Reviewing the Orders in Council

Following the severe weather events of early 2023, central government has changed a range of laws to help communities recover. These changes have come about through secondary legislation called Orders in Council which can be made under the SWERLA.

We are reviewing eight Orders in Council currently in effect.

Descriptions of the Orders in Council under review.

Please note we will review the Hawke’s Bay Flood Protection Works Order later in the year, so this Order is not included in this review.

We are required by law to keep the Orders under review.

We want to make sure that the Orders in Council are working as intended and are continuing to effectively support communities in recovery.

The feedback we receive will guide our recommendations to the Minister for the Environment.

To provide feedback, you can either: 

1. participate in the Order in Council survey
2. email your feedback to severeweather@mfe.govt.nz.

Feedback on the review will close at 5pm on Friday 2 May 2025.

If you choose to email us your feedback, the following questions could assist you in structuring your response.

1. What Order did you use and why?
2. How many times did you/your organisation use the Order? What year?
3. What benefits did this provide? 
4. What challenges have you experienced (if any)? How could these be addressed?
5. Have there been any positive or negative impacts on the community and/or the environment?
6. Is the Order still needed? Why?   
7. Additional question for councils: Have you undertaken any compliance measures to support implementation of this Order? Please describe any measures or challenges.