Parliamentary inquiry to protect aquaculture industry and environment

Project Overview

Our client, an established aquaculture company specializing in shellfish production and sustainable farming, faced significant operational challenges due to a state government decision to locate a desalination plant in their region. This decision would not only negatively impact their business but also contradicted independent recommendations suggesting alternative locations.

Challenges

The aquaculture company encountered multiple issues due to the desalination plant’s proposed location:

1. Operational Impact: The proposed desalination plant threatened the marine environment essential for the company’s operations.

2. Economic Concerns: The presence of the desalination plant would negatively impact the company’s ability to operate its successful business and affect the industry at large.

3. Contradictory Recommendations: Independent studies had recommended other locations for the plant that would have less impact, yet these were ignored by the government.

Implementation

To achieve the client’s objectives, Pyne & Partners employed a strategy focused on government relations and advocacy, aligning our efforts with the procedural norms of government decision-making.

Pyne & Partners utilised our established connections and expertise in government relations to advocate for an inquiry into the decision making behind the desalination plant. This involved:

1. Stakeholder Engagement: Engaging with key government officials, legislators, and regulatory bodies to discuss the aquaculture company’s concerns.

2. Evidence Gathering: Compiling independent recommendations and impact assessments to present a compelling case for reconsideration of the desalination plant’s location.

3. Strategic Communication: Developing a clear and persuasive communication strategy to articulate the reasonable need for an inquiry.

Once the inquiry was established, Pyne & Partners helped the client navigate the procedural complexities to ensure effective engagement with the inquiry process. Key actions included:

1. Providing Ongoing Strategic Advice: Ensuring the client was prepared to effectively engage with the inquiry process.

2. Government Relations Campaign: Launching a campaign to raise awareness and garner support for the inquiry, emphasizing the need for a transparent decision-making process.

Outcomes

The strategic government relations and advocacy efforts at a state-level resulted in significant positive outcomes for the aquaculture company:

1. Inquiry Initiated: The government inquiry into the desalination plant decision was successfully initiated, ensuring a review of the decision-making process.

2. Operational Relief: The client experienced a reduction in immediate operational threats due to the inquiry’s commencement, which paused the plant’s development.

3. Policy Influence: The case highlighted the importance of considering independent recommendations and stakeholder impacts in government decisions, influencing future policy-making processes.

Conclusion

By leveraging our expertise in government relations and advocacy, Pyne & Partners successfully assisted the client in challenging a detrimental government decision. Pyne & Partners’ strategic approach ensured that the client’s concerns were heard and addressed through an official inquiry, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted advocacy and procedural alignment in influencing government actors.