Background to our Oceans work
This page is provides the background to the Ministry’s Oceans work dating from July 2000 to July 2010. For the latest work programme please see Exclusive Economic Zone policy.
In July 2000, the government decided to develop an Oceans Policy for New Zealand. The policy would ensure integrated and consistent management of the ocean within New Zealand's jurisdiction. Development of the policy would be a cross-government exercise, covering all aspects of ocean management, including effects from land, and would extend out to the edge of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf beyond.
The completion of the proposed Oceans Policy options package was delayed in June 2003 to take account of government decisions on public access and customary rights to the foreshore and seabed.
For information on Oceans work prior to July 2003 see Oceans policy-pre July 2003.
Two further reports were released in 2005:
- Getting Our Priorities Right - explores the role of information in setting national priorities under an Oceans Policy.
- Offshore Options: Managing Environmental Effects in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone - examines gaps in environmental controls in the Exclusive Economic Zone (the area between 12 and 200 nautical miles offshore).
Reports and policy development since that date can be found on the current oceans work webpage.
Since 2006, oceans work has focused on fixing the most pressing marine problems in the short term while taking a more coordinated and integrated approach to marine management over time. The first priority for action is improving the regulatory regime for environmental impacts in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
New Zealand’s EEZ extends from 12 to 200 nautical miles offshore and is one of the largest in the world at approximately 16 times our land mass. The EEZ has a wealth of natural biodiversity values, and great potential for future economic opportunities such as seabed minerals and energy generation. It is in the interests of all New Zealanders to harness this potential while managing the environment in a sustainable way. At the moment the EEZ is lacking a comprehensive regulatory system.
In August 2007 the Ministry for the Environment released a discussion paper, guided by the draft oceans policy framework. The discussion paper sought comment on a preferred legislative option for managing the impacts of activities in the EEZ.
The Ministry developed the detail of policy for improving regulation of environmental effects of activities in the EEZ in late 2007-early 2008. This work drew on the feedback received from workshops held in August and September 2007, and the 46 submissions received in response to the discussion paper. A summary of the submissions received by the Ministry, Improving Regulation of Environmental Effects in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone: Summary of Submissions, is available.
In June 2008 drafting began on an Exclusive Economic Zone Environmental Effects Bill. More information on the detail of the legislation can be found in the Cabinet paper: Proposal for Exclusive Economic Zone Environmental Effects Legislation. The drafting of this Bill was not completed before the 2008 General Election.
EEZ legislation is a priority for the current government. In response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Ministry of Economic Development is commissioning an independent study due in September 2010 on New Zealand's health, safety and environmental provisions around minerals activities such as deep sea drilling. This report, along with the proposed legislation developed by the last government, has informed final policy and timeline decisions for our EEZ legislation.
Last updated: 26 August 2011
