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Resource Management Act 1991

Standards, policy statements, and plans - National direction - National policy statements

53: Changes to or review or revocation of national policy statements

You could also call this:

"Changing or cancelling national environment rules"

The Minister can review, change or revoke a national policy statement by following the process in section 46A. You can think of a national policy statement like a set of rules that help manage New Zealand's environment. The Minister must follow certain steps when making changes.

The Minister can make some changes without following the usual process in section 46A. This can happen if the Minister is changing the statement for a reason mentioned in section 44(3). In this case, the Minister must comply with section 44(4).

If the Minister makes a change, revokes or amends a national policy statement, it is called secondary legislation, which has its own publication requirements, as explained in Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM233369.

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52: Consideration of recommendations and approval or withdrawal of statement, or

"The Minister looks at suggestions and decides whether to approve, change or cancel a proposed national policy statement."

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54: Publication of national policy statements, or

"The government must tell everyone about new rules for the country and any changes to these rules."

Part 5Standards, policy statements, and plans
National direction: National policy statements

53Changes to or review or revocation of national policy statements

  1. The Minister may review, change, or revoke a national policy statement after following the process referred to in section 46A.

  2. The Minister may, without following the process referred to in section 46A,—

  3. amend a national policy statement if the Minister is recommending the amendment for a reason specified in section 44(3), in which case,—
    1. section 44(3) applies as if a reference to a national environmental standard were a reference to a national policy statement; and
      1. the Minister must comply with section 44(4); or
      2. amend the NPS-UD in accordance with section 77S(2).

        1. Repealed

        2. A change, revocation, or amendment under this section is secondary legislation (see Part 3 of the Legislation Act 2019 for publication requirements).

        Notes
        • Section 53(1): replaced, on , by section 15(1) of the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 43).
        • Section 53(2): replaced, on , by section 7 of the Resource Management (Enabling Housing Supply and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2021 (2021 No 59).
        • Section 53(2): amended, on , by section 15(2) of the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 43).
        • Section 53(2)(a): replaced, on , by section 15(3) of the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Act 2024 (2024 No 43).
        • Section 53(2A): repealed, on , by section 6 of the Resource Management (Natural and Built Environment and Spatial Planning Repeal and Interim Fast-track Consenting) Act 2023 (2023 No 68).
        • Section 53(3): inserted, on , by section 3 of the Secondary Legislation Act 2021 (2021 No 7).