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Story: Law of the foreshore and seabed

Māui gas rig platform

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Māui gas rig platform

The question of whether the Crown owned the seabed became more urgent in the late 20th century as new technologies – such as seabed drilling for oil and gas – opened it up to exploitation.

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GNS Science

Reference: CN18176/32

by Lloyd Homer

Permission of GNS Science must be obtained before any use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Mark Hickford, Law of the foreshore and seabed – Challenge and controversy, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8538/maui-gas-rig-platform (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Mark Hickford, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 January 2015.