From page 1 // Port challenges council plan

Act. The company had engaged with the council throughout the plan’s process, and the appeal phase was ‘‘simply the next part’’, Welbourn said.

‘‘Our overarching goal is . . . efficient port and marina operations with social and environmental responsibility. We are appealing some provisions of the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan that we feel don’t strike that balance,’’ he said.

In its submission, Port Marlborough said under the current plan it could be unnecessarily restricted by noise limits, and rules on signage, dredging, indigenous vegetation and port activities.

Other to appeal include the Defence Minister, Conservation Minister, Chorus, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, New Zealand Transport Agency, Federated Farmers and Kiwirail. Several parties wanted the plan to recognise marine farms had become part of the character in the Marlborough Sounds.

The plan brings three of the region’s management plans into a single document and defines what activities are appropriate in Marlborough’s urban, rural and coastal environments.

It was officially released on February 20, but was still awaiting appeal decisions, the Government’s final release of five national environment policies or standards, and the council’s aquaculture chapter.

The Ministry of Health has repeated its call for the Government to speed up the country’s move to cleaner shipping fuels, saying the delays come at the ‘‘expense of the health of New Zealanders’’.

The ministry’s population health deputy director-general, Deborah Woodley, called for immediate accession to Annex VI of Marpol, the International Maritime Organisation convention for the prevention of pollution from ships, saying Picton and Wellington were bearing the brunt of the delays.

In her submission to the environment select committee in March, Woodley highlighted the air quality improvement around the Port of Tauranga that had occurred since international shipping fleets reduced their toxic fumes in January this year.

This was not the case in Picton, which serves a primarily domestic fleet, including the inter-island ferries.

Cook Strait ferries were responsible for more port calls in Picton and Wellington than international shipping in all ports around New Zealand, the submission said.

The Government plans to join Annex VI of Marpol by November next year, but the Ministry of Health has called for immediate