Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve Draft Management Plan

Submissions Close: Monday 8 August 2011- 4.00pm

Background to the Plan

The Abel Tasman coast is significant in terms of its scenic values. It has a diverse range of coastal landforms, including estuaries, sandy beaches, rocky headlands, rock stacks, islets and islands.

Indigenous vegetation within Abel Tasman National Park forms the backdrop for most of the foreshore. The coastal scenery, golden-sand beaches, relatively sheltered coastal waters and bays attract thousands of visitors to the foreshore each year, via the tracks within the national park or from the coastal waters by a variety of vessels.

The foreshore is also used and enjoyed by residents and visitors to the numerous private landholdings adjoining the reserve.

After much discussion about the most appropriate way of managing the Abel Tasman coast, the Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve (‘the reserve‘) was gazetted as scenic reserve on 25 January 2007, under section 19(1)(a) of the Reserves Act 1977 (by the Minister for Land Information).

At the time the reserve was created the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004 was in force. This vested the ownership of the public foreshore and seabed in the Crown, and the Gazette Notice (reserving the land under the Public Works Act 1981) specifically stated that the land would remain vested in the Crown.

As a result of foreshore coming under the jurisdiction of the Reserves Act 1977, the Minister of Conservation became responsible for it.

The reserve comprises 774 ha of foreshore, predominantly a narrow strip of land (other than in the estuaries) that lies between the Mean High Water Mark and Mean Low Water Springs, along the Abel Tasman coastline in the northwest of the South Island. It straddles Tasman Bay and Golden Bay.

A large portion of the reserve adjoins land protected within Abel Tasman National Park, including the foreshore of all the islands in the park. Other parts of the reserve adjoin privately-owned land and reserves administered by Tasman District Council, including areas of road reserve. The central part of the reserve, between Awaroa Bay and Bark Bay/Wairinga, is overlain by the Tonga Island Marine Reserve.

The reserve is managed by an Administration Committee (comprising the Chief Executive Officer of Tasman District Council and the Conservator of the Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy of the Department of Conservation), which arose from recommendations of the Abel Tasman Foreshore Advisory Forum.

This makes the reserve unique. No other area of foreshore in the country is a scenic reserve under the administration of a committee made up of representatives from a territorial authority and the Department of Conservation.

The primary purpose of designating the foreshore as scenic reserve was to maintain the quality of the visitor experience while protecting the natural features that make the Abel Tasman foreshore so special, including the scenic character of the coastline.

Consultation and Notification

This is the first management plan for the Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve and has been prepared under section 40B of the Reserves Act 1977 by the Administration Committee following consultation with key stakeholders (including iwi, concessionaires, the Abel Tasman Foreshore Advisory Forum, local landowners and other government departments).

The Draft Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve Management Plan was publicly notified on 8 June 2011.

Submissions on the draft plan can be made until 4 pm, 8 August 2011.

Public meetings will be held during the submission period to enable people to ask questions about the draft plan and the process. Please email atforeshore@tasman.govt.nz for further details on times and locations.

View the Plan

The draft plan can be viewed at:

Department of Conservation offices in Nelson, Motueka and Takaka.
Tasman District Council offices in Richmond, Motueka and Takaka.
The public libraries in Nelson, Richmond, Motueka and Takaka.

Printed copies are also available at:

Richmond office of Tasman District Council; or
Nelson/Marlborough Conservancy Office (in Nelson) of the Department of Conservation.

The draft plan can be downloaded, at no cost, onto a CD or memory stick if you provide one of these devices to the Department of Conservation.

You can also view the draft plan below:
Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve Draft Management Plan - June 2011

Make a Submission

Submissions have now closed.

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