The Government has updated the National Environmental Standards for Marine Aquaculture, changing how councils assess marine farming activities and making it easier for operators to reconsent, tweak farm setups and undertake research or trials.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones say the amendments remove complexity and cost while keeping environmental protections intact. Councils must apply the new rules to permitted activities and when deciding aquaculture consents from 4 June.

The sector employs more than 3,000 people and exports about $650 million a year. The Government has set a $3 billion annual revenue goal for aquaculture, and says the changes will help operators adopt new technology and improve practices within existing farm footprints.

Key changes flagged by ministers include:

• Easier, more nationally consistent reconsenting and changes to consent conditions.
• Simpler rules for aquaculture-related research and trials.
• Simpler processes to change or cancel consent monitoring conditions to reflect new science and technology.
• A set of technical fixes to improve clarity and usability.

The update sits within a wider programme to adjust national direction under the Resource Management Act, alongside planned changes aimed at infrastructure delivery, granny flats and housing growth, primary sector rules and streamlined consenting for renewable energy.

The Government says the environmental bar is not being lowered, but the release does not detail which safeguards remain unchanged or how changes to monitoring conditions will be assessed in practice. Those specifics will matter for councils, iwi, environmental groups and operators as they work through consents and compliance.

More information is available on MPI’s website: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/aquaculture-fish-and-shellfish-farming/national-environmental-standards-for-marine-aquaculture.