Aquaculture Planning
What is the Council doing to plan for aquaculture?
Plan Change 4
We are undertaking a plan change to provide for aquaculture – Plan Change 4. Plan Change 4 sets out the way we intend to manage aquaculture in Northland.
It includes policies and rules for:
- managing existing aquaculture,
- directing how and where new aquaculture is located.
Aquaculture planning documents notified under the Local Government Act (LGA)
In addition to Plan Change 4, we are developing;
- Threshold Evaluation Criteria
- Use and Value Maps,
- and Aquaculture Evaluation Maps
These documents will be used as one tool in the evaluation of plan changes. They are ‘living documents’ and will be reviewed and updated to reflect new information.
These documents are being developed under the Local Government Act.
Where is the aquaculture planning process at now?
Timeline:
.jpg)
Click here to enlarge timeline image
Council decisions
At its meeting on 16 April 2008, Council adopted as its decisions, all the recommendations of the Aquaculture Planning Hearing Committee on the Aquaculture Planning documents:
Summary of Council Decisions on the Aquaculture Planning Documents (810 KB)
Plan Change 4:
Council Decision – Committee Recommendation report on Plan Change 4 (2MB)
Council Decisions on Plan Change 4 - Clear Copy (454 KB)
Council Decisions on Plan Change 4 – Tracked Changes (425 KB)
AMA Restriction Map – All of Northland (2MB)
There are also ‘zoomed in’ maps - please contact us if you’d like a map of a particular location.
Local Government Act 2002 documents:
Council Decision – Committee Recommendation Report on Threshold Test and Maps (379 KB)
Threshold Test for Invited Private Plan Changes Requests (196 KB)
View the proposed Use and Value Maps
The date of notification of the decision is 26 April 2008. Submitters have 30 working days from that date to appeal the decision to the Environment Court if they are not happy with it. Note - appeals can only be made on Plan Change 4.
Find out more about appeals and the Environment Court:
Ministry for the Environment’s Guide to the Environment Court
History
We started work on the aquaculture planning documents in 2002.
Read the overview of work to date
Documents
The following are all the relevant documents for Plan Change 4. Copies are also available on CD Rom ($20 each) or as a hard copy from NRC offices.
Officers' Reports for the Hearings
The following are reports from Council staff making recommendations on the proposed Aquaculture Planning documents.
Section 42A Officers’ Report on Plan Change 4 (1MB)
Officers' proposed changes to Plan Change 4 (516 KB)
Officers’ Report on Threshold Test and Maps (327 KB)
Officers’ Proposed Changes to Threshold Test (210 KB)
Summary of Further Submissions
This document contains a summary of all the further submissions.

Summary of Further Submissions (726 KB)
Summary of Submissions Threshold Test and Maps
This document contains a summary of all submissions on the Local Government Act Documents – the Threshold Test and Maps
Summary of Submissions Threshold Test and Maps (631 KB)
Overview of Submissions on Plan Change 4
This document provides an outline of the issues that were most commonly raised in submissions, and also provides a guide to who submitted on what.
Overview of Submissions (123 KB)
Summary of Submissions on Plan Change 4
This is a full summary of all 333 submissions that were received on Plan Change 4. They are broken down into four sections: Submissions 1 – 86, 87 – 150, 151 – 240, and 241 - 333.
Plan Change 4 - Summary of Submissions:
Table of Contents and Submissions 1 - 86 (205 KB)
Plan Change 4 - Summary of Submissions:
Submissions 87 - 150 (259 KB)
Plan Change 4 - Summary of Submissions:
Submissions 151 - 240 (427 KB)
Plan Change 4 - Summary of Submissions:
Submissions 241 - 333 (380 KB)
Plan Change 4 Submitters Address List
This provides full names and addresses of submitters.

Submitters Address Details List (80 KB)
Proposed Plan Change 4
This is the original proposed plan change that was publicly notified on 28 October 2006.
Proposed Plan Change 4 (Policy and Regulatory Regime for Aquaculture Management Areas) (525 KB)
Aquaculture Management Area Documents notified under the Local Government Act (LGA)
Threshold Test for Invited Private Plan Changes (to establish an Aquaculture Management Area) (222 KB)
View "Use and Value" maps and "Aquaculture Evaluation" maps
Glossary
This provides an outline of all abbreviated terms contained in the above documents.
Abbreviation glossary (8 KB)
Latest newsletter
The following newsletter will be distributed to over 960 submitters and other interested parties on 29 June 2007.
Aquaculture Update - Issue 4 (442 KB)
Find out more: Aquaculture Newsletters
Latest media releases
Find out more: Latest news and news archives
Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions may be answered on this Frequently Asked Questions Sheet.
Download the FAQ sheet (488 KB)
Find out more about aquaculture management work to date
If you would like to receive more information as it becomes available:
- email us with your details or
- phone us on freephone 0800 002 004
- check this website regularly for the latest information
Please tell us if you’d like to be emailed with the information, or have it posted to you.
How to contact the Northland Regional Council
Freephone: 0800 002 004 during business hours.
Email: mailroom@nrc.govt.nz
Postal address:
Coastal Planning Team
Northland Regional Council
Private Bag 9021
Whangarei 0140
Further information
Community Perspectives on Aquaculture Planning
In 2007 a group of teriary students from the Australian and New Zealand School of Government carried out a research project on aquaculture planning.
The overall aim of the project was to assess the government process for development of Aquaculture Management Areas (AMAs), including engagement with the community. The research has a focus on a case study area - Northland, NZ.
At the time of this research study, the Northland Regional Council (NRC) was undertaking a community consultation process to develop Aquaculture Management Areas.
Read the Community Perspectives on Aquaculture Planning report
New Zealand government
The New Zealand government has developed a website that explains their position on aquaculture and keeps people up to date on initiatives.
www.aquaculture.govt.nz
New Zealand aquaculture industry
The New Zealand aquaculture industry has formed an organisation called Aquaculture New Zealand Ltd. Their website has links to the industry strategy and other organisation's websites.
http://www.aquaculture.org.nz/