NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

5 JULY

2301

(Minister/Member in Charge Shown in Parentheses)

Referred to Select Committee

26 June 1990

Business Development Boards Bill (Hon. Peter Dunne)
Government Administration

28 June 1990

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Amendment Bill (Hon. Jim Sutton)
Not referred—under urgency.

Broadcasting and Radiocommunications Reform Bill. (Rt. Hon. Jonathan Hunt)
Planning and Development

Local Bill

20 June 1990

Napier City Council (Control of Skateboards) Empowering Bill. (Mr Braybrooke.)
Internal Affairs and Local Government

Private Member’s Bill

20 June 1990

Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area Bill. (Mr Duynhoven.)
Planning and Development

Summary of Bills Introduced

Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area Bill

This Act provides for the setting up and management of the Sugar Loaf Islands Marine Protected Area for the purpose of protecting that area of the sea and foreshore in its natural state as a habitat of marine life for the enhancement of recreational activities.

The Sugar Loaf Marine Protected Area is to be maintained in a natural state and the public to have right of entry. Restrictions will be placed on fishing around Sugar Loaf Islands and the protected area to be deemed a conservation park as defined by section 19 of the Conservation Act 1987.

Napier City Council (Control of Skateboards) Empowering

This Bill empowers the Napier City Council to make bylaws controlling the use of skateboards on any road or public place.

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Amendment Bill

This Bill amends the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Act 1953. Most of the Ministry’s functions will now be determined by the Crown.

The fact that the Ministry, the Minister, and the Director-General have the powers, duties, and functions of the former Marketing Department, Minister of Marketing, and Director of Marketing, does not limit or affect the Department’s functions or the Minister’s powers.

The Bill also enables the Minister to ratify a doubtful contract entered into by the Minister at some time in the past if, at the time of ratification, the Ministry has the appropriate functions or the Minister has the appropriate powers.

Broadcasting and Radiocommunications Reform Bill

This bill amends the Broadcasting Act 1989 and the Radiocommunications Act 1989.

The amendments proposed to the Broadcasting Act 1989 include restricting the meaning of broadcaster to a person providing transmission services in a position to exercise control, either alone or in association with others, of the operations of the company broadcasting programmes or the management of any broadcasting station operated by that company or the programmes broadcast by that company or the selection or provision of programmes to be broadcast. The responsible Minister is changed from the Minister of Broadcasting to the Minister of Communications.

The bill provides for amendments relating to Parliamentary election programmes including the following: (a) The obligation on broadcasters to provide to political parties free of charge a specified amount of broadcasting time is removed: (b) The Minister may invite broadcasters to permit parties to broadcast election programmes free of charge or at discounted rates in an election period, specifying conditions on the broadcaster’s reply to the invitation: (c) The Broadcasting Authority is responsible for allocating to political parties the time offered by broadcasters but must consider whether proposals made by broadcasters can be adopted either in full or with modifications: (d) Money is to be appropriated by Parliament for allocation to political parties to meet costs of broadcast election programmes: (e) Simulcasting of every opening address and closing address is not required but they are to be broadcast on all free-to-air television broadcasting stations made available for the purpose and on National Radio.

The bill provides for amendments to the Radiocommunications Act 1989 to enable regulations to provide for the waiver of any fees prescribed by any such regulations, and to correct an error in the lay-out of the definition of the term “gross income”.

Business Development Boards Bill

This Bill provides for the establishment of Business Development Boards. Each Board is to be established in respect of a region to be specified in the Order in Council establishing the Board. The functions of the Boards are:

(a) To advise the Minister of Regional Development on matters relating to business in the Board’s region:

(b) To promote business growth in the Board’s region by undertaking the activities specified in the charter.