RM reform update - June 2024 Twentieth edition

Kia ora koutou,

The Ministry continues to support the Government’s phased approach to resource management reform. 

Most recently, this has included supporting the introduction of the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill to Parliament in May.  

MfE is also a lead advisor to the Environment Committee, which is reviewing the Fast-track Approvals Bill. Hearings on Bill submissions conclude this month.   

The Ministry’s resource management policy team is currently working with central government agencies on a second bill to amend the RMA and on amendments to national direction.  

The Government has said this bill - provisionally referred to as ‘RMA Bill 2’ - will make targeted changes to the RMA to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the system and deliver coalition agreement and manifesto commitments for Electrify NZ, Infrastructure for the Future, Going for Housing Growth and the Primary Sector Growth Plan. 

During this second phase of work MfE is undertaking some targeted engagement with partners and stakeholders.

This includes work with local government practitioners at a technical level. We thank the sector experts for taking time to engage with MfE through these groups and know their input will improve both the policy's development, and the way it’s implemented.  

We look forward to working with you on these programmes, and continuing to share updates on future resource management system reform. 

Ngā mihi nui, nā

Nadeine Dommisse,

Deputy Secretary, Environment Management and Adaptation

Submissions on the Government’s Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill close on 30 June.  

The Bill, which was previously referred to as RMA Amendment Bill 1, was introduced to Parliament on 23 May and has been sent to the Primary Production Select Committee for consideration. 

The changes proposed in the Bill will: 

• Exclude the hierarchy of obligations in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) from resource consenting. This will address concerns raised about the way it is being applied while a review and replacement of the NPS-FM is undertaken. 

• Repeal the low slope map and associated requirements from stock exclusion regulations, reducing costs for farmers. 

• Repeal the permitted and restricted discretionary activity regulations and associated conditions for intensive winter grazing from the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-F). 

• Align the provisions for coal mining with other mineral extraction activities under the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPS-IB), NPS-FM and NES-F. 

• Suspend for three years requirements under the NPS-IB for councils to identify new Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) and include them in district plans. The Bill also extends some SNA implementation timeframes to 31 December 2030. 

• Speed up and simplify the process for preparing and amending national direction, including national environmental standards, national planning standards, national policy statements and the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement. 

Make a submission or read the draft Bill at: Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill - New Zealand Parliament 

MfE has released the latest National Monitoring System (NMS) report on councils’ Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) performance in the 2022/23 financial year.  

A new dashboard tool that allows users to filter available data from councils by year and area was also launched on 5 June, along with the 2022/23 key patterns report.   

The dashboard, NMS and key patterns reports are based on councils’ RMA data on: 

• consenting (from lodgement to approval)  

• plans or policy statement work   

• other functions, tools and processes that are councils’ responsibility under the RMA.  

Some key patterns from the 2022/23 report are:  

• The number of new resource consents granted by councils has decreased.  

• Most councils processed fewer than 1,000 new resource consents.    

• The proportion of new resource consents being notified remained below 2.5 per cent. 

• The median processing time for new resource consents increased from 46 working days to 57 working days.   

National Monitoring System information is used to improve policy and practice at the national and local level.    

Visit the National monitoring system page on our website to read the report and access the new NMS dashboard tool.  

A temporary law change will speed up flood protection work in the Hawke’s Bay to help the region recover from Cyclone Gabrielle. 

The Order in Council was requested by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Recovery Agency.  

It will streamline consenting processes so that work on new stop banks and other flood mitigation measures can begin as soon as possible.   

Flood protection work under the Order will allow about 975 properties to be recategorised at a ‘reduced risk’ level.  

The Order will be limited to consent applications that local authorities in Hawke’s Bay have lodged for eight specified sites in Wairoa, Whirinaki, Waiohiki, Ohiti Road/Omāhu, Pākōwhai, Havelock North, Pōrangahau.  

The flood works will also protect the Awatoto industrial area where Napier’s wastewater treatment plant is located. 

The Order came into effect on 7 June 2024. It expires on 31 March 2028.  

Read more at: Severe Weather Emergency Recovery (Hawke's Bay Flood Protection Works) Order 2024 [New Zealand Legislation website]

Feedback is being sought on options to make it easier to build granny flats on properties with existing homes on them.   

While many district plans already allow granny flats without resource consent, there’s a lack of consistency and different standards across the country.  

It’s proposed that self-contained granny flats up to 60m2 could be built without the need for a building or resource consent, to save time and reduce costs.

Key proposals 

A national environmental standard (NES) would be created which would permit a granny flat on sites in rural and residential zones without resource consent.   

An NES would mean the changes can come into force quickly because councils won't have to change their district plans through the usual plan-change process. 

There must be a main house (known as a primary dwelling) on the property, and it must be owned by the same person or group of people as the granny flat.   

The granny flat standards would apply in rural and residential zones where it’s anticipated most granny flats will be built. The standards are proposed to differ slightly from each other in rural and residential areas.  

Where proposed standards won’t apply 

Changes to make it easier to build granny flats need to balance this with key safety and natural hazard risks, such as managing stormwater runoff and flooding risks. To achieve this the standards won’t apply in some areas. They won’t apply in areas with outstanding natural features and landscapes, and historic heritage sites. These sites are defined in the RMA here.   

The proposed standards would reduce the need to get a resource consent for a granny flat. But other rules in district or regional plans may still mean a resource consent may still be required (including for property that’s been subdivided after a granny flat was built). 

Final policy decisions will be made later this year, and the legislative changes are expected to be in place from mid-2025.

Read the discussion document on MBIE’s consultation page and submit feedback at Making it easier to build granny flats (2024) | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (mbie.govt.nz), or by emailing grannyflats@mbie.govt.nz. 

Consultation on the proposal closes at 5pm Monday 12 August 2024. 

Work is underway to develop an adaptation framework to strengthen how Aotearoa New Zealand prepares for climate change.

The framework will set out the Government’s approach to sharing the costs of adaptation. It is expected to help people to know what support will be available to help with recovery from events like slips or floods, and what investment will happen in their area.

Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee is conducting an inquiry into climate adaptation to develop recommendations for the principles and objectives of the framework.

It is considering submissions to the Environment Committee’s previous adaptation inquiry as well as new public submissions. The Committee will report on its Inquiry by 5 September 2024.   

Read more: Adaptation framework | Ministry for the Environment

MfE has also released an updated guide to help organisations measure emissions.    

Measuring emissions: A guide for organisations is a tool to calculate and report emissions for voluntary reporting.

This year’s key updates include:   

• New emissions factors to cover biofuel blends, wood biomass, passenger vehicles newer than 2020, and passenger ferries.   

• Updated emissions factors for purchased electricity, energy transmission and distribution losses, aviation, and agriculture, forestry, and other land-use.   

Next year, we will refresh the guide as a digital product. We welcome feedback and suggestions from users to help us improve the guide – please get in touch at emissions-guide@mfe.govt.nz.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2022: how we are tracking