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60: Preparation and change of regional policy statements
or “How regional councils make and update plans for their area's development”
You could also call this:

“Regional councils must follow specific rules and consider various documents when creating or changing their policy statements about managing regional resources.”

When you’re making or changing a regional policy statement, you need to think about a lot of things. You must follow the rules about what your job is, what’s good for the environment and people, and any reports you need to write about your choices. You also need to look at any national plans about the coast or other big issues, and any other rules that apply.

You should also think about other plans that might affect your area, like plans for looking after special places or fishing areas. You need to make sure your plan fits with what nearby regions are doing too. It’s important to think about plans for reducing pollution that causes climate change, and plans for dealing with the effects of climate change.

When you’re working on your policy statement, you need to pay attention to any documents from iwi (Māori tribes) that are given to you. If there’s a special document about the sea and coast from a Māori group with customary rights, you need to include what it says in your plans.

You’re not allowed to think about competition between businesses when you’re making your policy statement. You just need to focus on what’s best for managing the environment and resources in your region.

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Next up: 62: Contents of regional policy statements

or “This explains what important things must be included in a regional plan for managing natural resources.”
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Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans
Local authority policy statements and plans: Regional policy statements

61Matters to be considered by regional council (policy statements)

  1. A regional council must prepare and change its regional policy statement in accordance with—

  2. its functions under section 30; and
    1. the provisions of Part 2; and
      1. its obligation (if any) to prepare an evaluation report in accordance with section 32; and
        1. its obligation to have particular regard to an evaluation report prepared in accordance with section 32; and
          1. a national policy statement, a New Zealand coastal policy statement, and a national planning standard; and
            1. any regulations.

              1. In addition to the requirements of section 62(3), when preparing or changing a regional policy statement, the regional council shall have regard to—

              2. any—to the extent that their content has a bearing on resource management issues of the region; and
                1. management plans and strategies prepared under other Acts; and
                    1. relevant entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero required by the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014; and
                      1. regulations relating to ensuring sustainability, or the conservation, management, or sustainability of fisheries resources (including regulations or bylaws relating to taiapure, mahinga mataitai, or other non-commercial Maori customary fishing); and
                        2. the extent to which the regional policy statement needs to be consistent with the policy statements and plans of adjacent regional councils; and
                          1. the extent to which the regional policy statement needs to be consistent with regulations made under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012; and
                            1. any emissions reduction plan made in accordance with section 5ZI of the Climate Change Response Act 2002; and
                              1. any national adaptation plan made in accordance with section 5ZS of the Climate Change Response Act 2002.

                                1. When a regional council is preparing or changing a regional policy statement, it must deal with the following documents, if they are lodged with the council, in the manner specified, to the extent that their content has a bearing on the resource management issues of the region:

                                2. the council must take into account any relevant planning document recognised by an iwi authority; and
                                  1. in relation to a planning document prepared by a customary marine title group under section 85 of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011, the council must, in accordance with section 93 of that Act,—
                                    1. recognise and provide for the matters in that document, to the extent that they relate to the relevant customary marine title area; and
                                      1. take into account the matters in that document, to the extent that they relate to a part of the common marine and coastal area outside the customary marine title area of the relevant group.

                                      2. In preparing or changing any regional policy statement, a regional council must not have regard to trade competition or the effects of trade competition.

                                      Notes
                                      • Section 61 heading: amended, on , by section 11 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 104).
                                      • Section 61(1): replaced, on , for all purposes, by section 76 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 63).
                                      • Section 61(1)(da): inserted, on , by section 52(1) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                                      • Section 61(2): amended, on , by section 52(2) of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                                      • Section 61(2)(a)(ii): repealed, on , by section 24(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 23).
                                      • Section 61(2)(a)(iia): inserted, on , by section 118(2) of the Historic Places Act 1993 (1993 No 38).
                                      • Section 61(2)(a)(iia): amended, on , by section 107 of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 (2014 No 26).
                                      • Section 61(2)(a)(iii): replaced, on , by section 316(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996 (1996 No 88).
                                      • Section 61(2)(a)(iv): repealed, on , by section 24(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 23).
                                      • Section 61(2)(b): amended, on , by section 176(2) of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (2012 No 72).
                                      • Section 61(2)(c): inserted, on , by section 176(2) of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (2012 No 72).
                                      • Section 61(2)(d): inserted, on , by section 17 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                                      • Section 61(2)(e): inserted, on , by section 17 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                                      • Section 61(2A): replaced, on , by section 128 of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (2011 No 3).
                                      • Section 61(3): inserted, on , by section 11 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 104).
                                      • Section 61(3): amended, on , by section 55 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).