Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan

Read the Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan and its policies, rules and methods to manage the use and allocation of resources in the coastal marine area.

Hearings information

Read information on the hearings, including Section 42A reports, submitter evidence and expert conferencing material.

Summary of Decisions Requested

Further submissions closed at 5pm on 29 April 2024.

Submissions and further submissions received to Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan

The submissions period closed on 14 November 2023 and 1359 submissions received of which 1252 were proforma submissions.

The period for further submissions closed on 29 April 2024 with 30 further submissions received.

Follow the link below to read the submissions.

Submissions received to Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan
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Further submissions received to Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan
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Materials incorporated by reference

Material incorporated by reference in the proposed coastal plan is listed below.

Material incorporated by reference in the proposed coastal plan is listed below.

Integrated management
- Vision and Strategy for the Waikato River
- Waikato Navigation Safety Bylaw [PDF, 9.8 MB]
Biosecurity
Ecosystems and indigenous biodiversity
- New Zealand Threat Classification Systems lists
Noise and vibration
Water quality and discharges
- Default Guideline values in ANZG (2018)

Supporting documents

The following links are to the maps and referenced documents used in the proposed coastal plan.

The Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan contains certain rules that will have immediate legal effect upon notification, including all associated standards, schedules, maps and definitions.

Rules relating to discharges to air, aquaculture, historic heritage, discharges to water, and water take, use, dam or divert have immediate legal effect from 18 August 2023. All other rules (with some exceptions) have legal effect from 26 October 2023.

The following information provides details on these rules and what it means for activities that may require resource consent.
- Read the information sheet on the legal effect of rules in the proposed coastal plan
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The coastal plan contains maps identifying areas specific to certain provisions.
- Read the quick guide to using Waikato maps
- View the maps
Under Section 32 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), the council is required to assess the extent to which each objective proposed in the coastal plan is the most appropriate to achieve the purpose of the RMA and by assessing efficiency and effectiveness, which policies, rules and methods are the most appropriate to achieve the plan’s objectives (refer to Section 32 of the RMA here).
- Read the Section 32 Evaluation report here
Development of the coastal plan has been supported by technical assessments, reports and background content which can be reviewed in the reports below.

Section 35 Report - Effectiveness and efficiency of the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan - Place Group (2021) [PDF, 939 KB]

An economic assessment of establishing a coastal occupation charging regime in the Region, Waikato Regional Council Internal Report Series 2021/06, Upananda Paragahawewa, May 2021

Waikato Regional Coastal Plan: Economic Assessment of Bonds, Waikato Regional Council Internal Series 2022/04, Blair Keenan, Waikato Regional Council, January 2022

Iwi management plans - Waikato region

Guidance for identifying appropriate water quality, benthic, and hydrodynamic effects monitoring for non-fed aquaculture in the Waikato region, Hilke Giles, Pisces Consulting, June 2023, Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 23-14

Monitoring environmental effects of mussel farming (spat catching and on-growing) in the Waikato region, Waikato Regional Council Internal Series 2021/18, Hilke Giles, Pisces Consulting, June 2021

Video survey of a potential aquaculture area in the outer Firth of Thames, Waikato Regional Council Internal Series Report 2023/02

Landscape Assessment Western Coromandel Aquaculture Management Area - Boffa Miskell, May 2023

Marine biosecurity risks arising from activities/stressors within the Waikato coastal marine area, TR 2020/09

Impacts of seabed disturbance in the Waikato region, Sim-Smith et al 2022 – Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 2023/04

Waikato Regional Coastal Plan: Significant Indigenous Biodiversity Areas – Approach to developing the SIBA overlay

Desk top study – Background for Heritage Appendix, Sian Keith Archaeology, December 2018

Natural Character Study of the Waikato Coastal Environment, Boffa Miskell, Revision 02A June 2023

Waikato Regional Seascape Study within the CMA, Boffa Miskell, June 2023

Mooring Area Review – Whangamatā, Tairua, Paku, Slipper Island, Opoutere

Mooring Area Review– Mercury Bay, Whitianga, Flaxmmill Bay, Cooks Beach, Purangi, Hahei, Matapaua, Opito, Great Mercury Island, Whangapoua, Matarangi, Brophy’s beach, Wharekaho

Mooring Area Review – Raglan, Lorenzen Bay, Port Waikato

Mooring Area Review - Coromandel Harbour – Takawhare Bay, Puhi Rare Bay, Wyuna and McGregor Bay, Te Kouma Harbour, Port Charles, Kennedy Bay, Long Bay, Oamaru Bay

Adapt and thrive: Building a climate-resilient New Zealand – New Zealand's first national adaptation plan, Ministry for the Environment, 2022

Coastal Hazards and Climate Change – Guidance for Local Government. Ministry for Environment, 2017

Interim guidance on the use of new sea-level rise projections, Ministry for the Environment, 2022

Surf breaks of regional significance in the Waikato region, Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 2017/19

Waikato stormwater management guidelines, Waikato Regional Council Technical Report 2020/07

Assessment of Firth of Thames Water Quality 2021, Dr John Zeldis (NIWA)

Waikato Regional Council coastal water quality – part 2 - summary and interpretation of Waikato Regional Council guidelines, standards and monitoring data, Waikato Regional Council Internal Series 2016/12

Waikato Regional Council coastal water quality – part 3 - policy requirements and recommendations for monitoring, Waikato Regional Council Internal Series 2016/13

Hauraki Gulf Forum - State of our Gulf 2020

Summary of Green and Cornelisen’s (2016) Review of Ecological Thresholds and Options for Developing Marine Water Quality Standards for the Waikato Region, Streamlined Environmental 2017

Internal memo - Recommendations for Water Quality standards for coastal plan review October 2021

State of coastal water quality on the west coast of the Waikato region 1994-2021. Waikato Regional Council Internal Series 2021/17

Internal memo - Defining assimilative capacity for coastal water bodies in the Waikato Region October 2021

Internal Memo - State of the Whiritoa Lagoon - update 2022, M Townsend, Waikato Regional Council
- He aratohu | Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan – a summary guide
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Plan stages and information

Proposed plan development – 2018 to 2023
Proposed plan notified – 18 August 2023
Submissions on proposed plan – closed 14 November 2023
Further submissions - closed 29 April 2024
Hearings - completed 30 April 2025
Decisions notified - 14 October 2025
Appeals
Plan operative

Timeline of the review process

Diagram showing Regional Coastal Plan development timeline

Development of the proposed coastal plan

Over the last five years, council has carried out a review of the Waikato Regional Coastal Plan to bring it into line with national and regional policy direction while ensuring it meets the needs of Waikato communities.

The Resource Management Act (RMA) requires the coastal plan to be reviewed every 10 years to update provisions, as necessary, and take into account legislative changes and national and regional policy direction.
The Coastal Plan became operative in 2005 and a lot has changed since then.
- It does not fully implement some statutory documents, e.g. New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement, and national policy statements and environmental standards
- Some of the rules in the plan do not sustain values of the coastal marine area, enable regional development, or incorporate Treaty Settlement obligations
- It’s also been identified as confusing, and difficult to meet, monitor and enforce.
The Waikato Regional Coastal Plan is the rulebook for activities in the coastal marine area – the area from the Mean High Water Springs (MHWS) mark to 12 nautical miles.
Land based areas within the coastal environment are managed by regional and district plans.
To develop the coastal plan, we have sought feedback from a range of stakeholders, including iwi, agencies, industry and coastal users and residents.
Waikato communities have told us that the coastal plan needs to protect and enhance our unique way of life by providing for the restoration of indigenous habitats and ecosystems, prohibiting discharges and establishing water quality standards, and managing disturbances to protect natural coastal processes.
And at the same time, address climate change and the impacts of coastal erosion and inundation, while providing for tangata whenua perspectives and values, and support for our region’s aquaculture industry.
This feedback, along with iwi management plans and statutory requirements, have informed the development of the Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan which was notified on 18 August 2023.
The following reports provide an analysis of the feedback we’ve received from communities.
The following documents provide information on the coastal plan review.

Te Mahere Takutai Moana ā-Rohe o Waikato e Marohitia Nei Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan

Current status

Notification of decision - Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan

Notification of decision documents - Proposed Waikato Regional Coastal Plan