The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS) is the only environmental national policy statement that is compulsory under New Zealand statute. All others are optional. A NZ Freshwater Policy Statement is currently being drafted.
The NZCPS is the penultimate policy guideline for the coastal
area of New Zealand. It sits above the Resource Management Act 1991
(RMA) and Regional Coastal Plans (RCP). RCPs, which are also
compulsory, are written by the different Regional Councils and set
rules for those regions' coastal areas. The NZCPS and the RMA are
the centralising axis for these plans and an RCP cannot contradict
what is laid out in the NZCPS and the RMA.
The RMA allows for a review of the NZCP every ten years. This
review is now taking place and Surfbreak Protection Society Inc.
(SPS) are taking part.
A new policy has arisen in the draft review of the NZCPS and
that is Policy 20 (P20). P20 gives protection to surfbreaks. This
is a first for New Zealand.
In August 2006, just as SPS was formed, DoC released it's
'Issues and Options', inviting interested parties to submit to the
first draft of the revised NZCPS that was yet to be written. The
catalyst for formation of SPS was the Whangamata marina debate that
involved the lobbing of the then Minister of Conservation. Both the
District Council and the Regional Council in the Whangamata area
lobbied hard against surfbreak protection to the New Zealand
Environment Court. The Court agreed with the Councils that
surfbreak protection was not necessary. The then Minister of
Conservation, who unlike the rest of his Department, was
sympathetic to surfing, invited SPS to submit to the review of the
NZCPS.
Other surf protection groups also submitted to the review and
the combined weight of the submissions must have convinced the
policy writers to add P20 to the draft allowing for protection of
surfbreaks. This draft was then put out to the public of New
Zealand for submissions in March 2008, which were followed by
hearings. These hearings took place in many main town centres
around the country. SPS organised for different members to speak to
the hearings at the different venues. Other local surf riders and
surf protection groups also submitted.
On 10 October 2008 SPS took 4 hours to present its main
submission in Auckland, with professional support from lawyers,
planners and scientists who were the pioneers of surfbreak advocacy
in New Zealand, at the expert level.
The 4 person team which makes up the Board of Inquiry into the
review of the New Zealand Coastal Policy statement is presently
reviewing submissions and are deliberating on the final wording of
the new NZCPS. This will then be presented to the Minister of the
Environment who will look at the review and decide whether to take
it to the Parliament for it to be made into Law.