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66: Matters to be considered by regional council (plans)
or “Regional councils must consider many things when making or changing regional plans”
You could also call this:

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

A regional plan is a document that sets out how a region will manage its natural resources. You need to know that a regional plan must include certain things:

The plan must state the objectives for the region. These are the goals that the region wants to achieve. It must also include policies that explain how these objectives will be put into action. If there are any specific rules to make the policies work, these must be included too.

The plan can also include other information if the regional council thinks it’s helpful. This might be the issues the plan is trying to address, other ways (besides rules) to make the policies work, reasons for choosing these policies and methods, what environmental results are expected, and how they’ll check if the policies are working well. It can also include ways to deal with issues that affect more than one local area or region.

The regional plan has to follow national policies and standards, as well as any specific policies for the coastal areas of New Zealand. It also needs to match up with the region’s own policy statement.

The plan can’t go against any water conservation orders or other regional plans. If the regional council has decided how to share out a natural resource, this must be recorded in the plan.

Lastly, the regional plan is allowed to include information from other documents by referring to them, rather than copying everything out.

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Next up: 68: Regional rules

or “Regional plans can include rules that act like laws to help manage the environment and natural resources in an area.”
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Part 5 Standards, policy statements, and plans
Local authority policy statements and plans: Regional plans

67Contents of regional plans

  1. A regional plan must state—

  2. the objectives for the region; and
    1. the policies to implement the objectives; and
      1. the rules (if any) to implement the policies.

        1. A regional plan may state—

        2. the issues that the plan seeks to address; and
          1. the methods, other than rules, for implementing the policies for the region; and
            1. the principal reasons for adopting the policies and methods; and
              1. the environmental results expected from the policies and methods; and
                1. the procedures for monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of the policies and methods; and
                  1. the processes for dealing with issues—
                    1. that cross local authority boundaries; or
                      1. that arise between territorial authorities; or
                        1. that arise between regions; and
                        2. the information to be included with an application for a resource consent; and
                          1. any other information required for the purpose of the regional council's functions, powers, and duties under this Act.

                            1. A regional plan must give effect to—

                            2. any national policy statement; and
                              1. any New Zealand coastal policy statement; and
                                1. a national planning standard; and
                                  1. any regional policy statement.

                                    1. A regional plan must not be inconsistent with—

                                    2. a water conservation order; or
                                      1. any other regional plan for the region; or

                                          1. A regional plan must record how a regional council has allocated a natural resource under section 30(1)(fa) or (fb) and (4), if the council has done so.

                                          2. A regional plan may incorporate material by reference under Part 3 of Schedule 1.

                                          Notes
                                          • Section 67: replaced, on , by section 41 of the Resource Management Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 87).
                                          • Section 67(3)(ba): inserted, on , by section 56 of the Resource Legislation Amendment Act 2017 (2017 No 15).
                                          • Section 67(4)(c): repealed, on , by section 16 of the Resource Management Amendment Act (No 2) 2011 (2011 No 70).