Carter overturns Environment Court

There will be some very unhappy people today. After ten years of following the law to get consent for a Whangamata Marina, the proponents succeeded with the Environment Court ruling in their favour.

But today the Court has been over-ruled by Environment Minister Chris Carter.

The Minister makes his decision on the basis of a few hour’s lobbying. Never mind the Environment Court which spent many days and volumes of paper considering the proposal and agreeing it was not significantly detrimental to the environment.

There is no appeal from the Minister’s decision. Their only recourse is for a change of Government.