Exclusive economic zone law now in effect

  • Amy Adams
Environment

Environment Minister Amy Adams has today announced that a new law to enable the comprehensive environmental management of activities in New Zealand’s vast exclusive economic zone is now in effect.

The Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act fills an important gap in the environmental management regime.

“New Zealand has one of the biggest exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the world. Together with our continental shelf, it is an area of ocean that is 20 times the size of our land mass, and up until now, it has lacked comprehensive environmental protection for it,” Ms Adams says.

“From today, we can now manage the development of resources in the EEZ in an environmentally-responsible way.”

The EEZ Act was passed in September 2012. The legislation was brought into force by making regulations that permit lower impact activities, subject to conditions and based on NIWA analysis of their likely environmental impact.

The regulations and the Act are effective as from today.

Under the regulations, seismic surveying, marine scientific research, submarine cabling, prospecting and exploration for petroleum and minerals, excluding drilling for petroleum, are classified as permitted.

Production mining activities for petroleum and minerals will remain discretionary. No activities are currently prohibited in the EEZ Act.

“The regulations achieve a good balance between protecting the environment and enabling economic growth in a sustainable way.”