Further consultation on Navigation Safety Bylaw

Environment Bay of Plenty is inviting the public to make submissions on additional information affecting several of the Rotorua lakes, as part of its review of the Navigation Safety Bylaw.

Additional information - mostly maps relating to Rotorua lakes issues regarding ski lanes, swimming and passive areas - was inadvertently omitted from the initial consultation phase in April last year, and had therefore not been part of the consultation process. Submissions are being sought for the additional information only.

Navigation Safety Bylaw Review Subcommittee Chair Malcolm Whitaker said that as a result, regional councillors and staff felt it was important that lake users and residents had the opportunity to provide their input on the additional matters and that a supplementary consultation process should be held.

“This is an opportunity for us to consult with the public on the additional matters. Hearings have been held and deliberations completed on issues that were raised in the initial consultation phase. This additional targeted consultation period and subsequent hearings process will then allow us to join up with the process that the main body of Navigation Safety Bylaws document is currently going through,” Councillor Whitaker said.

“Navigation safety is an important issue for the region and we accept that aspects of the initial consultation phase and hearing could have been better managed. This is why we felt it was necessary and important to ask the public for further input on the maps to ensure the enjoyment, safety and understanding of the rules for all lake users in the future,” he said.

The consultation period opens on Wednesday 14 April 2010 and submissions close on Friday 14 May 2010.

Submission forms and copies of the maps are available from Environment Bay of Plenty’s website www.envbop.govt.nz and regional offices from 14 April 2010.

ENDS

© Scoop Media