Figure 1: Summary of proposals

Text description of figure

Strategic approach for EEZ environmental regulation:
Provide for sustainable management of activities and aim for a consistent approach across activities and consideration of cumulative effects. This sits at the top of the diagram.

There are three main elements to the proposals :

1. New legislative tools to fill gaps
   Establish new tools to manage gaps in environmental effects and assess and address effects on other activities
2. Initial rules defining which level of effects require an EEZ consent, and
3. Ability to make additional rules as required that would apply to specified geographical areas and activities. (e.g. “benthic protection rules”)

These collectively mean that low-impact activities will be permitted without requirement for EEZ consent if effects below defined thresholds. Alternatively, an EEZ consent will be required for larger-scale activities, with assessment scaled to the size of it effects.

The diagram also sets out how to deal with activities currently managed under existing environmental legislation.

We will Keep existing tools, (e.g. fisheries, protection and maritime transport legislation) and only make consequential changes to them as required

There also are proposals for Managing interactions between activities, decision makers will need to address effects of new proposals on existing activities, (e.g. commercial fishing, maritime transport). This will be considered as part on an EEZ consent.