Resource Management Act Reform

Government Reforms 2023

This year sees significant proposed reforms across three major areas in Local Government.  Outlined below is a brief introduction to the aims of The Resource Management Act Reforms. 

To find out about the other reforms proposed for 2023 visit our Government Reforms 2023 webpage.

 

OTHER GOVERNMENT REFORMS 2023

 

Resource Management Act Reform

RMA Reforms Submissions

 

Kaikōura District Council provided its submissions to the Select Committee on 19 February for both the Natural & Built Environment Act and the Spatial Planning Act.  We have provided both submissions below for your information.  

 

Canterbury Mayoral Forum Submissions

The Canterbury Mayoral Forum (CMF) comprises the mayors of the ten territorial authorities in Canterbury and the Chair of the Canterbury Regional Council (Environment Canterbury) and is supported by our Chief Executives. The purpose of the CMF is to promote collaboration across the region and increase the effectiveness of local government in meeting the needs of Canterbury’s communities.  All Canterbury councils actively participate in the CMF: Kaikōura, Hurunui, Waimakariri, Selwyn, Ashburton, Timaru, Mackenzie, Waimate and Waitaki District Councils, the Christchurch City Council, and Environment Canterbury.

 

What is the Resource Management Act?

Under the Resource Management Act, councils make important decisions about their communities' natural and built environment - but the current system has been criticized for being overly complex. So the Government is undergoing reform to repeal it and replace it with three new pieces of legislation which aim to simplify and make the system more flexible.

Resource management makes decisions about how we use limited resources, including: 

  • How do we use these resources to promote growth, combat climate change, protect the natural environment, and plan for the future?  
  • When these priorities are competing, what guides our decisions? 
  • Who makes those decisions and what do they need to consider? 

 

What is being changed?

The Government has made in-principal decisions to shift to a regional planning model. The Resource Management Act 1991 and the current process will be repealed and replaced with three new acts.

 

  1. Natural and Built Environments Act (NBA)
  2. Spatial Planning Act (SPA)
  3. Climate Adaptation Act (CCA)

 

We will be updating this webpage with more information soon.  For now, outlined below are some links to helpful websites on the proposed changes.

More Information