Public consultation and identifying existing rights and interests
Public consultation has played a key role in developing the offshore renewable energy regime and it will continue to be a priority. The Offshore Renewable Energy Bill as currently drafted sets out how developers must identify anyone who holds existing rights or interests in the areas where the projects are proposed, and how developers must manage relevant interests through the feasibility permit.
On this page I tēnei whārangi
Information on this page is subject to the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill becoming law. It provides a high-level overview. More detailed information will be provided as the process develops and information on subsequent stages will be made available in due course
Opportunity to provide feedback
Subject to the Bill becoming law, the public may have an opportunity to provide feedback on proposed projects during the feasibility permit application process.
During our assessment of applications
We will seek public feedback on proposed projects, including their location, as part of our application assessment process.
This will help:
- improve our understanding of the potential impacts of the developments
- inform our recommendation to the Minister for Energy, who decides whether to grant a feasibility permit.
The consultation is expected to take place a few weeks after an application round closes and the public will have a reasonable time to make submissions.
Identifying existing rights and interests
Under the Bill, developers are required to:
- identify existing rights and interests in their proposed development area before applying for a feasibility permit
- outline a responsible approach to managing these rights and interests, including how they plan to engage with affected parties during the feasibility period
- create a plan for identifying any additional rights and interests within their approved permit area during the feasibility stage.
These must be included as part of a developer’s application.
Subsequent feedback opportunities
Once a feasibility permit is granted, developers will need to identify and apply for additional consents, such as resource or marine consents, from other organisations. These applications will follow the usual consultation processes.
Public consultation on developing the regime
Learn about the public consultation we carried out during the development of the regime.