Resource Management Act 1991

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

31A: Minister of Conservation to have certain powers of local authority

You could also call this:

"The Minister of Conservation has extra powers to help protect special islands and their environment."

The Minister of Conservation has some special powers. You can think of these powers like the ones a regional council or a territorial authority would have. The Minister has these powers for some special islands, including the Kermadec Islands, the Snares Islands, and the Auckland Islands. The Minister's powers include the ones a regional council would have under section 30(1)(d) for the coastal marine areas of these islands. The Minister can also do things that a regional council or a territorial authority would do for these islands, like making decisions about the environment.

The Minister gets these extra powers on top of the ones they already have. This means the Minister can make decisions about these islands, and also work with others to protect the environment. The Minister's powers are part of the Resource Management Act, which is a law that helps protect New Zealand's environment.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM232580.

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationGovernment and voting > Government departments

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

31AMinister of Conservation to have certain powers of local authority

The Minister of Conservation—
has, in respect of the coastal marine areas of the Kermadec Islands, the Snares Islands, the Bounty Islands, the Antipodes Islands, the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, and the islands adjacent to Campbell Island, the responsibilities, duties, and powers that a regional council would have under section 30(1)(d) if those coastal marine areas were within the region of that regional council; and
may exercise, in respect of the islands specified in paragraph (a),—
1. the responsibilities, duties, and powers that a regional council would have under this Act if those islands were within the region of that regional council; and
2. the responsibilities, duties, and powers that a territorial authority would have under this Act if those islands were within the district of that territorial authority.

The responsibilities, duties, and powers conferred on the Minister of Conservation by subsection (1)(b) are in addition to the powers conferred on that Minister by subsection (1)(a).
The responsibilities, duties, and powers conferred on the Minister of Conservation by this section are in addition to the responsibilities, duties, and powers conferred on that Minister by this Act.

Notes

Section 31A: inserted, on 1 July 2003, by section 262 of the Local Government Act 2002 (2002 No 84).
Section 31A(1)(b)(i): amended, on 1 October 2009, by section 150 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).