National Planning Standards

Do you work with RMA planning documents? Are you involved in providing advice to clients on the content of RMA plans/policy statements? If so, the proposed National Planning Standards will affect you.

The Government has commenced a two-year process to prepare a set of National Planning Standards, the purpose of which is to make plans and policy statements prepared under the Resource Management Act more consistent between councils, and easier to understand, prepare and comply with. Likely content includes plan format and structure, zones and overlays, definitions and mapping.

Information regarding the purpose, scope, development and implementation of the first set of proposed standards is now live on the Ministry for the Environment website. The site also includes a series of discussion papers and supporting research to stimulate discussion and feedback on the nature and extent of possible content.

The standards will have a significant influence on the nature and form of future plan-making and plan content. Given our extensive experience in preparing and administering plans we would be happy to discuss with you the opportunities and practical implications that introduction of the National Planning Standards will present.

For further information please contact Greg Vossler

27 June 2017