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Local Government Act 2002

Planning, decision-making, and accountability - Planning and decision-making - Significance and engagement policy

76AA: Significance and engagement policy

You could also call this:

"How councils decide what's important to their community and involve them in decisions"

Illustration for Local Government Act 2002

Every local authority must have a policy that explains how they decide what is significant to their community. You can think of significance like importance - what matters to the people who live in the area. The policy must say how the local authority will work out what is significant and how they will talk to the community about important decisions.

The policy is meant to help the local authority and the community understand what is important and when the community should be involved in decisions. It should also say how the local authority will work with the community when making decisions. The local authority must list the assets they think are strategic, which means they are very important to the community.

When the local authority makes or changes this policy, they must talk to the community, unless they already know what the community wants. They must follow the rules in section 82 when talking to the community. If the local authority does not follow their policy, section 80 applies.

The local authority can change their policy without talking to the community if they are working with a water organisation and following the rules in the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025. This section is subject to sections 34 and 37(4) of that Act.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM6236805.

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Government and voting > Local councilsEnvironment and resources > Town planning
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Part 6Planning, decision-making, and accountability
Planning and decision-making: Significance and engagement policy

76AASignificance and engagement policy

  1. Every local authority must adopt a policy setting out—

  2. that local authority's general approach to determining the significance of proposals and decisions in relation to issues, assets, and other matters; and
    1. any criteria or procedures that are to be used by the local authority in assessing the extent to which issues, proposals, assets, decisions, or activities are significant or may have significant consequences; and
      1. how the local authority will respond to community preferences about engagement on decisions relating to specific issues, assets, or other matters, including the form of consultation that may be desirable; and
        1. how the local authority will engage with communities on other matters.

          1. The purpose of the policy is—

          2. to enable the local authority and its communities to identify the degree of significance attached to particular issues, proposals, assets, decisions, and activities; and
            1. to provide clarity about how and when communities can expect to be engaged in decisions about different issues, assets, or other matters; and
              1. to inform the local authority from the beginning of a decision-making process about—
                1. the extent of any public engagement that is expected before a particular decision is made; and
                  1. the form or type of engagement required.

                  2. The policy adopted under subsection (1) must list the assets considered by the local authority to be strategic assets.

                  3. A policy adopted under subsection (1) may be amended from time to time.

                  4. When adopting or amending a policy under this section, the local authority must consult in accordance with section 82 unless it considers on reasonable grounds that it has sufficient information about community interests and preferences to enable the purpose of the policy to be achieved.

                  5. Repealed

                  6. To avoid doubt, section 80 applies when a local authority deviates from this policy.

                  7. Consultation under subsection (5) is not required to amend a policy to the extent that the amendment is made when a territorial authority—

                  8. has established a water organisation under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025; and
                    1. is working with that organisation in relation to the organisation’s significance and engagement policy under section 37(4) of that Act.

                      1. This section applies subject to sections 34 and 37(4) of that Act.

                      Notes
                      • Section 76AA: inserted, on , by section 20 of the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2014 (2014 No 55).
                      • Section 76AA(5A): repealed, on , by section 6 of the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (2023 No 68).
                      • Section 76AA(7) heading: inserted, on , by section 172 of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).
                      • Section 76AA(7): inserted, on , by section 172 of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).
                      • Section 76AA(8): inserted, on , by section 172 of the Local Government (Water Services) (Repeals and Amendments) Act 2025 (2025 No 43).