Ref:633/03

The Government announced the proposals in November 2001. They include giving regional councils the power to set aside marine areas for farming and running the tender process.

To avoid a speculative rush of applications before the reforms went through, the Government also implemented a two-year moratorium on new applications which applied to all those not at an advanced stage by November 2000.

But last March, the Government did a U-turn and agreed to a recommendation to allow around 140 more marine farming consent applications to be processed.

The Waitangi Tribunal this week released a report slating the Government for violating the Treaty of Waitangi in its proposals to reform the marine farming industry.

It also accused the Government of failing to consult with Maori.

Mr Hodgson today said the Government had had the tribunal's findings for some time and was responding "by undertaking a series of consultation hui in the second half of April".

"The aquaculture legislation will be introduced after the consultation with Maori has concluded. That has been part of the cause of the delay."

Mr Hodgson said the Government could not have consulted with Maori before the moratorium was announced.

The tribunal had also said that whatever the Government did, it should provide for Maori interests in marine farming "and our consultation process will be seeking how to answer the question how best we might do that".

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and National MP Phil Heatley questioned why the Government was consulting with Maori but not other groups.

Mr Hodgson said consultation on marine farming had taken place throughout the 1990s and, for these particular reforms, began more than three years ago.