Healthy Seas: Implementing marine spatial planning in New Zealand

New Zealand faces considerable challenges in managing its extensive marine realm.

Marine spatial planning is increasingly being adopted overseas as a strategic, forwardlooking approach to managing current and future activities while ensuring the health of the marine environment. The Sea Change Tai Timu Tai Pari project in the Hauraki Gulf was the first fully-integrated marine spatial plan to be developed in New Zealand. Building on the lessons from the Sea Change project, and drawing on legal frameworks from seven jurisdictions around the world, this report explores non-statutory and statutory options for implementing marine spatial planning in New Zealand more widely.

It will be of considerable interest to marine policy makers, managers, advisors and users as well as everyone with an interest in ensuring a healthy marine environment.