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Resource Management Act 1991

Standards, policy statements, and plans - Local authority policy statements and plans - Regional plans

66: Matters to be considered by regional council (plans)

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“Regional councils must consider many things when making or changing regional plans”

When you’re making or changing a regional plan, you need to follow some important rules. These rules help make sure the plan works well for everyone in your area.

You need to think about what your job is as a regional council, and make sure your plan follows the main ideas of the Resource Management Act. You also need to follow any directions you’ve been given, and look at reports that show how well the plan might work.

Your plan needs to match up with big national plans about things like the environment and the coast. You also need to follow any rules the government has made.

When you’re working on your plan, you need to look at other plans for your region, like ones that haven’t been finished yet. You also need to think about what the government wants for the coastal areas.

You should look at other plans and strategies that might affect your region. This includes plans for protecting important heritage sites, and rules about fishing. You also need to think about plans for urban development in your area.

It’s important that your plan fits in with plans from other regions nearby. You also need to make sure it matches up with rules about the sea and the seabed.

You need to think about plans for reducing pollution and dealing with climate change.

When you’re making your plan, you need to look at any documents from iwi (Māori tribes) in your area. You also need to follow special rules about areas that Māori have customary rights to.

One last thing - when you’re making your plan, you’re not allowed to think about competition between businesses.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM233620.

Topics:
Environment and resources > Conservation
Environment and resources > Climate and energy
Environment and resources > Town planning
Government and voting > Local councils
Māori affairs > Māori land
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65: Preparation and change of other regional plans, or

“Regional councils can make and update plans for managing natural resources in their area”

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67: Contents of regional plans, or

“Regional plans explain what a region wants to achieve and how it will do it.”

Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans
Local authority policy statements and plans: Regional plans

66Matters to be considered by regional council (plans)

  1. A regional council must prepare and change any regional plan in accordance with—

  2. its functions under section 30; and
    1. the provisions of Part 2; and
      1. a direction given under section 25A(1); 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 67(3) and (4), when preparing or changing any regional plan, the regional council shall have regard to—

                2. any proposed regional policy statement in respect of the region; and
                  1. the Crown's interests in the coastal marine area; and
                    1. 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
                                1. relevant project area and project objectives (as those terms are defined in section 9 of the Urban Development Act 2020), if section 98 of that Act applies,—
                                2. the extent to which the regional plan needs to be consistent with the regional policy statements and plans, or proposed regional policy statements and proposed plans, of adjacent regional councils; and
                                  1. to the extent to which the regional plan 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 plan, 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 plan, a regional council must not have regard to trade competition or the effects of trade competition.

                                              Notes
                                              • Section 66 heading: amended, on , by section 13 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 104).
                                              • Section 66(1): replaced, on , for all purposes, by section 77 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2013 (2013 No 63).
                                              • Section 66(1)(ea): inserted, on , by section 55 of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                                              • Section 66(2): amended, on , by section 40(2) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 87).
                                              • Section 66(2)(b): amended, on , by section 128 of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (2011 No 3).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(ii): repealed, on , by section 27(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 23).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(iia): inserted, on , by section 118(2) of the Historic Places Act 1993 (1993 No 38).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(iia): amended, on , by section 107 of the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014 (2014 No 26).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(iii): replaced, on , by section 316(1) of the Fisheries Act 1996 (1996 No 88).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(iv): repealed, on , by section 27(1) of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2003 (2003 No 23).
                                              • Section 66(2)(c)(v): inserted, on , by section 300 of the Urban Development Act 2020 (2020 No 42).
                                              • Section 66(2)(d): amended, on , by section 176(3) of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (2012 No 72).
                                              • Section 66(2)(e): inserted, on , by section 176(3) of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act 2012 (2012 No 72).
                                              • Section 66(2)(f): inserted, on , by section 18 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                                              • Section 66(2)(g): inserted, on , by section 18 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 30).
                                              • Section 66(2A): replaced, on , by section 128 of the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 (2011 No 3).
                                              • Section 66(3): inserted, on , by section 13 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 1997 (1997 No 104).
                                              • Section 66(3): amended, on , by section 56 of the Resource Management (Simplifying and Streamlining) Amendment Act 2009 (2009 No 31).