Coastal Permit
A Coastal permit is a type of resource consent. A coastal permit is a consent gained from your local Regional Council that is specifically for an activity within the coastal marine area (CMA). This permit can only be gained for activities that are identified in a regional plan as requiring a consent, or the rules in the plan require a consent to be sought, or the activity is specifically required by the Resource Management Act. No person or organisation can receive a coastal permit for a prohibited activity.
In many situations, a coastal permit is granted by the Regional Council except when the application is deemed to be a restricted coastal activity, in this situation the Minister of Conservation gives the final approval after the regional Council has processed the application.
The requirements for a coastal permit are outlined below:
(1) No person may, in the coastal marine area,—
(a) Reclaim or drain any foreshore or seabed; or
(b) Erect, reconstruct, place, alter, extend, remove, or demolish any structure or any part of a structure that is fixed in, on, under, or over any foreshore or seabed; or
(c) Disturb any foreshore or seabed (including by excavating, drilling, or tunnelling) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on the foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal); or
(d) Deposit in, on, or under any foreshore or seabed any substance in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on the foreshore or seabed; or
(e) Destroy, damage, or disturb any foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on plants or animals or their habitat; or
(f) Introduce or plant any exotic or introduced plant in, on, or under the foreshore or seabed; or
(g) destroy, damage, or disturb any foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on historic heritage—
unless expressly allowed by a rule in a regional coastal plan and in any relevant proposed regional coastal plan or a resource consent.
(2) No person may, in relation to land of the Crown in the coastal marine area, or land in the coastal marine area vested in the regional council,—
(a) Occupy any part of the coastal marine area; or
(b) Remove any sand, shingle, shell, or other natural material from the land—
unless expressly allowed by a rule in a regional coastal plan and in any relevant proposed regional coastal plan or by a resource consent.
(3) Discharge Contaminants
(4) Dump or incinerate any waste
(5) Discharge harmful substances from a ship or offshore installation.
