The Regional Plan: Coast for Otago (the Coast Plan) assists us in managing the resources of Otago's coastal marine area.

If you want to carry out an activity in Otago's coastal marine area, you must comply with the rules in the Coast Plan.

A regional coastal plan is required under section 64 of the Resource Management Act 1991. Its purpose is to assist a regional council to promote the sustainable management of resources in the coastal marine area. Otago's Coast Plan provides objectives, policies, rules and other methods for the integrated and sustainable management of Otago's coastal marine area.

The Coast Plan covers Otago's coastal marine area. The coastal marine area extends from mean high-water springs out to the 12 nautical mile (22.2 kilometre) limit of the territorial sea, from the Waitaki River in the north to Wallace Beach in the south. It is the sea, the air, the seabed and that part of the foreshore covered and uncovered by the tide.

This Council publicly notified the Coast Plan in 1994. Following the process of submissions, hearings and appeals, Council made the Coast Plan operative on 1 September 2001. The table below lists changes and amendments made to the Coast Plan since it became operative.

If you're thinking of carrying out an activity in Otago's coastal marine area, you should read the rules in the Coast Plan to see:

• If you can carry it out as a permitted activity,
• If you require a resource consent to carry it out, or
• If you cannot carry it out because it's a prohibited activity.

A resource consent is required for any activity the Coast Plan states as being a: controlled activity, restricted discretionary activity, discretionary activity, or a non-complying activity.

The Coast Plan does not apply to:

• The dumping of waste or any other matter from any ship, aircraft or offshore installation in the coastal marine area, or
• The discharge of harmful substances or contaminants from any ship or offshore installation in the coastal marine area.
• These activities are controlled by Sections 15A, 15B and 15C of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998.

If your activity will involve the discharge of contaminants to air you must also comply with the Air Plan rules. An exception to this is for discharges of contaminants into air associated with the normal operation of ships within Otago's coastal marine area. These are controlled by the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998, rather than the Air or Coast Plans. 

This document comprises of Chapters 1 to 17 as a single document and has no maps.

Maps are available in the individual Schedules below.

Order a printed Coast Plan copy

There is no cost for copies of the Otago Regional Council - Coast Plan. You can order the plan by the phone 0800 474 082 or email customerservices@orc.govt.nz.