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Regional Coastal Environment Plan

The Regional Coastal Environment Plan promotes the sustainable management of the natural and physical resources of the Bay of Plenty's coastal environment.

The Plan covers the entire coastal environment (230KB, doc) including the coastal marine area (the area between mean high water spring tides and the '12 mile limit' of the territorial seas) and the land backdrop. It includes:

  1. Rules to regulate some activities in the coastal marine area. This includes building of structures, disturbance of the foreshore or seabed, reclaiming the sea, discharging contaminants and other activities. These activities generally require a coastal permit from Bay of Plenty Regional Council before they can be undertaken.
  2. Policies about important environmental issues on land adjacent to the sea. This includes issues relating to the natural character and landscape of the coast, public access and coastal hazards. These policies do not regulate people's activities directly but provide guidance in the preparation of district plans and consideration of resource consents.
  3. Fifteen schedules including site specific information on coastal values (including landscape, vegetation, bird habitat, conservation areas and culturally significant areas), development plans for the Ports of Tauranga and Whakatāne, water quality standards and environmental monitoring.

Restricted coastal activities

Provisions relating to restricted coastal activities were removed from the Regional Coastal Environment Plan on 22 February 2011. Policy 29 of the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS) directed that restricted coastal activities be removed from coastal plans without using the plan change process set out in Schedule 1 of the Resource Management Act 1991. The NZCPS came into effect on the 3 December 2010. 

Schedule 1 of the Operative Regional Coastal Environment Plan (which sets out the types of activities classified as restricted coastal activities) was also removed as a result of these changes.

Statutory Acknowledgements

From November 2010 a compendium document Ngā Whakaaetanga-ā-Ture ki Te Taiao ā Toi (Statutory Acknowledgements in the Bay of Plenty) to the operative Bay of Plenty Regional Policy Statement and regional plans is available. Check out the Statutory Acknowledgements webpage for more information.

Plan changes

A draft Plan change proposing to not introduce a Coastal Occupation Charging regime was released to stakeholders and affected individuals in September 2009 and was open for comment until 30 October 2009. This Plan change was place 'on hold' in 2010 as a result of an extension to the deadline imposed by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) for the introduction of coastal occupation charges.

A replacement New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement was gazetted by the Minister of Conservation on 3 December 2010.  This has enabled Council to initiate a full review of the Regional Coastal Environment Plan. A report on the findings of the review was completed in April 2012. More information on the review process is available on our Coastal Policy Review webpage.

Work has now begun on developing a new Regional Coastal Environment Plan to replace the current operative plan. We'll be engaging with tangata whenua, stakeholders and the community to develop a draft version of the new Plan by the end of 2012. We will be asking for feedback on the draft Plan before publicly notifying the new Proposed Regional Coastal Environment Plan for formal submissions in 2013.

Work previously undertaken to develop Aquaculture Management Areas (AMAs) will be used to inform development of the new Regional Coastal Environment Plan.

Regional Coastal Environment Plan

Planning Maps

The planning maps cover the entire coastal strip of the region, including harbours and offshore islands and land backdrop at a scale of 1:25 000. The maps identify many of the special values of the coast that need protecting.

Order a copy of the Coastal Plan

Order the plan by contacting us on the details below. The Plan costs are as follows (prices include GST):

  • Volume 1 (Text) - $40
  • Volume 2 (Maps) - $90

The Plan is available to view at Bay of Plenty Regional Council offices, all public libraries throughout the Bay of Plenty and service centres of Bay of Plenty's city and District Councils.