An independent Ministerial Advisory Committee, led by Dame Cath Tizard, today launched the public consultation campaign to contribute to a national Oceans Policy, on the wharves in Auckland.

The Ministerial Advisory Committee for Oceans Policy, consisting of eight members, has been set up to conduct the public consultation. The committee will travel the country to listen to and report on New Zealanders’ vision and values in relation to the oceans.

Committee Chair, Dame Cath Tizard said that as people of a maritime nation, with the fourth largest Exclusive Economic Zone in the world, New Zealanders have a deep bond with our oceans and are entitled to share their values and vision.

“Values and vision is all about what we most care about, or what we want our oceans to be like in the future, for the next generation,“ Dame Cath said.

“The legislative framework that currently relates to the use of the oceans is complicated, piecemeal and, in places, contradictory. We need an Oceans Policy to help us resolve actual and potential conflict between different human uses of our oceans.”

“The consultation is a once in a lifetime opportunity for every New Zealander to contribute to an Oceans Policy. By canvassing people at this grassroots level, we can then hope to understand what our oceans mean to us as a nation. This will underpin the coming policy development,” Dame Cath said.

The committee has 57 public meetings and hui scheduled from Kaitaia to Stewart Island over the next seven weeks. The meetings are designed to inform people about the scope and context of the Oceans Policy values consultation, and to spread the word about the opportunity to contribute.

“Thinking and talking about one’s ‘vision and values’ for the ocean is surprisingly difficult, as we benefit from it in so many ways, and so many of the things we do affect the oceans. That’s why we are traveling the country to talk with people. Also, to help people through their submissions, there is a booklet available with questions for people to think about,” Dame Cath said.

Other elements of the consultation campaign are: a schools’ campaign, a website and an 0800 number so people can request a copy of the booklet or details on public meetings.

The work of the committee is the first stage of a three stage Oceans Policy process. It aims to discover New Zealanders’ values in relation to the ocean through public consultation. The second stage focuses on designing policies to achieve their vision, and the third phase is implementing the policy, with ongoing public consultation. This three-stage process provides opportunities for input at each stage.

The deadline for submissions for stage one is August 17, 2001.

For further information on the Oceans Policy and the public meetings in your area call 0800 001461 or http://www.oceans.govt.nz

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