Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

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 for the Environment checks if local councils are doing their job properly and suggests how they can improve.”

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 supervisor who checks if the local authority is following the rules. The Minister can look into what the local authority is doing and make recommendations on how it can do its job better.

The Minister can also investigate if a local authority is not doing its job properly. If this happens, the Minister can make recommendations on what the local authority should do to fix the problem.

If the local authority does not listen to the Minister’s recommendations, the Minister can take further action under section 25 or section 25A. This means the Minister has the power to step in and make sure the local authority does its job correctly.

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 It might be out of date or be missing some parts.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

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

Topics:
Government and voting > Local councils Environment and resources > Town planning
Previous

24: Functions of Minister for the Environment, or

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

Next

25: Residual powers of Minister for the Environment, or

"The Minister can step in and do the local authority's job if they're not doing it well enough."

Part 4 Functions, 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

  1. The Minister for the Environment may—

  2. 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
    1. make recommendations to the local authority on its exercise or performance of those functions, powers, or duties; and
      1. 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
        1. make recommendations to the local authority on its failure or omission to exercise or perform those functions, powers, or duties; and
          1. take action under section 25 or section 25A if the local authority's failure or omission to act on a recommendation gives the Minister grounds to take action under one or both of those sections.

            Notes
            • Section 24A: inserted, on , by section 7 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 87).
            • Section 24A(a): amended, on , by section 23 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).
            • Section 24A(c): amended, on , by section 23 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).