Marlborough Board to make impact report

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 4

Marlborough Board to make impact report

PA Wellington The Marlborough Harbour Board would prepare an environmental impact report,. for its planned deepwater port in Shakespeare Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, said the Commissioner for the Environment, Mrs Helen Hughes, yes? terday. The proposal involved a planned extension to the port of Picton in Shakespeare Bay, which is immediately to the west of the present harbour, Mrs Hughes said. The need for extensions had arisen because of insufficient space in the present port to handle increased future volumes of exports from the Marlborough area. Studies by the Ministry of Works and Development and other Government agencies have predicted increased output of agricultural and horticultural produce and in particular timber. Timber production in Marlborough is projected to rise to 1.3 million tonnes of roundwood a

year by early next century. The Marlborough Harbour Board's chairman, Bruno Dalllessi, said that the board had been pre-' paring to extend the port into Shakespeare Bay since the late 19705. It had purchased the necessary land and was now formalising its planning to preserve the area for future development Mr Dalllessi said that the board had also been actively promoting the possibility of coal exports through Shakespeare Bay. , Mrs Hughes said she had agreed to accept a revision of an assessment prepared by the board as the environmental impact report The Marlborough Harbour Board has said it intends to issue the report next February. It will be followed by a six-week period for public submissions and a further six weeks for preparation of the Parliamentary Commissioners* audit The findings of the audit will be reported to Parliament