© 2016 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. In January 2016 New Zealand released a consultation document proposing a new act on marine protected areas designed to significantly reform current and now dated policy. This article explores those reform proposals in the context of the current regulatory regime, international obligations, and the best practice of selected other states. While the proposed act provides for a much firmer legislative base from which to develop an MPA network to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem function, nevertheless it is limited in geographic and functional scope. As such, it represents a missed opportunity and undermines New Zealand’s claims to be an international leader in ocean management.