Lifting the Looking Glass : How Tradable Coastal Occupation Could Enable Ocean Renewable Energy in New Zealand

With abundant ocean renewable energy resources New Zealand has the possibility of being a global leader in this emerging clean technology. However, its framework for allocating coastal space for renewable energy development, the Resource Management Act, suffers from paradoxes, inconsistencies, and too much discretion for local authorities. Coupling these issues with incentives for existing users to stymie new coastal applicants through drawn out litigation is arguably discouraging ocean renewable energy development and encouraging coastal conflict. To tackle these challenges this paper recommends that ocean renewable energy developers, as a group, build a nationwide rapport, that local authorities strengthen their processes and accountability, and that the national government allow commercial and cultural coastal users the ability to privately trade occupation of coastal space among themselves. The last recommendation will encourage cooperation, build a new market, and generate new sources of public revenue to strengthen oceans governance