Tasman Regional Coastal Plan Now Operative

Wednesday 30 November 2011

Following Aquaculture Reform law changes on 1 October 2011 the Tasman Regional Coastal Plan is now operative.

The changes to the law are intended to foster environmentally sustainable aquaculture in New Zealand. The reforms make changes to the Aquaculture Reform (Repeals and Transitional Provisions) Act 2004, the Fisheries Act 1996, the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, and the Resource Management Act 1991.

The legislation has amended the Tasman Regional Coastal Plan - incorporated in Parts I, III, V, and VI of the Tasman Resource Management Plan - and has made the Coastal Plan operative. The amendments provide for farming a wider range of species, including finfish.

The principal parts of the Plan affected are:

The legislation confirms that aquaculture in Tasman must take place in the Aquaculture Management Areas shown on the planning maps.  Parts of those Aquaculture Management Areas are currently being farmed for mussels.  The remaining parts are subject to two further legislative processes:

  • Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is required to determine whether aquaculture in those areas would have an undue adverse effect on fishing. 
  • Secondly, of the areas available at the end of that process, 20 percent of the space must be allocated to Te Ohu Kai Moana Trustee Ltd for the benefit of iwi in the District.

Further Information