Mike Lee, Hauraki Gulf conservationist and chairman of the Auckland Regional Council, laments the slow progress towards establishing the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. You can read the article in full here.
An excerpt:
“The Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act was passed through Parliament in February 2000, but despite the cross-the-board support of all the major parties and the passionate Auckland boaties and conservationists who lobbied so energetically for it, nine years on there is not a lot to show – in terms of a park.
“Why this should be is a puzzle. Perhaps the problem lies with the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act itself.
“Although the legislation can be viewed as progressive, its weakness is that it’s something of an all-things-to-everyone omnibus. It is made up of three quite separate, almost watertight sections.” (continued)