News
Launch of ground-breaking guidance on the wine industry for local government
New Zealand has a new ground-breaking guidance aimed to help the wine industry grow in a sustainable way.
The Guidance on Planning for the Wine Industry was launched by Acting Minister for the Environment David Parker at Parliament yesterday.
It aims to enable a nationwide approach to resource management planning and assist district and regional councils to appropriately address winegrowing resource management issues through their district and regional plans and when processing applications for resource consent.
It has evolved as the result of issues faced by the industry over many years, but more recently from over a year of collaboration between law firm Bell Gully, independent planning consulting firm Hill Young Cooper, Ministry for the Environment, Local Government New Zealand and New Zealand Winegrowers.
Bell Gully has worked closely with New Zealand Winegrowers and its predecessors, and the wine industry in New Zealand for more than 30 years. Bell Gully senior partner David McGregor and senior associate Marija Batistich led the Bell Gully team advising on the development of the guidance.
It is the Ministry's first guidance that seeks to address the issues faced by an entire industry, and follows a conference held in November 2006. The Planning for the Wine Industry - Sustaining and Maintaining Growth conference provided a springboard for developing policy and guidelines in planning for viticulture.
David McGregor says the guidelines represent a commitment by industry and government to finding innovative and collaborative solutions to sustainability.
"These guidelines provide the framework and encourage the conditions for New Zealand's wine industry to successfully and sustainably grow, ensuring our future as a great wine producing nation," he says.
To view the guidance visit www.qualityplanning.org.nz
For more information please contact:
David McGregor
Senior Partner
Marija Batistich
Senior Associate
