Mr Anderton, who visited Marlborough yesterday, said that he would recommend other councils look at how things were being done here, where aquaculture farms now operate over 2964ha.
"Marlborough is an up and coming region and the council over the last 10 years has done a good job providing for a number of growth industries include wine and aquaculture."
The council had got behind the industries at an early stage and put in place management frameworks to ensure their sustainable growth, he said.
The government has just earmarked $2.9 million to help councils plan for aquaculture,an industry that aims to grow to $1 billion by 2025.
"It's not just for those who are struggling but success can also be rewarded," said Mr Anderton at the Queen Charlotte College prizegiving ceremony last night, where he praised the school's aquaculture academy.
Source: The Marlborough Express