Implementation Road Show Report

Aotearoa’s environmental and resource management legislation is changing. The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) is out, and new law is being designed to take its place.

The recommendations of the independent review of the resource management system, New Directions for Resource Management in New Zealand (Review Panel Report), chaired by the Hon Tony Randerson QC, have provided the foundation for the approach the Government has signalled it will take. Three Acts: The Natural and Built Environments Act, the Strategic Planning Act, and the Climate Change Adaptation Act.

The driver of change is simple. Stakeholders across the board feel that the RMA is not delivering the outcomes it was intended or expected to deliver. For the environment. For partnership under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. For infrastructure. For housing.

As the Review Panel Report and numerous inquiries into the RMA over the last few years have identified, the law itself is only part of the picture. Implementation is equally important. The words on the page can be as carefully crafted as possible, but if there is insufficient desire or ability to apply or understand them, they will struggle to deliver.

We facilitated a roadshow on behalf of the Association for Resource Management Practitioners (RMLA) to explore ideas around how to make the ‘new system’ work on the ground to create a better future.

To read the full report, click here.