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Offshore environmental management
Proposed laws have been introduced to Parliament that will manage the environmental effects of activities such as petroleum exploration and mining within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Extended Continental Shelf (ECS).
Once passed, this environmental legislation will be the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Authority.
They will cover the area of ocean, 20 times New Zealand's land area, that is beyond 12 nautical miles (and which is not covered by the Resource Management Act.
Ministers have also introduced voluntary interim measures to address the potential environmental effects of offshore petroleum exploration until the new legislation is passed. This includes the submission of impact assessments to the Environmental Protection Authority consistent with what will be required under the new legislation.
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