Skip to this page's content Skip to access keys
Go to home page [Ministry for the Environment]

Home | Contact us | Related links | Site map
Working
with you		 | The
issues		 | Laws and
treaties		 | State of the
environment		 | Publications | About the
Ministry

You are here: Laws and treaties Contains:

About the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2004

The Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2004 creates the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area, including Milford and Doubtful Sounds. Within that area, the Act creates 8 new marine reserves and adds to existing marine reserves. These reserves are subject to the conditions specified in the Act and the provisions of the Marine Reserves Act 1971.

The Act prevents an Order in Council being made under the Marine Reserves Act 1971 declaring any area in the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area to be a marine reserve for a period of 7 years. Any applications for a declaration of a marine reserve will not be processed during the 7 year period.

The Act makes specific amendments to the Southland Regional Coastal Plan. Most of the amendments to the plan relate only to the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area. The amendments will become operative when the rest of the Southland Regional Coastal Plan becomes operative but, unlike the rest of plan, these provisions do not require the approval of the Minister of Conservation.

The Act establishes the Fiordland Marine Guardians, a committee that is appointed by the Minister. The Guardians have the power to advise and make recommendations to the Minister for the Environment and what the Act defines as management agencies (the Ministry for the Environment, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Southland Regional Council) in respect of the exercise of functions under the Biosecurity Act 1993, the Environment Act 1986, the Resource Management Act 1991, the Marine Reserves Act 1971 and the Fisheries Act 1996. This includes advice on the effectiveness of management measures in Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area and likely threats to the area. All persons exercising functions in the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area must take into account the advice and recommendations of the Guardians.

The Act requires management agencies to enter into an agreement with the Guardians to establish the way in which they propose to work together to achieve integrated management of the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area.

The Minister must review the effectiveness of the management of the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Area after 5 years have gone by and periodically after that.

Full text of the Fiordland (Te Moana o Atawhenua) Marine Management Act 2004 (NZ Legislation website).