Pre-election spat delays creation of marine park

A pre-election tiff between National and Labour will prevent America's Cup and beachfront millennium events in Auckland being set against a backdrop of a new Hauraki Gulf marine park.

Creating the park in time became impossible yesterday, when Labour formally withdrew its support for the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Bill.

Conservation Minister Nick Smith said the bill was the victim of election hype which made political cooperation difficult.

"I find it particularly galling that Labour has advised parks supporters that [it] just doesn't want National to get any credit for establishing the park, but they will pass it as soon as possible after the election if they are the Government."

A key aim of the bill was to improve coordination of the environmental management and protection of one million hectares of sea and 33,000ha of coastal land and islands.

As a result of the delay, public access to a 2.7ha "grandstand" strip of clifftop defence land will not be available to America's Cup spectators.

Labour spokeswoman Judith Tizard said the party supported the park in principle but the Government did not have the goodwill of Maori, rural people and organisations such as the Thames Coromandel District Council necessary for the park to work.

Labour withdrew its support last month, claiming that all 11ha of defence land at HMNZS Tamaki on Takapuna Head ought to be in the park, not just the 2.7ha strip, a stand supported by the North Shore City Council and popular among North Shore residents.