Hananui Salmon Farm Wins Fast-track Approval off Stewart Island

The Hananui Aquaculture Project is the 31st development approved through the Fast-track process and the first aquaculture project to secure approval under it.

A major open-ocean salmon farming project off Rakiura/Stewart Island has received Fast-track approval, opening the way for an aquaculture development expected to create hundreds of Southland jobs and generate more than $310 million in annual sales once fully operating.

The Hananui Aquaculture Project is the 31st development approved through the Fast-track process and the first aquaculture project to secure approval under it. Ngāi Tahu Seafood Resources Limited lodged its latest application in November 2025, with a decision reached about five months after an independent expert panel was appointed to consider the proposal.

Hananui Project Reaches Major Milestone After Seven Years

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said Hananui had spent around seven years moving through different consenting pathways before receiving its latest approval, highlighting the lengthy history behind a project that Ngāi Tahu has sought to develop in the waters around Stewart Island.

An application was initially made under the Resource Management Act in 2019 before being withdrawn, followed by another application through the COVID-19 Fast-track process in 2020. That proposal was eventually declined in August 2023, leaving the project without the approvals needed to proceed until the latest Fast-track application provided another route forward.

Bishop said wider planning reforms would also support Māori commercial aquaculture by making it easier for iwi to develop Aquaculture Settlement Areas provided through the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004, with changes intended to create a faster and more efficient process for bringing suitable developments forward.

Salmon Farm Expected to Create Up to 480 Jobs

Once Hananui reaches full operation, the project is projected to produce around 14,400 tonnes of salmon each year and generate more than $310 million in sales, while supporting an estimated 415 to 480 jobs across Southland.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said the proposed annual production was almost as much salmon as all New Zealand salmon farms produced during 2025-26, showing the scale of Hananui and the potential impact it could have on the country's aquaculture industry.

Strong international demand for New Zealand king salmon has created an opportunity to expand production and export earnings, with additional supply needed if producers are to serve growing overseas markets. Large developments such as Hananui are expected to play a central role in increasing production without relying solely on the expansion of existing coastal farms.

Open-ocean Farming Key to Aquaculture Growth Plans

The Government has set a target for New Zealand's aquaculture sector to generate $3 billion in annual revenue by 2035, with large-scale open-ocean farming identified as an important part of reaching that figure.

Hananui fits that strategy by bringing substantial new production capacity into the sector while creating employment and commercial activity in Southland. Its location and scale could also provide a significant test of how open-ocean aquaculture contributes to New Zealand's future seafood production.

Ministers say faster approvals for suitable projects can help investment reach the construction and operating stages sooner, supporting regional economies and increasing export earnings while strengthening New Zealand's position in international seafood markets.