11 May 2017
The New Zealand Planning Institute has partnered with the Resource Management Law Association and the Ministry for the Environment to run a series of regional workshops in June 2017 for RMLA and NZPI members.
The National Planning Standards are a new requirement in the 2017 amendments to the RMA. The Planning Standards aim to establish a common structure and form for RMA plans, set requirements for electronic functionality of plans, and will include some common content.
Even with the Planning Standards in place, plans will continue to have some variation on how councils address local planning issues. The Standards will provide a tool kit for councils to improve consistency in plans, where it makes sense to do so.
Discussion Papers
Ten National Planning Standards discussion papers have been drafted, and are available on MfE's website, click here.
The first paper Introduction to Planning Standards outlines the rationale for Planning Standards and how people can be involved. The other nine papers cover the following topics:
These nine papers set out MfE research findings on the respective topics, offer options for standards, and indicate whether the Ministry has a preference for a particular option at this stage. These papers are intended to form the basis for early consultation on the scope and direction of the Planning Standards. You are encouraged to read the discussion papers that cover your particular area(s) of interest/expertise, and form a view about options you support, so you can make an informed contribution at the workshops. Your input is an important part of the development of NZ's National Planning Standards.
Phases of Standards Development
The Ministry for the Environment is proposing four phases of Standards development:
Workshops
Dates and locations:
