Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Resource Management Act 1991

Interpretation and application

3: Meaning of effect

You could also call this:

“This explains what 'effect' means in the law, including all kinds of impacts, big or small, now or in the future.”

In this law, when we talk about an ‘effect’, we mean a lot of different things. An effect can be good or bad. It can last for a short time or a long time. It can be something that happened in the past, is happening now, or might happen in the future.

Sometimes, effects can build up over time or when combined with other effects. This is called a cumulative effect. It doesn’t matter how big or small the effect is, how strong it is, how long it lasts, or how often it happens.

We also include effects that are likely to happen, and effects that probably won’t happen but could be really important if they did.

All of these are considered ‘effects’ in this law, unless the context of what we’re talking about suggests we mean something different.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM231795.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
Environment and resources > Town planning
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Part 1 Interpretation and application

3Meaning of effect

  1. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the term effect includes—

  2. any positive or adverse effect; and
    1. any temporary or permanent effect; and
      1. any past, present, or future effect; and
        1. any cumulative effect which arises over time or in combination with other effects—
            1. regardless of the scale, intensity, duration, or frequency of the effect, and also includes—
          1. any potential effect of high probability; and
            1. any potential effect of low probability which has a high potential impact.

              Notes
              • Section 3: amended, on , by section 3 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1993 (1993 No 65).