King Salmon Draft Decision

The Marlborough District Council has received a copy of the draft decision by the Environmental Protection Authority board of inquiry and Council planning staff are now studying it.

Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman said the Council needed to understand why the Board had gone against the long-established Marlborough position that activity in the Sounds should be clearly separated with one area for industry, another for recreation.

Mr Sowman stressed that the Council itself never had a fully developed position on the King Salmon application because, as the local authority, it never had the opportunity to consider the merits of the proposal through its existing processes.

The Council has stated only that it did not believe that its resource management plan should be set aside, he said.

However, Mr Sowman said, now that a draft decision has recommended four new sites be approved, the Council would work with King Salmon to progress its plans.

“We look forward to engaging with the company – particularly to hear more about its plans for job expansion within Marlborough,” said Mr Sowman.

He said a salmon processing plant in Picton would be the ideal outcome for this region now that the company has the go-ahead to expand.

“I believe King Salmon is acutely aware that they have a big public relations challenge ahead with a significant portion of the Marlborough community. But I am sure that the company will put time and effort into building bridges here and the Council will be very open to working with King Salmon,” he said.

The District Council would also have to consider the decision’s precedent-setting implications for future aquaculture activity in the Marlborough Sounds, he said.

“However, before we make any detailed comment about the planning issues within this report, we will need to study it and fully consider the implications for the Marlborough Sounds,” said Mr Sowman.