46AProcess for preparing national environmental standards and national policy statements

1. If the Minister proposes to issue a national environmental standard or national policy statement, the Minister must establish and follow a process that includes the following steps:

2. the public and iwi authorities must be given notice of—
   1. the proposed national environmental standard or national policy statement (the proposal); and
   2. why the Minister considers that the proposal is consistent with the purpose of this Act; and
3. those notified must, subject to subsection (2), be given what the Minister considers to be adequate time and opportunity to make a submission on the subject matter of the proposal; and
4. a report and recommendations must be made to the Minister on the submissions and the subject matter of the proposal.

5. The time given for submissions under subsection (1)(b) must not be less than 20 working days.

6. A person preparing a report and recommendations required by subsection (1)(c) must consider the matters in Part 2.

7. In preparing a national environmental standard or national policy statement, the Minister may, at any time, consult on a draft of that document.

8. If the Minister decides, after consulting as required by subsection (1), to recommend that regulations on the same subject matter as that consulted on be made under any of sections 360 to 360C, the consultation under subsection (1) satisfies the requirement to consult the public and iwi authorities in relation to those regulations.