Environmental Defence Society Inc. v. Marlborough District Council (The 'King Salmon' Case)

Abstract

This article considers the “King Salmon” case, concerned with an application to change the prohibited activity status of salmon farming in the Marlborough Sounds Resource Management Plan. The author examines the wider issue of whether plan-change applications will be consistent with the legislative framework of the Resource Management Act 1991 and the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement. The article concludes that the ramifications of this decision should be considered carefully, as it has the potential to impact the entire practice of resource management in New Zealand.

Keywords: resource management law, environmental law, New Zealand, Resource Management Act 1991

JEL Classification: K00, K32