Resource Management Act 1991

Functions, powers, and duties of central and local government - Functions, powers, and duties of Ministers

24A: Power of Minister for the Environment to investigate and make recommendations

You could also call this:

"The Minister checks if local councils are following the rules and gives advice on how to improve."

Illustration for Resource Management Act 1991

The Minister for the Environment can investigate how a local authority is doing its job under the Resource Management Act. You can think of the Minister as a person who checks if local authorities are following the rules. The Minister can look into how a local authority is exercising its functions, powers, or duties, and make recommendations to the authority on how to improve. The Minister can also investigate if a local authority is not doing its job properly and make recommendations on what it should do instead.

This text is automatically generated. It might be out of date or be missing some parts. Find out more about how we do this.

This page was last updated on 28 October 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM232539.

Topics:

Environment and resources > Town planningGovernment and voting > Local councils

24: Functions of Minister for the Environment, or

"The Minister for the Environment's jobs under the Resource Management Act"

25: Residual powers of Minister for the Environment, or

"The Minister for the Environment can step in to help if a local council is not doing its job properly."

Part 4Functions, powers, and duties of central and local government
Functions, powers, and duties of Ministers

24APower of Minister for the Environment to investigate and make recommendations

The Minister for the Environment may—
investigate the exercise or performance by a local authority of any of its functions, powers, or duties under this Act or regulations under this Act; and
make recommendations to the local authority on its exercise or performance of those functions, powers, or duties; and
investigate the failure or omission by a local authority to exercise or perform any of its functions, powers, or duties under this Act or regulations under this Act; and
make recommendations to the local authority on its failure or omission to exercise or perform those functions, powers, or duties.

Notes

Section 24A: inserted, on 10 August 2005, by section 7 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 87).
Section 24A(a): amended, on 1 October 2009, by section 23 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
Section 24A(c): amended, on 1 October 2009, by section 23 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
Section 24A(e): repealed, on 21 August 2025, by section 6 of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 41).