Under the Resources Management Act 1991 (RMA) many activities that effect our coastal environment need to have resource consent from the Otago Regional Council.
This could include activities like building a boatshed, placing a mooring, releasing waste into the water, removing sand or shells, as well as certain plantings.
If your activity is going to affect the land, water, air or ecosystem of a coastal area and you’re not sure if you need a coastal permit, contact our team consents.enquiries@orc.govt.nz.
The Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act provides for iwi, hapū and whānau to have their customary rights in the common marine and coastal area determined. This is called customary marine title.
What is customary marine title?
Customary marine title recognises the customary relationship of an iwi, hapū or whānau with the common marine and coastal area.
What area is covered?
The marine and coastal area extends from mean high-water springs (roughly the highest point washed by the tide) to 12 nautical miles offshore.
What does it mean for a person applying for resource consent?
- Section 62(3) of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 requires that where the activity occurs over an area where a customary marine title has been applied for, the applicant must notify and seek the views of the group who have applied for the customary marine title prior to applying for resource consent. You must provide evidence with your resource consent application to demonstrate that this has been done.
- Before applying for resource consent, you must:
- Identify if any groups have applied for customary marine title in the area affected by the resource consent application (we recommend this website Te Arawhiti - Applications)
- Notify the iwi groups and seek their views on the application
- Provide any views expressed by the iwi groups with the consent application
Otago Regional Council will consider the views of the groups that have applied for customary marine title when making decisions on coastal resource consent applications.
What about in the future?
If customary marine title is awarded to these groups, activities requiring resource consent (including controlled activities) will not be able to be undertaken unless an 'RMA permission right' has been obtained from the group.
Any application for a marine farm requires a decision by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI)/NZ Fisheries on whether a proposed aquaculture activity will have an undue adverse effect on recreational, customary, or commercial fishing because it restricts access to or displaces fishing. This is a separate process from the resource consent process, but ORC will pass on your application on your behalf. For more information on the process for marine farms, see the aquaculture decision provisions in the Fisheries Act 1996, or the MPI website.
Aquaculture in the Coastal Marine Area is currently managed under the RMA and its planning instruments such as the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture (NES–MA), the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS), and regional coastal plans.
The Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) is investigating improvements to aquaculture management processes to support sustainable aquaculture growth and to deliver on the Crown’s settlement obligations under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Settlement Claims Act 2004, in line with the Government’s Aquaculture Strategy.
Boat sheds are normally used to store boats and their associated equipment.
The rules
Any sort of building on the foreshore restricts public access to, and along, that piece of coast.
Our Regional Plan: Coast for Otago has rules in place to protect the cultural, natural and amenity values of the coastal marine environment.
These rules mean you may have to get a coastal permit for the use, development and occupation of any structure (including boat sheds) anywhere in the coastal marine area. Some signs and discharging contaminated water or waste to the coastal marine area may also require resource consent.
A resource consent gives boat shed owners:
- A legal right to use the boat shed and the foreshore and seabed upon which it sits
- Adds value to the boat shed should the owner wish to sell
There are a large number of Coastal Permits for boat sheds in the Otago Harbour due to expire over the next couple of years. To anticipate the renewal of these structures, we have developed a simplified consent process. Below are some frequently asked questions that relate to this process.
You can apply for consent at any time. We recommend applying at least six months before your consent expires to ensure you can continue operating under your existing consent while the new one is being processed.
We have created a simplified application form (Resource Consent Application Form 12D: Renewal of Coastal Permits for Boatsheds.) which, if completed in full, should mean we don’t need to request further information from you. This includes assistance with the policy assessment.
We have also worked with Aukaha and obtained written approval (below), so you do not need to seek this yourself. Once your draft consent is ready, we will send it to you so you can check that you are able to meet the proposed conditions. After you confirm the conditions are acceptable, the consent will be sent for a decision and then issued.
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You must complete this form and Resource Consent Application Form 1 in full. This form is only to be used for Coastal Permit applications for a boatshed that meets appropriate requirements.
December 2025
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The default 15 year term means you do not need to contact Aukaha or obtain written approval from them. You may apply for a longer term, but you will need to contact Aukaha directly (consents@aukaha.co.nz) because written approval is specific to a term of 15 years.
The Otago Harbour is a Coastal Protection Area with identified cultural and spiritual values. Every application must be assessed for its environmental effects, including effects on cultural values. If Aukaha provides written approval, we are able to discount effects on mana whenua values in the assessment.
This requirement comes from a separate piece of legislation: the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011. We cannot accept an application for processing unless this consultation has occurred, as required by the Act. Because groups can apply for a Customary Marine Title at any time, we cannot complete this consultation on your behalf in advance.
This process was created to manage the large number of applications expected as many consents expire around the same time. You may use the application form and the fixed fee (to be confirmed), but the blanket written approval from Aukaha only applies to specific Dunedin Harbour applications. You cannot use this approval for boatsheds outside that area.
Applying to replace your boat shed consent
There are a large number of coastal permits that were due to expire in 2026 for the occupation of the Coastal Marine Area with a boat shed. With the introduction of the Resource Management (Consent Duration) Amendment Act, consents that were due to expire before 31 December 2027 have now been automatically extended to this date.
What this means for you:
- Your consent has a new expiry date until 31 December 2027. If you have not yet received confirmation of this new date you will receive it shortly.
- You may continue to rely on your existing consent and must comply with all consent conditions.
- If you wish, you can still apply to apply to replace your consent before the new expiry date. You can do this at any time.
There is an application form (Form 12d) specifically for the replacement of boat shed permits
The sale and purchase of boat sheds is a civil matter and not something we are involved in. However, if you are purchasing a boat shed you will want to ensure that any associated coastal permits are transferred into your name.
To transfer a coastal permit to a new permit holder you will need to complete a Notice of Transfer of Holder of Permit (Form 15)
This application can be submitted to consents.applications@orc.govt.nz.
The deposit fee for the transfer of a consent is $200 and information on how to pay this can be found on our How to Pay page.
Coastal permits often come with conditions attached to them. It is important to read and understand these conditions. The holder of a coastal permit is responsible for ensuring that all conditions are complied with.
We are responsible for monitoring compliance with coastal permit conditions. Our Compliance Team will work with you to help ensure you comply with the conditions of the coastal permit for your boat shed.
A one-off compliance administration fee of $150 will be charged on all new applications. This covers the cost of compliance monitoring systems (excluding any associated audit costs).
There will be an expiry date on your coastal permit. If you wish to continue to occupy the coastal marine area with your boat shed after the expiry date, you should apply to replace your coastal permit at least six months before that date.
To replace a coastal permit to occupy the marine coastal area you will need to apply for a new coastal permit.
The application forms used to apply for a coastal permit for a boat shed can be found on our Apply for a consent page.
If you have any more questions, please get in contact with us at consent.enquiries@orc.govt.nz
Consent enquiries
Our consent team is here to help you understand everything about resource consents, when you need one, what the rules are, and how to apply.
Apply for a consent
Find all the forms you need to apply for a consent, work with compliance, or work through our policy sheets.
Fees and charges
Processing a resource consent application will incur fees and charges. The costs will vary depending on the time involved, the quality of information provided, any technical issues and complexity of the application.
