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Previous Oceans work

In July 2000, the government decided to develop an Oceans Policy for New Zealand. The policy would ensure integrated and consistent management of the ocean within New Zealand's jurisdiction. Development of the policy would be a cross-government exercise, covering all aspects of ocean management, including effects from land, and would extend out to the edge of the Exclusive Economic Zone and the Continental Shelf beyond.

The completion of the proposed Oceans Policy options package was delayed in June 2003 to take account of government decisions on public access and customary rights to the foreshore and seabed.

Work up to July 2003 can be found in the webpages listed below.

Stage One - Designing the vision
Stage Two - Developing options to achieve the vision -we are still working through this stage. See our current oceans work for details.
Stage Three - Implementing the vision. This stage is no longer applicable because the focus of Oceans Policy development has changed, see our current oceans work for details.

Two further reports were released in 2005:

Getting Our Priorities Right - explores the role of information in setting national priorities under an Oceans Policy.
Offshore Options: Managing Environmental Effects in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone - examines gaps in environmental controls in the Exclusive Economic Zone (the area between 12 and 200 nautical miles offshore).

Reports and policy development since that date can be found on the current oceans work webpage.