A pledge by the National Party to establish a new marine reserve off Waiheke Island has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, but Friends of the Hauraki Gulf says protecting Tīkapa Moana cannot wait until after the election.
The conservation group has congratulated National on its commitment to create a marine reserve off Waiheke and expand the existing Goat Island marine reserve, but is urging Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the Government to turn the election promise into immediate action.
The announcement forms part of National’s fisheries and marine conservation policy, which aims to improve the health of the Hauraki Gulf while supporting recreational fishing and the seafood industry.
However, campaigners say the proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia Marine Reserve on the northwestern coastline of Waiheke Island has already spent years navigating the approval process.
Five Years of Waiting for Marine Protection
Friends of the Hauraki Gulf first lodged its application for the proposed reserve in 2021.
The proposal would protect approximately 2,350 hectares of coastal waters between Hākaimangō Point and Matiatia Point.
The Department of Conservation publicly notified the application in January 2022, with submissions closing in March that year.
The proposal attracted overwhelming support, with more than 90 percent of submitters backing the establishment of the reserve.
The Department completed its formal advice to the Minister of Conservation in November 2024, with further information provided during 2025 and 2026.
Despite that process, a final ministerial decision remains outstanding.
Friends of the Hauraki Gulf argues that the Government already has the information needed to make a decision and should not delay action until after the November 7 election.
The group has also raised the possibility of legal action over the prolonged delay.
National Promises Stronger Protection for Hauraki Gulf
National’s new fisheries policy includes establishing the Waiheke marine reserve and expanding the Goat Island/Te Hāwere-a-Maki Marine Reserve.
The party also proposes banning commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf’s High Protection Areas, reviewing designated trawl corridors and investing $20 million in fisheries technology.
Other measures include stronger enforcement of fishing rules, additional honorary fisheries officers and increased penalties for exceeding catch limits.
National says its approach seeks to balance environmental protection with sustainable fishing and the economic importance of the seafood and recreational boating industries.
But Friends of the Hauraki Gulf believes the proposed Waiheke reserve should be approved under the existing process rather than left as a future political commitment.
Tīkapa Moana Under Increasing Environmental Pressure
The debate comes amid continuing concern about the declining health of Tīkapa Moana, the Hauraki Gulf.
Overfishing, sedimentation, pollution, rising sea temperatures and the loss of marine habitats have placed significant pressure on the gulf’s ecosystems.
Marine reserves are intended to provide areas where marine life and habitats are protected from extraction and disturbance, allowing ecosystems opportunities to recover.
The proposed Hākaimangō-Matiatia reserve would provide full protection across its designated area while allowing activities such as swimming, snorkelling, diving and boating that do not harm the marine environment.
Supporters argue that stronger protection could help restore biodiversity and improve the resilience of marine ecosystems.
Mana Whenua and Kaitiakitanga Central to Restoration
For Māori, the future of Tīkapa Moana is also closely connected to kaitiakitanga, customary relationships with the moana and the protection of marine resources for future generations.
Ngāti Pāoa and other mana whenua have been involved in efforts to protect marine environments around Waiheke and the wider Hauraki Gulf.
Separate customary fisheries measures are already in place, including temporary restrictions on harvesting selected shellfish and other marine species around Waiheke Island.
Those measures, introduced in August 2026, recognise the importance of protecting vulnerable fisheries and supporting the customary management practices of tangata whenua.
The proposed marine reserve is a separate conservation initiative, and decisions about its establishment must take account of the statutory process and the interests of affected communities and mana whenua.
The wider challenge remains how to restore the mauri of Tīkapa Moana while recognising the environmental, cultural and economic relationships communities have with the gulf.
Election Promise or Immediate Decision?
With the general election less than a month away, the proposed reserve has become another point of debate over the pace of environmental protection.
Friends of the Hauraki Gulf says National’s commitment is welcome, but the years already spent considering the application make further delays difficult to justify.
The group wants the Prime Minister and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka to ensure the existing application is resolved rather than relying on a commitment to act if National is returned to government.
For campaigners, the central issue is whether political support will translate into a legally established marine reserve.
After five years of campaigning and overwhelming public support, the question is no longer simply whether the northwestern waters of Waiheke deserve protection, but when a final decision will be made.
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