Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011

Common marine and coastal area - Interests in common marine and coastal area

17: Additions to common marine and coastal area

You could also call this:

"What happens when new land near the sea is added to the common area"

Illustration for Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011

You can find out what happens when the Crown or a local authority gets new land near the sea. If they get land that is partly or wholly in the marine and coastal area, it becomes part of the common marine and coastal area. This happens when they buy, are given, swap, or get the land by law. You need to know that this rule does not apply if the land already has a special status under another law. The land must be within the marine and coastal area to become part of the common marine and coastal area. This change happens as soon as the Crown or local authority gets the land.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3213289.

This page was last updated on 9 February 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationEnvironment and resources > Town planningGovernment and voting > Local councils

16: Continued Crown ownership of minerals, or

"The Crown owns minerals like gold and oil under the land and sea."

18: Rights of owners of structures, or

"What rights do owners of coastal structures have?"

Part 2Common marine and coastal area
Interests in common marine and coastal area

17Additions to common marine and coastal area

If, at any time after the commencement of this Act, the Crown or a local authority acquires, whether by purchase, gift, exchange, or by operation of law, any specified freehold land that is wholly or partly within the marine and coastal area, then that land, to the extent that it is within the marine and coastal area, becomes on that acquisition part of the common marine and coastal area.
Subsection (1) does not apply to any specified freehold land that is accorded a status under an enactment other than this Act.