"Between a rock and a wet place": the concept of integrated coastal zone management in a New Zealand context

Abstract

This thesis examines the concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in a New Zealand context. The concept of Integrated Coastal Zone Management has become a major focus of coastal management programmes around the world in recent years, especially given the international focus on sustainable development as the key to future environmental management. Given that sustainable management is the overarching principle of the Resource Management Act, and that integration is seen as one of the keys to achieving successful sustainable management, it is appropriate to examine the degree to which the New Zealand framework provides for, and is achieving, integrated management of the coastal zone. This thesis has found a number of key deficiencies in the management framework that prevent true integration occuring in New Zealand coastal zone management. The most significant problems arise from legislative deficiencies, notably a lack of aggregation across the Coastal Marine Area boundary, and inconsistency among key laws affecting coastal management. These deficiencies manifest themselves throughout the management process and create problems in both the organisational and administrative framework and in planning and policy development. A case study evaluated the degree to which integration occurs between central, regional, and territorial local government in the development of their statutory coastal planning and policy documents. It was found that integration (or lack of it) in practice in coastal zone management in New Zealand appears to be largely traceable back to factors that exist regardless of the current legislative, administrative, or planning and policy development framework. These include; the type and amount of consultation undertaken, goodwill between management agencies, political influences, historical factors, and personal interactions between those responsible for management of the coast.