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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.
| Key event | Date notified | Date decision released | Date operative |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Plan Change 1 (Harbourside) |
26 January 2008 |
14 February 2009 |
1 December 2009 |
|
Amendment 1 (NZCPS – Restricted Coastal Activities) |
10 December 2011 |
10 December 2011 |
1 January 2012 |
|
Amendment 2 (Aquaculture Settlement Areas) |
31 July 2025 |
31 July 2025 |
1 August 2025 |
|
Minor corrections pursuant to Clause 20A of Schedule 1 to the Resource Management Act 1991 |
N/A |
N/A |
2 April 2026 |
December 2009
PDF | 9 MB
March 2026
ISBN 978-0-478-37626-5
PDF | 452 KB
August 2025
ISBN 978-0-908324-92-7
PDF | 940 KB
April 2026
PDF | 434 KB
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:
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:
These activities are controlled by Sections 15A, 15B and 15C of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the Resource Management (Marine Pollution) Regulations 1998. 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.
April 2026
ISBN 978-0-908324-91-0
PDF | 4 MB
This Regional Plan: Coast for Otago considers the use, development and protection of the coastal marine area of Otago and issues associated with that use, development and protection. It provides objectives, policies, rules, and other methods of implementation in order to address those issues. The rules of the Coast Plan determine the status of any particular activity and determine whether a consent is required before that activity can be carried out.
April 2026
PDF | 16 MB
2. Legislative and Policy Framework
7. Public Access and Occupation of Space - includes rules
8. Structures - includes rules
9. Alteration of the Foreshore and Seabed - includes rules
10. Discharges - includes rules
11. Taking, Use, Damming or diversion - includes rules