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EDS calls for major overhaul of coastal management
EDS calls for major overhaul of coastal management
The Environmental Defence Society is calling for a major overhaul of the way the New Zealand coast is managed.
"Developments such as that at New Chums Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula illustrate a failure of public policy to keep up with New Zealanders' aspirations for our outstanding coastal environments," said EDS Senior Policy Analyst Raewyn Peart, author of Castles in the Sand: What's happening to the New Zealand Coast?
"New Chums is a case where the developers have done a reasonable job of designing a subdivision under the existing policy settings. EDS is continuing a constructive dialogue with the developers about better options for New Chums.
"But the policies that they and others work under have not been changed since 1994 when the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS) was enacted. The NZCPS sets out national direction for coastal management that all councils in the country have to follow.
"Those policies are now out of synch with public sentiment and need changing.
"The Minister of Conservation has an improved NZCPS as recommended by a Board of Inquiry last year but she has been sitting on it for months now.
"It's time the Minister acted and promulgated the new NZCPS so that all New Zealanders including the development sector know what the rules are going forward.
"We also urgently need a new Coastal Commission to provide national oversight of coastal developments and coastal management. EDS has been calling for Coastal Commission now for some years and whilst we have had some interest from Ministers, nothing has happened.
"A Coastal Commission, consisting of experts in Coastal Management, would protect the public interest in the coast and intervene on behalf of the government where that was called for, including facilitating purchase.
"A dedicated, focused fund is needed for purchase of key coastal land.
"The government needs to step up and bring coastal policy into the 21st century," Ms Peart concluded.
ends
Environmental Defence Society
EDS speaks for the environment. It has influence.
Since 1971, EDS has been driving environmental protection in Aotearoa New Zealand
through law and policy change. That's why it's one of this country's most influential non-
profit organisations when it comes to achieving better environmental outcomes.
EDS has expertise in key disciplines including law, planning, landscape and science. It
operates as a policy think-tank, a litigation advocate, and a collaborator – bringing together
the private and public sectors for constructive engagement.
EDS runs conferences and seminars on topical issues, including an annual Environmental
Summit and the Climate Change and Business Conference.
EDS is a registered charity and donations to it are tax-deductible.
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