Trevor
Mallard23 July, 2008 - Environment Minister
Trevor Mallard has appointed a four-person
board which will lead public consultation
on the proposed National Policy Statement
for Freshwater Management.
Judge David Sheppard
has been appointed as chairperson and Kevin
Prime, Jenni Vernon and Dr Jon Harding as
board members.
"In appointing
the board, I have selected a chairperson
with strong judicial skills and extensive
experience of legal procedures. I have also
placed a strong emphasis on tikanga Maori
expertise, and planning experience in relation
to the Resource Management Act and freshwater
ecology. The board has technical expertise
and experience to correspond with the high
level of public interest and importance
placed on freshwater management," Trevor
Mallard said.
The role of the board
is to notify the proposed national policy
statement, call for submissions, hold public
hearings, and make recommendations to the
Environment Minister on the proposed statement.
"The board has
an important task ahead of them and I have
every confidence they will lead a fair and
thorough process," Trevor Mallard said.
Board of Inquiry – biographical
information
Judge Sheppard (chairperson)
was appointed Principal Planning Judge in
1987 and Principal Environment Judge in
1996. He retired in 2001 and is now an Alternate
Environment Judge. As a Planning Tribunal
and Environment Court judge he has presided
over many resource management cases. In
October 2007 he was appointed chairperson
of the Board of Inquiry to consider Transpower’s
North Island Grid Upgrade proposal.
Jenni Vernon was Environment
Waikato chairperson from 2004 to 2007. She
has been involved in facilitating work around
biosecurity issues, river and catchment
schemes, and a clean stream project. She
will bring regional council experience,
and knowledge of Resource Management Act
processes and freshwater issues to the board.
Kevin Prime was appointed
as a part time Environment Commissioner
in 2003. He is experienced in Resource Management
Act decision-making and has a strong understanding
of tikanga Maori. In October 2007 he was
appointed as a member of the board considering
the North Island Grid Upgrade proposal.
Kevin Prime’s tribal association is with
Ngati Hine, Northland. He is a beef farmer,
forester and bee-keeper.
Dr Jon Harding is a
lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences
at the University of Canterbury. His speciality
is in stream ecology, focusing on the impacts
of human land use activities, particularly
mining. He has provided advisory services
on freshwater matters to a number of regional
councils. He will bring scientific and technical
expertise on a wide range of freshwater
management issues to the board.
+ More
Important that lessons
are learned from Mapua
Trevor Mallard29 July,
2008
Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says
lessons have been learned during the successful
clean-up of New Zealand’s most contaminated
site.
The Parliamentary Environment
Commissioner (PCE) today released a report
on the de-contamination of the former Fruitgrowers
Chemical Company plant on the banks of the
Mapua Estuary near Nelson.
The site has been successfully
de-contaminated and Tasman District Council
plans to allow residential and recreational
development when the all-clear is given
by a site auditor.
“I will be considering
the PCE report’s recommendations along with
two further reports that have not yet been
completed, a health report and a final auditor’s
report,” Trevor Mallard said.
“Those reports will
be considered together once they are completed.”
