RMA Reform
RMA Reform
Please note that this information was provided for the 2022 Local Government Elections and may now be out of date.
The Government plans to repeal the Resource Management Act 1991(RMA) and replace it with three new pieces of legislation; Natural and Built Environment Act (NBA), Spatial Planning Act (SPA) and Climate Adaptation Act (CAA).
The purpose of the reform is to
- protect and restore the environment and its capacity to provide for the wellbeing of present and future generations
- better enable development within natural environmental limits
- give proper recognition to the principles of Te Tiriti of Waitangi and provide greater recognition of te ao Māori including mātauranga Māori
- better prepare for adapting to climate change and risks from natural hazards, and better mitigate emissions contributing to climate change
- improve system efficiency and effectiveness, and reduce complexity while retaining appropriate local democratic input.
July 2019
Independent panel established - lead by judge Tony Randerson
July 2020
Randerson report released 2020
February 2021
Government announcement it would repeal RMA and replace it with three Acts
June 2021
Government announcement it would repeal RMA and replace it with three Acts
February 2022
Targeted feedback on the resource management system
May 2022
National Adaptation Plan released for feedback by 3 June 2022
What we currently do
- Rolling review of our District Plan
- Processing of resource consent and building consent applications
- Processing private plan changes
- Publishing the State of the Environment report every year in November. Council’s State of the Environment Monitoring is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of the indicators identified and most of these are reported on annually. It also measures the pressures on the environment and how Council is responding to these pressures, as well as what the community can do to help and provides useful links to other agencies.
What's on the horizon?
- The full impact of the RMA reform is still unknown. Select Committee hearings were held last year, following submissions on the first Exposure Draft of the Draft of the Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA). The draft NBA is only a partial bill, with much of the detail still to come.
- The next opportunity to give feedback will be later this year when the full Bill is introduced to Parliament, along with the Strategic Planning Bill. This is happening later than expected but the aim is still for the NBA and Strategic Planning Act to be passed into law before the 2024 central government election.
- In addition, the Government is also working towards the introduction of the draft Climate Adaptation Act in 2023.
- Joined Future Proof which enables us to align our spatial planning with the Future Proof Councils and provide a basis for aligned and coordinated regional special planning which will be required under the new Spatial Planning act.
Questions to consider
- How can Council ensure local communities’ interests are protected and promoted through the regional spatial plans?
- How can Council ensure we continue to deliver our services to our communities during a period of transition?
For more information visit the Manatū Mō Te Taiao - Ministry for the Enviroment website here
