The RM Reform Update is a regular update from the Ministry for the Environment to people and organisations that have an interest in the reform of the resource management system. If you would like to subscribe to these updates, please click here.
Kia ora koutou,
It has been well over a year since the release of the expert Panel’s review on Aotearoa New Zealand’s resource management system and good progress has been made since then.
The select committee inquiry has recently reported its findings on the exposure draft of the Natural and Built Environments Bill (NBA). We were encouraged to see many high-quality submissions from individuals and organisations who participated in the select committee process. Thank you for having your say and helping to make the legislation more robust.
At the same time, work has been progressing on the remaining details of the NBA and the Strategic Planning Act (SPA) and how the key components of the system fit together.
We would like to share with you the progress that has been made, so we are holding several online information sessions for people and organisations that are interested in the reforms. These will be on 23 and 30 November from 2:30pm to 3:30pm and the link is in the invite below.
We hope you can join us.
Ngā mihi,
Janine Smith, Deputy Secretary, Natural and Built System and Climate Mitigation
As key stakeholders of the current and future resource management system, we want to share with you the progress that has been made on the reform of the resource management system and give you an opportunity to ask questions.
The Ministry for the Environment invites you to attend one of two online information sessions about the reforms.
When: 2.30-3.30pm on either the 23rd or 30th of November
Where: Online via Zoom (Registration link below)
We will share the work we have done on the proposals for the key components of the system and the roles and responsibilities within it.
As part of the event we look forward to answering any questions you may have about the new system. You can send your questions in advance to RM.Reform@mfe.govt.nz – please reference ‘Questions for RM reform sector check in’ in the subject line.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, these information sessions will take place online. To ensure there is space for as many people as possible to attend, please only register for the time and date that works best for you.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about these sessions.
We are also carrying out a series of targeted engagements with local government, hapū/iwi/Māori and key sector stakeholders over the next few months. We will work with them to test the policy decisions that have been made around the key components of the system and the roles and responsibilities within it.
Feedback we receive will inform the Ministerial decisions that shape the Natural and Built Environments Bill and Strategic Planning Bill before their introduction to Parliament next year.
Last month we announced the establishment of a Local Government Steering Group to advise the Government on the resource management reforms. The journey from legislative design to establishment of the new system, and transitioning to it, will take several years and our working relationship with local government will be crucial to its success.
The national steering group includes 12 local government elected members and senior council executives. Co-chairs are Hauraki Mayor Toby Adams and Ministry for the Environment Deputy Secretary Janine Smith.
The initial focus of the group will be testing policy and advising on the implementation and transition to the new system. The steering group will also provide advice on the Ministry’s broader engagement with local government.
We will work with all councils to implement the new system and will continue to engage with technical experts from local government to test policy, as they have crucial expertise relevant to the reform.
On Monday 1 November, the Environment Select Committee released recommendations on the Natural and Built Environments Bill, the proposed law replacing the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The Committee’s report is based on feedback received from stakeholders and the wider public during the select committee inquiry into the exposure draft of the Natural and Built Environments Bill.
Submissions on the exposure draft closed in August. Nearly three thousand submissions were received, and the Environment Select Committee heard over 300 oral submissions across five weeks.
Many substantial, high quality and constructive submissions were received from key sector stakeholders in the system. This reflects not only the significance of these reforms but also an encouraging level of connection with them at this early stage of the legislative process.
The Committee’s recommendations are now being considered and will inform the development of the full Natural and Built Environments Bill, ensuring it is as robust as possible when it is presented to Parliament next year.
A range of submissions representing a diverse set of views from the wider sector were received. Themes arising from submissions included getting the balance right in protecting both the natural and the built environment and tighter language in the legislation, as well as the requirement for development to occur within environmental limits.
The Committee’s recommendations are being considered and will inform the development of the full Natural and Built Environments Bill. It will be introduced to the House in 2022 alongside the Strategic Planning Bill.
For more information, you can view the Committee’s report, along with all submissions and advice from officials [PDF, 1 MB].
The COVID-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill has been passed by Parliament and contains two amendments to the existing RMA, aimed at relieving pressure on councils and their partners in the community.
These amendments will give many councils greater discretion about how they can best allocate resources over the coming years, ahead of the implementation of the new resource management system. Likewise, community partners who play an active role in council review processes, including iwi and hapū, will be better placed to focus their resources on work in these areas as well as their COVID-19 responses.
The first amendment provides councils with the opportunity to defer the commencement of their 10-year plan reviews until 30 September 2024 and applies to councils who would otherwise have commenced their reviews prior to September 2024.
The second amendment provides a streamlined process for the Minister for the Environment to defer the requirement for regional councils and unitary authorities to implement National Planning Standards in Regional Policy Statements from May 2022 to May 2024.
The COVID-19 Response (Management Measures) Legislation Bill will also extend the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 for one year past its original repeal date of 8 July 2022. This Act was enacted on 8 July 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic impact it was having on the country. It will now be repealed on 8 July 2023.
The government has announced changes to the Resource Management Act, strengthening the National Policy Statement for Urban Development to address the housing shortage.
These changes include:
The new streamlined council planning process will ease restrictions for intensification and speed up housing development capacity and growth. Planning processes will be clearer, simpler and more consistent, including:
Submissions to the Bill closed on 16 November and will be available to read on the parliamentary website.
