 1 near Merton, north of Dunedin, after reports a car towing a horse float rolled, yesterday about 9.20am. St John treated the two passengers, the mother and her 2-year-old child, at the scene. The float was badly damaged and partially blocking the lane, a police spokeswoman said.