Coastal planning
Planning is an important way we manage the coastal environment.
It helps the community and local councils make informed decisions about where to undertake activities in and along our coast so it can be enjoyed, preserved, and protected.
No one agency is responsible for the management of Canterbury/Waitaha’s coastal environment, so we work together to manage its protection and use. We do this through our Regional Policy Statement and Regional Coastal Environment Plan.
Canterbury Regional Policy Statement
The Canterbury Regional Policy Statement provides an overview of the resource management issues that our region faces and sets objectives, policies and methods to manage and protect the natural and physical resources of Waitaha appropriately. All councils in Canterbury must follow this direction through their resource management plans.
The Regional Coastal Environment Plan
The Regional Coastal Environment Plan for the Canterbury Region supports the sustainable management of the natural and physical resources of our coastal environment.
It identifies four key issues:
- protection and enhancement of the coast
- water quality
- controls on activities and structures
- coastal hazards.
The plan has objectives, policies, and methods (including rules) to manage activities and uses of our coastal environment, aiming to resolve the four key issues and protect and improve the coastal environment so current and future generations can enjoy it.
Climate action
Climate change is already having an impact on our communities and ecosystems and it’s important we not only find ways to adapt to our current circumstances but also build climate resilience into our planning.
We are currently working on a Climate Action Plan that will influence our planning processes, including around coastal communities and marine ecosystems.
National direction
The Resource Management Act 1991 and The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 (NZCPS) provide national direction for the management of New Zealand/Aotearoa’s coastal environment. Regional policy statements and regional plans must be consistent with and give effect to the NZCPS.
Coastal monitoring
Understanding how hazards like erosion or sea water inundation can affect the communities, infrastructure and ecosystems on and around our coast plays a vital role in our planning process.
We monitor hazards like coastal erosion and inundation, sea level rise and waves.