The Government is seeking feedback on a proposed National Policy Statement for Natural Hazard Decision-making. This is a first step from central government to provide additional support for local government to manage risks to people and property from natural hazards such as floods, landslides and coastal inundation.
The Ministry is scoping two proposed pieces of national direction to provide further direction to local government around how to manage the risk to people and property from natural hazards like flooding, landslips and coastal inundation. These changes are being progressed under the existing Resource Management Act.
These are:
The Ministry is working closely with Toka Tū Ake EQC to develop both proposals.
Developing land in certain areas can pose a risk to human life, property, and wellbeing, as well as potentially leaving owners, communities, councils, insurers and government facing costs for repairs and recovery. The severe weather events in early 2023 have highlighted these risks.
Under the current Resource Management Act, local councils are responsible for making planning and resource consent decisions on areas which are at risk from natural hazards. Currently, these decisions are handled differently across the country. The National Policy Statement will provide consistent guidance to all local authorities on how to make decisions based on understanding risk.
The proposed National Direction for Natural Hazards aims to provide comprehensive national direction that would ensure local authorities identify and address natural hazard risk in a consistent and rigorous way and would underpin good decision-making about future land use and adaptation where there is risk from natural hazards. This is technical and complex work that will take time to implement. If progressed, it is expected to be in place within two years.
This proposed NPS is an initial step towards the more comprehensive National Direction for Natural Hazards, and would introduce consistency around decision making on new developments where there is risk from natural hazards. It would guide local authorities on how to consider natural hazard risks when making decisions on regional policy statements, regional plans, district plans and resource consents under the RMA.
The proposed NPS is expected to limit new development in areas that are at high risk from natural hazards and require mitigations for other areas to ensure people and property are protected. It is not intended to reduce overall housing supply.
The proposed NPS would:
The proposed NPS would not prevent or restrict development in at-risk areas where development is currently a permitted activity and does not require resource consent. It also will not affect existing use rights of land.
This National Direction is being progressed at pace in order to better support local authorities in their decision making around natural hazard risk as quickly as possible.
Consultation on these proposals is now open and we encourage those with an interest to make a submission. Feedback from consultation will inform final decisions on the NPS, which is expected to be in place in early 2024, providing councils with short term direction while a more comprehensive National Direction for Natural Hazards is developed.