Chathams may get control of own zone

Press, 24 June 1989, Page 1

Chathams may get control of own zone

NIGEL MALTHUS

Chatham Islanders may get control of their own 200-mile exclusive economic zone. A late amendment to the terms of reference for the review of the island’s economy calls for an explorations of “the option of providing assistance to the islands by way of the fishing zone that is brought into New Zealand control by the geographic location of the islands.”. The amendment was made after representations to the Min-

ister of Internal Affairs, Dr Bassett, by the Chatham Islands County Council. The council has long held that the islands’ geographic position adds a vast area to the New Zealand exclusive economic zone and the islanders should therefore get a substantial portion of the revenue it produces. Another amendment said the Government wanted to see the islands develop “as a viable and confident economy.” A new clause asked the consultants who would do the review to examine

the “equity of Government policies” in relation to that goal. The review will be done by Nick Taylor, James Baines and Associates with Lincoln International, a company newly formed by Lincoln College, MAFTech, and the D.S.I.R. at the Agricultural Science Centre. Dr Nick Taylor, a consultant specialising in rural social issues and the community change, will head the team. Mr James Baines will be responsible for the resource management aspects. Both formerly worked at Lincoln Col-

lege’s Centre for Resource Management. Dr Taylor and Mr Baines will fly to the Chatham Islands on Monday with Dr Bassett for a three-day visit. Dr Bassett would formally introduce the review to the islanders and review team members would distribute a newsletter outlining what they intended to do, said Dr Taylor. The review would formally begin on June 30 and should be completed by the end of August.