Public notice - Fiordland Marine Pathway Plan

Pursuant to the Local Government Act 2002, notice is hereby given that a proposal to establish a Fiordland Marine Pathway Plan under the Biosecurity Act 1993 has been prepared by Environment Southland. The proposed Plan aims to exclude marine pests and other harmful marine organisms from the iconic Fiordland Marine Area by addressing the threat of them being transported into the area by vessels.

Copies of a summary document and the proposal for a Fiordland Marine Pathway Plan are available at:

• public libraries within the region - Invercargill, Bluff, Gore, Mataura, Lumsden, Otautau, Nightcaps, Riverton, Stewart Island, Te Anau, Waiau, Winton and Wyndham;
• Environment Southland's offices on the corner of North Road and Price Street, Waikiwi, Invercargill;
• the offices of the Invercargill City Council, 101 Esk Street, Invercargill;
• the offices of the Southland District Council, 15 Forth Street, Invercargill;
• the offices of the Gore District Council, 29 Civic Avenue, Gore.

Copies of the summary document or the proposal for a Plan may also be requested by contacting Carmen Russell, Planning Assistant at Environment Southland by email: service@es.govt.nz or telephone: (03) 211 5115 or toll free (within Southland) 0800 76 88 45.

In addition, the summary document and proposal for a Plan may be downloaded here.

Any person may make a submission on the proposal for a Plan. Submissions must be received by Environment Southland no later than5.00 pm on Friday 13 May 2016. Submissions may be:

1. online via the Environment Southland consultation portal (http://consult-es.objective.com/portal/fmpp/fmpp);
2. delivered direct to Environment Southland's offices on the corner of North Road and Price Street, Waikiwi, Invercargill;
3. posted to: Planning Assistant, Environment Southland, Private Bag 90116, Invercargill 9840;
4. sent by facsimile (03) 211 5252; or
5. emailed to service@es.govt.nz.

Following receipt of submissions, the following process will be adopted:

• submissions will be summarised and a hearing report prepared;
• Environment Southland will hold a public hearing, for the purpose of allowing those persons who lodged a submission, and requested to be heard, to present further material in support of their submission;
• following the hearing Environment Southland will release a written report on the plan, which will set out its decisions on the plan and the reasons for accepting or rejecting the submissions;
• if there are no appeals, or upon resolution of any appeals, the plan may then be implemented.

Any person wishing to obtain further information, or discuss aspects of the proposal for a Plan, may write to Private Bag 90116, Invercargill 9840 or telephone Environment Southland's offices on (03) 211 5115 or toll free (within Southland) 0800 76 88 45.