12Restrictions on use of coastal marine area

1. No person may, in the coastal marine area,—

2. reclaim or drain any foreshore or seabed; or
3. erect, reconstruct, place, alter, extend, remove, or demolish any structure or any part of a structure that is fixed in, on, under, or over any foreshore or seabed; or
4. disturb any foreshore or seabed (including by excavating, drilling, or tunnelling) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on the foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal); or
5. deposit in, on, or under any foreshore or seabed any substance in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on the foreshore or seabed; or
6. destroy, damage, or disturb any foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on plants or animals or their habitat; or
7. introduce or plant any exotic or introduced plant in, on, or under the foreshore or seabed; or
8. destroy, damage, or disturb any foreshore or seabed (other than for the purpose of lawfully harvesting any plant or animal) in a manner that has or is likely to have an adverse effect on historic heritage—
unless expressly allowed by a national environmental standard, a rule in a regional coastal plan as well as a rule in a proposed regional coastal plan for the same region (if there is one), or a resource consent.

9. No person may, unless expressly allowed by a national environmental standard, a rule in a regional coastal plan or in any proposed regional coastal plan for the same region, or a resource consent,—

10. occupy any part of the common marine and coastal area; or
11. remove any sand, shingle, shell, or other natural material from that area.

12. Without limiting subsection (1), no person may carry out any activity—

13. in, on, under, or over any coastal marine area; or
14. in relation to any natural and physical resources contained within any coastal marine area,—
in a manner that contravenes a national environmental standard, a rule in a regional coastal plan, or a rule in a proposed regional coastal plan for the same region (if there is one) unless the activity is expressly allowed by a resource consent or allowed by section 20A (certain existing lawful activities allowed).

15. In this Act,—

17. remove any sand, shingle, shell, or other natural material means to take any of that material in such quantities or in such circumstances that, but for the national environmental standard or the rule in the regional coastal plan or the holding of a resource consent, a licence or profit à prendre to do so would be necessary.

18. This section applies to overflying by aircraft only to the extent to which noise emission controls for airports within the coastal marine area have been prescribed by a national environmental standard or set by a regional council.

19. This section shall not apply to anything to which section 15A or 15B applies.

20. This section does not prohibit a regional council from removing structures from the common marine and coastal area, in accordance with the requirements of section 19(3) to (3C) of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, unless those structures are permitted by a coastal permit.