Administration of offshore islands
Find information about offshore islands we manage, including governance, responsibilities and how to apply for permissions or request information.
Under section 22 of the Local Government Act 2002, the Minister of Local Government is the territorial authority for a number of offshore islands that are not included in the boundaries of an established territorial authority.
We support the Minister in fulfilling their responsibilities as the territorial authority for offshore islands.
Only four islands have any significant population, permanent buildings and structures or both. You can see section 22 of the Local Government Act 2002 below.
Section 22 of the Local Government Act 2002
Mōtītī Island
Mōtītī Island is a small, settled island off the Bay of Plenty coast with a permanent population mostly engaged in farming.
Information on the administration of Mōtītī Island
Moutohorā - Whale Island
Moutohorā - Whale Island is an uninhabited island off the Bay of Plenty coast. The island is a Wildlife Management Reserve and is managed by Ngāti Awa and the Department of Conservation through a joint-committee called Te Tapatoru a Toi.
Tūhua - Mayor Island
Tūhua - Mayor Island is a small, dormant volcanic island situated off the Bay of Plenty coast. The island is owned and managed by the Tūhua Trust Board.
Information on the administration of Tūhua - Mayor Island
Whakaari - White Island
Uninhabited Whakaari - White Island lies 48km off the Bay of Plenty coast and is the visible tip of a mostly submerged volcano. It is New Zealand’s most active volcano. Although privately owned, White Island became a private scenic reserve in 1953.
Information about Whakaari - White Island
Applying for a resource consent
Doing something with your land? You may need permission from the Minister of Local Government.
We can work with you to understand whether you need a resource consent to do something with your land. If you need a resource consent, we will help you to understand what you need to put in your application.
Requests for information
Anyone can request information from the Ministry or the Minister. The Official Information Act 1982 requires the Ministry or the Minister to release information that is requested, unless there are good reasons for not doing so. The Official Information Act sets out these reasons.
More helpful information about making these requests can be found on the Office of the Ombudsman’s website.
Resources and publications (Office of the Ombudsman website)
Bay of Plenty Regional Council
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has regional council responsibilities for Mōtītī. For any queries that relate to these responsibilities, we encourage you to engage with the regional council.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s website
Contact us
For further information regarding the administration of offshore islands, you can email us.